YOUNGSTERS in the Wee County and surrounding areas have been benefitting from innovative STEM learning resources which support their home-based learning.

A partnership between Forth Valley College and SP Energy Networks led to the science, technology, engineering, and maths (STEM) resources being opened up to young learners.

The interactive sessions include a 'STEM Pick N Mix' aimed at nursery up to P7 pupils.

And there is 'The Famous Four Save the Planet' session aimed at P5 to P7 pupils, which tell the story of the 'Famous Four' characters who save the planet through STEM experiments and activities.

Thanks to £43,727 worth of funding from SP Energy Networks' Green Economy Fund, around 2,300 nursery and primary school pupils in the Forth Valley area are being given access to the college's online workshops.

Fiona Jackson, curriculum manager at Forth Valley College, said the sessions will deliver "an engaging, exciting and inter-active programme that school pupils would otherwise not have the opportunity to experience while at home during the lockdown".

She added: "This will help them gain qualifications and knowledge which is vital to their development and we can't thank SP Energy Networks' Green Economy Fund enough for its generosity."

Jillian Violaris, Green Economy Fund manager at SP Energy Networks, said: "Inspiring our children to take an interest in science, technology, maths and engineering is really important – what starts life as an interest in science experiments today could become a career in the future.

"With so much change across the education sector, we're proud to be supporting Forth Valley College's incredible work to give youngsters outstanding home learning resources.

"The college is going above and beyond to create fun, interactive and innovative experiences; we might even see some of these young people working with us at SP Energy Networks in the future."

For more information on the online STEM workshops, e-mail Famousfour@forthvalley.ac.uk.