Getting Inspired in Basingstoke
CoolLED recently attended EBP South’s Get Inspired Basingstoke event at The Apollo Hotel, where Marina, Alex and Andrew spent a busy day speaking with young people about careers in STEM and the many routes into engineering and science.
A brilliant day of questions, curiosity, and real-world careers
Get Inspired Basingstoke welcomed over 1,000 students aged 11–16 and more than 20 employers from across the region, creating a practical, hands-on space where young people could look beyond the “usual ten” career ideas that many teenagers default to.
Throughout the event, Marina, Alex and Andrew chatted with students about:
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what day-to-day life in a STEM business actually looks like
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the range of roles that sit behind the scenes (R&D, engineering, manufacturing, quality, customer support, and commercial teams)
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how classroom learning links to real jobs and real projects
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why curiosity, problem-solving, teamwork, and asking good questions really matter
Hands-on STEM: what we brought along
To keep the conversations as practical (and memorable) as possible, the team filled the stand with activities that let students try science, not just talk about it.
Fluorescence microscopy (with real samples)
Students had the chance to look through a fluorescence microscope and see what happens when you pair biology with the right illumination and filters. We brought a selection of prepared slides that got plenty of reactions (including rat intestine, and the ever-popular cockroach testicle slide). Let’s just say “Hang on… is that real?” came up more than once…
“Invisible art” with UV-fluorescent paint
We also ran a UV paint activity. Students made drawings that looked almost invisible under normal light, then watched them pop into colour under UV. A simple, hands-on way to show fluorescence working in real time.
A fully working 3D-printed microscope (with Raspberry Pi)
Alongside the main microscope, we showcased a fully functioning 3D-printed microscope powered by a Raspberry Pi (plus some impressively clever mechanics). It sparked great chats about engineering, prototyping, optics, and what you can build when you mix creativity with practical skills.
Live 3D printing (and a take-home souvenir)
We brought a 3D printer too, to show how ideas turn into real parts. Students could leave with a mini 3D-printed model of one of our light sources – just a little memento, but a great way to link design, manufacturing, and the kinds of products used in labs and industry.
Why events like this matter
EBP South reports that more than 90% of students surveyed said they came across career routes they hadn’t heard of before — which is exactly why Get Inspired is worth doing. The two-day event was sponsored by AWE and supported by Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council.
Thank you
Huge thanks to EBP South for putting on another brilliant event, and to every student who came over for a chat (and kept us thinking with some genuinely great questions).
If you’d like to find out more about what we do here at CoolLED and the people behind the technology, then give us a call or reach out via our contact form.
