MEET OUR TEAM: JEFF WINSHIP
In our latest ‘Meet Our Team’ blog post, we’d like to introduce you to Jeff Winship, STEM Engagement Officer here at Success4All.
Jeff joined us at the start of 2023 and has already completed several STEM Challenges as well as supported the delivery of our online Code Club.
To get to know him better, we asked Jeff a few questions.
This is what he had to say.
What did you do before joining Success4All?
When I was at school, I knew I always wanted to be a teacher. I had the luck to be taught by an amazing teacher of a new subject called “Technology”. I had always loved science and engineering and I was singled out for this new GCSE course… and I loved it. I love learning and I love enthusing people with my passion for Technology and Engineering in the same way that my teacher inspired me.
I qualified as a teacher in the North East with a B.Ed honours degree and almost immediately moved about as far away from the region as I could go!
I began my career as a teacher in a boarding school, becoming a House Master (think Harry Potter) and then a Head of Boarding. I found I enjoyed inspiring my students with extracurricular activities based around my own interests in design, engineering, computing and gaming.
I moved schools to become a Head of Department with my own team of teachers before deciding, after some 26 years away, to return to the North East in order to be nearer my family.
What is a typical day for you currently looking like as a STEM Engagement Officer at Success4All?
I am just settling in but what a time to be the newbie! It is British Science Week so I am being kept very busy with new activities, events and clubs. I am meeting the team, making friends and visiting new schools and learning venues. Exciting times!
What is your favourite aspect of your role so far?
For me, being in education has always been about the children. I want to make a difference. So my favourite aspect of my role hasn’t really changed – I’m still filled with awe at the connections young minds make as they discover new and exciting things. I love facilitating this, enthusing my young students with my passion for Engineering, Science, Technology and Design.
What is the most rewarding part of your role so far?
I love that Success4All brings so much positivity to a young person’s learning and educational experience, without any boundaries. Seeing the effect the team and the programmes have on the children we encounter makes me so happy to be a small part of their journey.
What is it that really gets you motivated and ready to go?
“Don’t Worry, Be Happy.” Bobby McFerrin
What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
I am an avid gamer, a console collector, and a vintage computer hobbyist. I have pretty much every game console ever produced since the 1970s, every computer and even every LCD game. I spend a lot of my spare time maintaining them so they are all in working order. My other great passion is Star Wars…
…anything and everything Star Wars.
If you could have one dish for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Oh this is such a difficult question! I like lots of different types of food and my favourites depend upon my mood. My top three would be… Pepperoni Pizza, Crispy Chilli Shredded Beef with Egg Fried Rice, or Salmon… If I had to choose one… Beans on Toast!
If you have a question that you would like to ask Jeff about his role as a STEM Engagement Officer or if you’d like to learn more about our STEM Services here at Success4All, please drop us an email at info@s4a.org.uk