九州影院

They adapted their already successful Crime Scene 九州影院 workshop to meet the needs of community and school groups, enhancing links to the Curriculum for Excellence. Visitor Engagement Assistants delivered the 22 workshops to 250 8 鈥� 11 year old pupils from 8 schools and 57 participants from 6 community groups.

Through their Schools Engagement and Community Engagement Programmes, ASC targeted participants from the 20% most deprived areas of Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire, aiming to provide early positive experiences of chemical sciences for children from backgrounds typically underrepresented in this field.

Participants worked in small teams to analyse samples from fictional crime scenes, building chemistry confidence, developing communication and teamwork skills, and learning about non-traditional chemistry careers. ASC staff developed their knowledge of chemistry and enhanced their science communication skills.

Students visiting the Centre enjoyed hands-on activities reflecting the scientific principles of crime scene investigations. A pupil said, 鈥業 like crime shows and I didn鈥檛 realise how much science was used to solve crimes鈥�, a positive outcome of seeing chemistry as 鈥榓ll around us鈥�. Feeling not 鈥榗lever enough鈥� is often cited as a reason students don鈥檛 pursue chemistry,1 but the supportive atmosphere at the event meant students asked questions and shared results with confidence.

Of all respondents, 91% enjoyed the workshop, 72% wanted to know more about chemistry and 63% had a better idea of chemistry jobs. Fiona Dobie, Schools Engagement Coordinator at ASC, commented 鈥業t鈥檚 an encouraging testament to the workshop鈥檚 success in sparking interest and breaking down barriers.鈥�

School staffing and transport issues initially affected bookings, but extending the delivery window and catchment area criteria meant all places were ultimately booked. The RSC鈥檚 Science Teaching Survey  highlighted that issues of understaffing and underfunding are exacerbated in areas of high socioeconomic deprivation,2 so it鈥檚 crucial that outreach providers are flexible to ensure opportunities are available to all.

The updated workshop and an activities pack for teachers are now part of ASC鈥檚 standard offering for school and community groups and will continue inspire visitors about real-world chemistry.

1. Archer, L., DeWitt, J., Godec, S., Henderson, M., Holmegaard, H., Liu, Q., MacLeod, E., Mendick, H., Moote, J. and Watson E. (2023) ASPIRES3 Main Report. London, UCL
2. The Science Teaching Survey 2023, (accessed 01/05/2024)

Working with Venom Tech and SGS Energy, Discovery Planet produced two interactive workshops on the topics of drug discovery and sustainable energy, which were delivered a total of 36 times to over 700 participants. Smaller, focused 鈥榪uiet鈥� sessions with adapted delivery methods were provided to SEN school groups, to ensure accessibility.

With Venom Tech, participants conducted chromatography experiments and learnt about venom collection, analysis and its uses in medicines and pesticides. Attendees at the SGS Energy workshop investigated how a solar panel harnesses light and converts it into electricity using real solar panels and designed their own solar panel array for a model village. Each firm shared career opportunities within their businesses and advised on educational routes including apprenticeships.

Three local volunteers also supported the programme gaining the opportunity to develop their science communication skills by assisting with the delivery of the workshops.

Students, teachers and families had the opportunity to learn about local research and careers in chemistry by engaging with scientists in interactive sessions. Demographic data indicated participants from these backgrounds typically experience multiple barriers to attending activities of this type.

Discovery Planet had previously worked with academics to deliver workshops on their research and wanted to pilot a different approach to workshop design with industrial partners. They found the resulting collaboration inspiring and developed a successful model for future projects. The team reported an increased sense of pride, both in themselves and the participants, through highlighting the contribution of resident scientists to the local economy.

As a result of the RSC鈥檚 funding, two local businesses provided in-kind contributions of time amounting to 拢3000. Discovery Science Park provided funding to deliver two added days of workshops, a total of twelve additional sessions, increasing the reach and impact of the project.

They went on to share learnings from the workshops at the National Co-ordinating Centre for Public Engagement鈥檚 鈥楨ngage Live鈥� Conference, which celebrates excellent engagement practice in all its forms.

CEBP coordinated five one-day workshops across 2022/23 at Cornish secondary schools, where over 1000 year 8 & 9 students were introduced to a total of 18 chemistry-using professionals from local employers across Cornwall. Through hands-on workshops, volunteers illustrated the crucial role of chemistry in their sector and its role in addressing sustainability challenges. Students rotated through different sessions, each with a practical element such as making bioplastics and reforming waste into new products, developing teamwork, presentation and creative thinking skills.

Each professional also described their career path, covering apprenticeships, university and enterprise routes. Representatives from local colleges and universities spoke about their course offerings and links to chemistry, and students were able to ask for advice on their future. Supported by CEBP, volunteers gained experience of developing and delivering workshops for school students.

The environmental sector is an area of growth in Cornwall, and analysis has shown a need for additional skilled environmental scientists and chemists. Negative views of jobs in the field is cited as a reason students do not pursue chemistry,1 and highlighting local opportunities is crucial to countering this.

Participant feedback reported that 78% of respondents enjoyed the day and 83% learned about chemistry roles and pathways. 32% were positively interested in a role in chemistry, which could indicate the need for follow-up outreach events given the recruitment issues already experienced by the sector.2 Volunteers reported increased confidence running school sessions, and teachers praised the links to curriculum, careers and the environment. The project successfully established further links between CEBP and local businesses, aiding future outreach efforts.

As a result of the project鈥檚 successes, CEPB piloted a primary school-focused session based on the content funded by the RSC, and plan more in future. With children shown to have low interest in science careers from an early age,3 inspiring the younger generation is an important approach.

Following the success of their previous 2020 Outreach Fund project, CEBP continued to deliver interactive careers-focused workshops in their 2022 project but scaled up their ambitions, delivering outreach to an increased number of students and adding a sustainability focus to engage the students. While celebrating the wide impact of such a large-scale activity, both CEBP and volunteers noted the challenges of working with whole year groups compared to targeted audiences. The large group format provided fewer opportunities for one-to-one interactions and some students became disengaged.

In November 2023, we were pleased to fund another project with CEBP. Using learnings from their 2022 project (see below), their latest project focuses more closely on supporting students at risk of NEET post-16 with repeat engagements and mentoring, working with small groups rather than a whole year cohort.

In 2020, the RSC Outreach Fund awarded a Small Grant of 拢5000 to Cornwall Council鈥檚 Cornwall Education Business Partnership for the 鈥淔uture Chemists鈥� project. Work experience days were enjoyed by 122 year 9 & 10 students in areas where young people were at high risk of not being in education, employment or training (NEET).

The sessions were led by chemistry-using industry professionals from across Cornwall, informed by the Gatsby Benchmarks and included workplace tours, live demonstrations and workshops, Q&A sessions and opportunities gain work experience with future employers. While initially intended to be online due to the Covid-19 pandemic, demand indicated a strong preference for face-to-face sessions, and the project was extended. Students had real life experiences helping them understand more about chemistry-using careers and local opportunities.

1. Archer, L., DeWitt, J., Godec, S., Henderson, M., Holmegaard, H., Liu, Q., MacLeod, E., Mendick, H., Moote, J. and Watson E. (2023) ASPIRES3 Main Report. London, UCL
2. The Future 九州影院 Workforce and Educational Pathways, (accessed 01/05/ 2024)
3. Archer Ker, L., DeWitt, J., Osborne, J. F., Dillon, J. S., Wong, B., & Willis, B. (2013). ASPIRES Report: Young people鈥檚 science and career aspirations, age 10 鈥�14. King's College London.