Applications for Science Year grants closed on July 31st, 2001. Many schools have benefited from grants up to £750 for a range of exciting projects.

Unfortunately all funding has now been allocated. Future websites will include a selection of reports illustrating how the funding has been spent. Further information on fundraising for your school is available in the British Association for the Advancement of Science (BA) Science Week information pack, available after January 2002 from the BA.

Thank you to everyone who has passed on feedback regarding the previous resources. Your comments have been very helpful in shaping the resources we provide on the rest of the CD series.

Continued feedback is very important if we are to produce resources which you find useful. If you would like to comment on this website please send an email to jenifer.burden@scienceyear.com Answers to the following questions, and any other comments you wish to make, would be very valuable:

• What type and age range is your school?
• Have you experienced any technical difficulties using the website? (If so, please give brief details of your computer or network, and outline the problem you have experienced.)
  
• Which resources do you think are most useful and why?
  
• Are there any resources that you would not consider using for a particular reason?
  
• Are you a member of the ASE? If not, would you like to receive details of membership?
  
• Would you like to receive future ASE Science Year websites? If so, please give the name and address of your school. One free copy of each CD is available to all schools registering in this way.
  

The broad aims of Wales Science Year are: To raise the profile of science and its impact on society. To generate excitement and to stimulate creativity and innovation in science. To make science accessible and appealing to all young people. To raise awareness of the career opportunities in science.

Wales Science Year has its own logo and dragon mascot. The dragon's name is 'Bunsen' - an ideal name for the fire-breathing mascot as all students of chemistry will be very familiar with the bunsen burner. See the Wales Science Year web site at www.tquest.org.uk/walesscienceyear/ for more information on the origins of the bunsen burner.

Wales Science Year has been gaining momentum rapidly since its launch on 7 September 2001. The wonderful range of projects and activities organised thus far are proceeding well along the pathway to achieving its aims. A total of 49 secondary schools and 18 other publicly funded organisations from around Wales were awarded grants ranging from £500 to £5,000 for a scientific project/activity. Projects varied from building an AM radio receiver to forensic science to exploring the changed ecology of Cardiff Bay to a science circus. Details of many of the projects are available on the Wales Science Year web site.

It is hoped that the National Assembly will make a second round of funding available for the small grants scheme and this should help contribute to helping young people in Wales to get 'switched on to science'.

Sue Cavell, the National Co-ordinator would like to hear from all schools and organisations in Wales who are organising a science based event, activity or project - whether or not they received a Wales Science Year Grant. She is compiling what will be the most comprehensive scientific "Calendar of Events" going on in Wales and needs as many people as possible to contribute information to make this possible.

Each activity will be promoted on the web site enabling anyone to see what is going on in his or her area or nationally. Those organisations registering with the web site will be officially 'accredited' as a Wales Science Year participant. To add details of your event, access the website under 'Events' and complete the proforma before emailing it to sue@walesscienceyear.org.uk. Alternatively, write to Wales Science Year Events, c/o Techniquest, Stuart Street, Cardiff, CF10 5BW to request a printed version of the form. We would be delighted also to publish photos of your activities and projects on the web site. If your event has its own web site then send us the details and we may be able to will link it to our site.

For further information on Wales Science Year including to receive a free A2 poster and/or car sticker, simply email your mailing details to sue@walesscienceyear.org.uk