A government minister enjoyed an out of this world experience when she paid a visit to the College’s STAR Centre.

Diana Johnson, Under-Secretary of State for Schools, came to see the centre, housed in the College’s Harold Town Keighley Campus, after hearing about it from Project Manager Mark Curtis and local MP Ann Cryer.

Ann and Mark had previously visited the minister in a bid to secure some long-term funding for the centre and extended an invitation for her to come up and visit.

The minister joined the pair, along with Principal Peter Roberts, Keighley Campus Manager Clare Macdonald and Head of the STAR Centre Ray Barber on a guided tour of the facilities last month (February 25th).

The specialist space hub enables seven-13 year olds to explore a mock Mars landscape, undertake life-like mission control simulations, drive a planetary rover, conduct experiments in a laboratory and explore the world of radio communication. It aims to engage them in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM subjects), using the world of space and space travel as the basis for study.

To date the STAR Centre, set up with funding from the Regional Development Agency Yorkshire Forward and currently financed by the College, has seen thousands of young people of various ages from the locality come through its doors.

Miss Johnson said she was delighted to have been invited along to see such an excellent resource.
“It is really great for local children – and if it inspires them to a career in science then even better,” she said.

Project Manager Mark Curtis said by engaging young people, along with their parents and teachers, with the centre and STEM subjects, it helped them explore the options available to them and to introduce them to progression routes into FE with the College.

He added it was hoped the STAR Centre model was something which could be developed in other colleges around the country.

The STAR Centre is to be relocated into the new Keighley Campus in Dalton Lane, which opens its doors to students in September.

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Sarah Towns
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Leeds City College
t: 0113 284 6411
e: sarah.towns@leedscitycollege.ac.uk