Around 2,000 local children aged between 10 and 13 years old attended Destination STEM Hopetown, a two-day event held on Tuesday and Wednesday at Hopetown, Darlington's railway-themed visitor attraction. The event was hosted by Darlington Borough Council and aimed to encourage young people to consider careers in science, technology, engineering or maths (STEM).
More than 50 exhibitors showcased the diverse range of STEM careers available across the region, using hands-on interactive activities, presentations and exhibitions. The event was free to attend.
Supporting young people's aspirations
The initiative supports one of the Council Plan's priorities: to give children and young people the best start in life, realising their potential and raising aspirations. This was the second year Darlington Borough Council has held the event, following its success in the previous year.
Cllr Chris McEwan, cabinet member for economy, said: "This is the second Destination STEM Hopetown two-day learning experience Darlington Borough Council has hosted, and it was so important to make it happen again this year, due to the resounding success of last year's event. Similarly to last year, it was so encouraging to have so many young people come along and display such interest and enthusiasm for the STEM presentations and exhibitions they were seeing and getting involved in."
He added that the event offered businesses operating in STEM sectors a unique opportunity to showcase their organisations to the potential workforce of the future.
Event supporters
The event was supported by Cummins, Husqvarna, Darlington College, Darlington Building Society, Willmott Dixon, North East STEM Foundation, Amazon, Cityheart, Northern Rail, Community Rail Network and Furbd.