Science and Plants for Schools (SAPS) Programme
SASA has been supplying antibody kits for use in Higher and A-level teaching in schools and colleges, as part of the Science and Plants for Schools (SAPS) Programme for more than 20 years. In 2009 alone we supplied more than 80 schools in the UK with kits and have also supplied schools in Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Italy, The Netherlands, South Africa and Switzerland. For more information see the SAPS Project page.
'Grow your own potatoes' projects
SASA also helps a growing number of schools with 'grow your own potatoes' projects, providing seed, pots, compost and advice each year. Generally, we supply all materials 1-2 weeks before the Easter Holidays so that the plants can be harvested in the last weeks before the school Summer Holidays.
School visits
SASA hosts visits from Secondary and Primary Schools and although the visits, particularly from Secondary schools, happen all year round, the period around mid-June, just before the field inspectors training courses kick off, has always been a busy time. This informal programme has catered for groups as large as 60 down to smaller groups of 10, and works with children at P3 up to S4, ages range from 7-16.
The visits have the central theme of explaining to children where our food comes from, the range of crops grown in Scotland and how major crops such as barley, wheat, potatoes and other vegetables are grown. The format is a mix of indoor activities; quizzes, demonstrations etc, followed by a tour of the vegetable, cereal and potato plots. Each visit lasts around 1½ to 2 hours. We can't promise to cater for every request, but will try.
We've also hosted visits for older pupils and students doing Highers, Advanced Highers and degree courses where they explain and demonstrate cutting edge technology such as the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and its use in diagnostics and sophisticated analytical chemistry equipment and the detection of pesticides in food and poisoned animals.
If you want further details on ‘Grow your own potatoes’ or school visits, please contact David Kenyon on 0131 244 8878 or by email.