STEM Trip to England: Math, Physics, and Code Breaking

Your 24-hour Tour Director will meet you at the airport and remain with your group throughout your STEM tour in England. Your base for the next two nights will be Cambridge, where breakfast and dinner will be provided at the hotel.

Cambridge was an important Roman town because of its location at the first navigable point on the River Cam. Today, the river is more popular for punting than for trade, usually by the students at the city’s famed university. Cambridge was also once home to famous mathematician and physicist, Sir Isaac Newton—he was a professor at the university's Trinity College.

Take a walking tour of Cambridge and view King’s College, Trinity College, and Magdalene College, made famous by E.M. Forster, A.A Milne, and C.S. Lewis, respectively.

"We do not learn from experience, we learn from reflecting on experience." - John Dewey On every evening of the program, we’ll set time aside to update your Reflection Journal and share thoughts and impressions that have come up during the day.

During your tour, you’ll gain the knowledge and insights of three half-day local guides in the United Kingdom.

Visit the Cavendish Museum, home to many of the historically important pieces of equipment that contributed to major discoveries by members of the Cavendish Laboratory. Exhibits include equipment used by Maxwell, Thomson, Rutherford, Aston, Cockcroft, and Walton. Post-Second World War exhibits include the discovery of pulsars and the structure of the DNA molecule.        

Today, you’ll participate in a workshop presented by Isaac Physics that aims to develop problem-solving skills in a core area of physics by tackling a range of examples from idealized problems through to real-world situations. The workshop will be on a topic of your choice but may include problem-solving with vectors, problem-solving with exponentials, or calculus in physics.   

Travel to London, stopping in Milton Keynes along the way.

Visit Bletchley Park, which was the central site for British codebreakers during World War II. Run by the Government Code and Cypher School, it regularly penetrated the Axis Powers’ secret communications—most importantly the German Enigma and Lorenz ciphers. It’s been estimated that the "Ultra" intelligence produced at Bletchley shortened the war by two to four years and that without it the outcome of the war would have been uncertain.        

London is the largest city in Europe, quite a feat considering its location on a relatively small island. This location is perfect for an administrative, communications, and trade center, as the Romans realized when they founded the city in AD 43. London is filled with countless historic and cultural treasures that meld seamlessly into this exciting, contemporary city.

During your time in London, you’ll explore the areas of Westminster and Whitehall, including Trafalgar Square, Horse Guards Parade, Parliament Square, Downing Street, St. James's Park, and Buckingham Palace.

Enjoy an evening meal with your group.

Visit mysterious Stonehenge, a large circle of stone lintels and megalithic pillars that’s one of the most impressive prehistoric monuments in Britain. Constructed approximately 5,000 years ago, Stonehenge symbolizes mystery, power, and endurance.      

Bath is a unique and beautiful city. The Romans turned it into England’s first spa resort, and brilliant architects created the Neo-Classical facades that recall its Georgian and Victorian golden age. Jane Austen lived here and the peaceful beauty of the city inspired several of her works.

Take a walking tour through historic Bath, where you’ll see the spectacular façade of Bath Abbey; Pulteney Bridge, featuring wonderful views of the city and the River Avon; the Circus; and the Royal Crescent, one of Britain’s finest streets.

Explore the extremely well-preserved Roman Baths, first associated with the Celtic King Bladud and later established by the Romans in the 1st century. Step into the Pump Room, a set of elegant chambers built above the old Roman Baths. The core of the Pump Room is the Grand Chamber, which looks down onto the Roman Baths, and you may even be able to sample some of the spa’s natural spring water while visiting.    

Enjoy an evening meal with your group.

Visit Westminster Abbey, where English kings and queens have been crowned since 1066. Our Blue-Badge Guided Tour will include the Royal Chapels, containing the tombs of the English monarchs, as well as Poets’ Corner, featuring memorials to many famous British literary figures.

The tomb of Sir Isaac Newton is amongst the many who are buried at Westminster. The white and grey marble monument bears a Latin inscription at its base and supports a sarcophagus with large scroll feet and a relief panel. Just above the inscription is a sculptural depiction of boys using instruments related to Newton's mathematical and optical work (including the telescope and prism) and his activity as Master of the Mint.   

Enjoy a Thames River Cruise, a relaxing way to view many of London’s most magnificent sights. Your trip will travel past the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben as well as under the famous Tower Bridge.

Today, you’ll participate in a math session presented by Think Maths. Think Maths is a team of experienced mathematics speakers who volunteer their time to present sessions on topics ranging from topology and number theory to magic and math in popular culture.  

Enjoy dinner this evening in Covent Garden, home to some of the city’s liveliest restaurants, pubs, and cafés.

Participate in a L'Oréal Young Scientist Center workshop. During this half-day workshop, you’ll be able to participate in activities on bacterial evolution, pinhole photography, cosmetic chemistry, or gene jewelry.    

Today, you’ll visit the Faraday Museum, located within the Royal Institute. Over the last 200 years, the Royal Institute has been home to famous scientists’ discoveries that have shaped the modern world: Humphry Davy's miners' safety lamp; Michael Faraday's work on electromagnetic induction; John Tyndall's discovery of the greenhouse effect. While exploring the Faraday Museum, don't miss the magnetic laboratory, displayed as it was in the 1850s and sitting opposite of a current state-of-the-art nanotechnology laboratory.        

Explore the London Science Museum. The museum was founded in 1857 with objects shown at the 1851 Great Exhibition held in Hyde Park’s Crystal Palace. Today, the museum is world-renowned for its historic collections, awe-inspiring galleries, and innovative exhibitions.        

This evening, you’ll dine in a local restaurant near Piccadilly Circus and Leicester Square, two of London’s most vibrant and lively areas.

This evening, you’ll make the final entries in your Reflection Journal and share some of the most significant observations and perspectives that have taken shape during your STEM tour in England. We’ll also discuss how these experiences may be most relevant for us all as we return home.

Your rewarding and enjoyable Math, Physics, and Code Breaking in England trip comes to an end as your Tour Director accompanies your group to the airport on your final day.