At the annual awards ceremony in London this week, Techniquest took
the top spot in the category for Best Venue for STEM Learning.
Set up by School Travel Organiser magazine, the initiative is the only national awards programme of its kind and celebrates learning outside the classroom, raising the importance and profile of school visits. The ceremony was attended by nearly 300 people including professionals from across the school travel sector, teachers and school staff.
With eighteen awards presented in total, Techniquest was up against stellar competition in the Best Venue for STEM Learning category, with the Royal Observatory, Legoland, Magna Science Adventure Centre, The Science Museum London, and Winchester Science Centre all through to the final six.
Lesley Kirkpatrick, CEO of Techniquest attended the event with the science discovery centre’s Education Officer, Jenny Morris and was presented with the award by Olympian and broadcaster, Katharine Merry at the afternoon ceremony held at London’s Royal Lancaster Hotel.
Lesley said: “We were so delighted when we discovered that we’d been included as a finalist in the School Travel Awards, particularly as the nominees are all voted for by readers of the magazine. We’ve always been confident that the experience we give to schools at Techniquest is a hugely positive one, but it’s fantastic to know that our school trip visitors think the same – and to have won against such incredible competition in our category makes it even more exciting!”
Rob Yandell, publisher of School Travel Organiser, said: “What a fitting occasion to celebrate the people, providers and places who make a difference when it comes to school trips and learning outside the classroom. It was a fantastic celebration and I want to say a big thank you to everyone who came along and also to our Awards Partners for their invaluable support.”
A full programme of schools’ activities at Techniquest for the new academic year will go on sale later this month.
