For the fourth consecutive year, the Forces in STEM event returned to RAF Museum Midlands at Cosford, and once again we were there delivering robotics and coding activities throughout the day. It’s become one of the highlights of our calendar — a full day of Year 5 and 6 students getting hands-on with STEM, completely free of charge, in one of the most inspiring venues in the Midlands.
What the Day Looked Like
Forces in STEM brings together companies, universities, and organisations from across the Midlands to showcase real-world STEM innovation. Students rotated through different stands and activities, and our station focused on robotics coding — programming robots to complete challenges that tested sequencing, logic, and persistence.
What works about this format is the sheer variety. In one day, a student might code a robot with us, look inside an aircraft engine, talk to an actual aerospace engineer, and watch a live science show. That breadth of exposure is almost impossible to replicate in a single school visit.
The RAF Partnership
Our relationship with the RAF and the broader defence STEM ecosystem is one of the things that makes our work distinctive. These partnerships allow us to deliver experiences that would otherwise be beyond most school budgets. The Forces in STEM event is a perfect example: professional-quality STEM activities, delivered in a genuinely special venue, at no cost to schools.
It’s also worth noting the message it sends to students. When they see the RAF, defence companies, and universities all investing in STEM education, it reinforces that these subjects lead somewhere real. It’s not just school stuff — it’s what actual organisations are built on.
Why Free Events Matter
We talk a lot about access in STEM education, and events like this are where the principle becomes practice. The schools that attend Forces in STEM often serve communities where the enrichment budget is tight and specialist STEM provision is thin on the ground. A free, high-quality event removes every barrier except getting on the coach.
If your school is in the Midlands and you haven’t attended before, keep an eye out for next year’s event. And if you’re interested in our funded workshop programmes that run throughout the year, not just at one-off events, we’d love to hear from you. The equipment, the expertise, and the curriculum links are all taken care of — all your school needs to provide is the students.
