The Microscopes 4 Schools (M4S) Competition, developed and launched by the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge, has expanded its reach to Birmingham and Manchester. This growth underscores the programme’s success in sparking scientific curiosity among primary school students across the UK.
The origins of Microscopes 4 Schools in Cambridge
Launched by the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in 2011, the M4S project aims to connect the microscopic world to students’ everyday lives. Aimed at Year 5 and 6 pupils, the competition invites schools to submit their best microscopic images, captured by pupils using a handheld digital microscope. Last year, over 700 pupils from 21 schools participated in Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and Suffolk.
Expanding to new regions
What began as a local outreach project in Cambridge has grown significantly over the past few years. Two years ago, with additional funding from the Lister Institute, the University of Birmingham introduced the M4S competition to the West Midlands, and last year, the initiative launched in the North West of England through the University of Manchester. With regional teams now running the competition, more schools can take part and experience the wonders of microscopy.
The M4S teams provide schools with a hand-held digital microscope kit to use for two weeks, during which pupils can capture images of biological samples like leaves, flowers, insects, and feathers. The schools then submit their 10 best images to the regional competition. The winning schools are awarded prizes ranging from digital imaging systems to stereomicroscopes.
In Birmingham, five primary schools participated last year. The M4S Birmingham hub is run by the scientific staff of the Microscopy Facility and the – Outreach and Widening Participation in the College of Medicine and Health – University of Birmingham.
Reflecting on their experience so far, they said: “Organising the M4S imaging competition among primary schools in Birmingham was another incredibly rewarding experience. Watching young minds express their creativity through microscopes and imaginative themes was truly inspiring. The enthusiastic feedback from students and teachers demonstrated that the initiative creates a joyful atmosphere that celebrates artistic exploration, scientific curiosity and community spirit. Our team from the Microscopy Facility and the CMH Outreach office did a superb job of coordinating and executing such inspiring project.”
The M4S Manchester hub has loaned their microscopes to 10 schools, engaging over 700 pupils. The project is led by scientists and the public engagement team within the Division of Cancer Sciences and Manchester Cancer Research Centre at the University of Manchester.
The M4S Manchester team commented: “Establishing Microscopes 4 Schools in Manchester has been an amazing experience. Financial support from the Biochemical Society and Manchester Cancer Research Centre plus advice from the LMB have allowed us to make a big impact in our first year. Seeing the enthusiasm in the online sessions and the quality of the images captured has been rewarding for us and our scientist volunteers.”
Fostering scientific curiosity and diversity
The competition is particularly focused on engaging schools from underprivileged areas, where fewer students typically have exposure to science careers or higher education.
In addition to lending schools a microscope, the M4S Competition provides an online ‘Meet the Scientist’ session during the two-week competition slot. The sessions feature two scientists who present their work and explain how they use microscopes in their research, followed by a Q&A session where the children can ask questions about science and scientific careers.
A new website
In addition to its expansion efforts, M4S has also launched a new website aimed at providing practical resources for students, teachers, and parents. It offers helpful information on how to set up microscope activities at home or in the classroom. It also provides guidance on purchasing affordable, high-quality microscopes and showcases simple microscopy activities, such as examining banana cells, live water fleas, or even cells and bacteria from one’s own mouth.
The M4S website is designed to make it easy for anyone interested in microscopy to get started and enjoy the hands-on learning experience.
Looking to the future
The Microscopes 4 Schools project plans to expand further and inspire more students across the UK to explore the wonders of the microscopic world. Simon Bullock, Group Leader in the LMB’s Cell Biology Division and co-founder of Microscopes 4 Schools, says: “We are thrilled to be joined by colleagues in Birmingham and Manchester in this exciting project and look forward to further geographical expansion in the future.”
The Microscopes 4 Schools project has been made possible by the support and sponsorship from UKRI, the Lister Institute of Preventive Medicine and Brunel Microscopes Ltd.
For more information on the competition
Further references
Connecting the microscopic world to children’s everyday lives
Reaching further with our 2023 Microscopes4Schools Competition
Stimulating children’s scientific curiosity through microscopy