Posted: 15th February 2017

Everyone else had Valentine’s Day on their mind, but at the Department of Computer Science, 14 February was Girlguiding Day. 48 Guides from across Oxfordshire took part in a busy programme of talks and activities that covered multiple sciences including Computer Science, Maths, Physics, Material Sciences and Earth Sciences.  

The Earth Sciences session was led by David Pyle on the topic of Volcanoes. This is related to a new exhibition he has curated at the Bodleian, which charts the science and wonder of volcanoes over the centuries.

In the maths session the Guides were introduced to the SIR Model for the Spread of Diseases. And in the physics session they were looking at the properties of liquid nitrogen: illustrated by freezing and smashing a bunch of flowers. (That’s one way to deal with a disappointing bunch on Valentine’s Day!)

The girls, ranging in age from 10-16, took part in a computer programming practical and got a glimpse of Oxford University life with college tours of St John’s and Somerville. Taking part in new experiences and building new skills are key areas of the Guide Programme, and one Guide commented, ‘I really liked the programme and […] you made it easy for me to understand all the different sciences’. Another said ‘I didn’t know anything, and thought that it would be really boring – you have changed my mind and now I know that it is exceedingly fun.’ 

Oxfordshire County Guide Adviser Kerry Bosworth added, 'We are delighted that the Department offered the Guides the opportunity to discover how much fun it is to study and work with science. Boosting their confidence and exploring their aptitudes is key to helping them make choices for the future.'