Dr Samantha Fox, co-founder and director of the Youth STEMM Award, explains why attending the Royal Norfolk Show is a fantastic opportunity to learn more about food, farming and the countryside – and now a much broader range of STEMM areas! 

Dudgeon Community Fund, supported by donations from the Dudgeon Offshore Wind Farm, operated by Equinor, has provided a grant to the Royal Norfolk Agricultural Association for the establishment of the STEMM Village at the Royal Norfolk Show 2023.

Organised by the Youth STEMM Award and supported by Ørsted, Vattenfall, Murphy’s, Peel Ports, Saxon Air, City College Norwich, Easton College and Paston College, the new STEMM Village provides a platform to educate and empower teenagers to address global challenges such as clean energy, food security and revolutionising agriculture.

Eastern Daily Press: Dr Samantha Fox, co-founder director of the Youth STEMM Award Dr Samantha Fox, co-founder director of the Youth STEMM Award (Image: Dan Barry)

“The overall theme explores how science, technology, engineering, maths and medicine (STEMM) can address global challenges such as producing more energy and food with less resources, while protecting the environment,” says Dr Samantha Fox. “We have a fantastic line-up showcasing not only recent innovations but also discussing career and training opportunities for young people.”

There will be hands-on exhibits, demonstrations and workshops, enabling young people to gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of the industry.

Eastern Daily Press:  Students from University Technical College Norfolk (UTCN) have benefitted from a programme funded by the Dudgeon Community Fund and delivered by EEEGR to promote STEMM subjects Students from University Technical College Norfolk (UTCN) have benefitted from a programme funded by the Dudgeon Community Fund and delivered by EEEGR to promote STEMM subjects (Image: Edward Proctor / Furthermore Marketing)

Norfolk is home to an amazing array of organisations with links to STEMM areas, including several world-class institutions at Norwich Research Park. Visitors will get the chance to connect with scientists, engineers and experts in areas such as biotechnology, healthcare and agritech. East Wind will be offering lots of hands-on activities by wind developers Equinor, Vattenfall and Ørsted including building floating wind turbines. And you can even discover how computer games can be used to teach young children about farming and food production!

Eastern Daily Press: At the STEMM Village, you can engage with scientists from Norwich Research ParkAt the STEMM Village, you can engage with scientists from Norwich Research Park (Image: John Innes Centre)

“I am especially excited to promote the energy zone to showcase offshore wind power and the potential it has for our region,” says Samantha. She is also looking forward to seeing the stand from The Sainsbury Laboratory. “Organisations such as The Sainsbury Laboratory have an important role in the future of food sustainability, helping farmers to grow crops more efficiently with less impact on the environment.”

The Youth STEMM Award supports and inspires the next generation into STEMM careers and students from Year 7 upwards will help on stands, demonstrating what they have been getting up to during their awards.

“What an amazing opportunity for them to be working alongside scientists and engineers at such a prestigious event!”

For more information, visit royalnorfolkshow.co.uk/events/stemm-village