Pupils from four schools in and around Bristol will meet for the first time this week to celebrate the end of their involvement in an innovative research project by Bristol University on teaching bioethics.

The 'Celebration Day' will take place this Friday [14 July] hosted by the science exploration centre, At-Bristol.  The pupils will receive a certificate acknowledging their participation and in recognition of the hard work they have put into the project.   There will be lots of fun activities during the day, including a star show in the science centre's planetarium and the opportunity to visit Explore-At-Bristol. 

There will also be a 'Question Time' discussion on human and xenotransplantation with a panel of experts from science and bioethics.  This will also include a renal transplant recipient who has worked with the pupils as part of the project.

The research team in the University's Centre for Ethics in Medicine have spent the past few months working with over 100 pupils, aged 12- to 13-years-old.  The pupils discussed a range of bioethical issues in relation to medical research development and governance during their science lessons.

A key part of the project, which is a pilot study funded by The Wellcome Trust's Engaging Science Programme, has been to listen to the views of the pupils with the aim of passing on their contributions to a network of scientists, educationalists and adult Research Ethics Committees co-ordinators.

Dr Jill Turner, project manager and Wellcome Trust Research Fellow in the Centre for Ethics in Medicine, said: "This is a new way of working with young people.  It offers them the opportunity and space to express their opinion and to be listened to and has produced a depth and breadth of discussion which has surprised the pupils and their teachers.

"It bodes well for a 21st century curricula which are increasingly set to value more discursive ways of learning about science, society and citizenship."

Pupils who worked on the project added: ''It showed us different ways of thinking around things.  It was brilliant."