“My children love your library on an ordinary day, but at the science fair, they participated in the STEMbotics, finger printing, Perton wildlife, University of Warwick experiments, the RAF rocket making, the pulse measurement... pretty much everything,” wrote one parent.

Staffordshire Libraries brought science and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) learning to life for families, and reached over 1100 people, who participated in events and activities related to Green Libraries, nature, engineering, maths, and science.

Libraries play a significant role in not only raising general academic achievement, but also engagement with science and maths.

Perton Library’s annual Science Fair and Spring Festival took place on Saturday 11 May 2024 and was a community collaborative project within Staffordshire County Council.

Library users participated in a programme of activities to understand and explore STEM, STEM careers, and get a better understanding and higher awareness around climate change and connecting with the natural world.

This one day festival was created to support local economic growth, improve transport and digital connections, and to offer every Staffordshire child and young person the best start in life to reach their potential.

Some of the activities at Perton Library Fair:

• Medical Mavericks, exploring health and wellbeing
• Hyett Education STEMbotics Robot and Coding workshops for young people
• Wild About Perton, a pond and river survey
• Staffordshire Police held a forensics activity
• Solar observing with Perton Library Astronomy Group and the Wolverhampton Astronomical Society
• Explore the Perton Nature Trail (a culture nature project funded by Libraries Connected and Natural England)

“As a family we had a great fantastic day. Thank you for organising, and then coordinating such an incredible day.”

Libraries Change Lives takes place 24-28 June 2024 and culminates in a parliamentary event that will put the value and importance of libraries in the political spotlight through stories and case studies like this one.

See how libraries are changing lives in your area, view the interactive impact map