Moon, Mars and Meteorites

Our previous events have quite a substantial impact factor, as shown by the number of visitors we attract. This is further supported by the repeated invitations to attend new large scale events (Jodrell Bank Christmas Lectures) as well as those we have previously attended (BBC Stargazing Live and Live from Jodrell Bank). Our core aim is to inspire attendees to investigate science further than their current level of knowledge, what ever that may be, with the activities and information we have created and collated. We hope to do this by providing unique accounts of experiences from the research we carry out as well as from the scientific field. It is also important that everyone is able to access the science we are conveying. For that purpose, our activities are expressed through a variety of learning types (i.e. tactile, eureka based or problem based learning). We hope to inspire teenagers to continue studying science subjects to A-Level and beyond through large-scale events, talks and activities for secondary schools. Taking part in events such as Jodrell Bank's Girls' Night Out (Under The Stars), which is specifically aimed at women and teenage girls, enables us to share our enthusiasm for the subject in an informal setting and to interact with groups that are underrepresented in the physical sciences, making the subject, and science in general, more accessible and relevant to them.
The impact of public engagement may also be assessed in terms of unique selling points. One of our unique selling points is that we offer the opportunity for the audience to join in discussions about cutting edge science and the theory behind it, face to face with the scientists carrying out the research. The activities and talks that we provide relate both directly to the work carried out by the research group, as well as to general principles surrounding the field of planetary science. Another unique selling point is that we allow visitors the chance to examine thin sections of meteorites under microscopes. It is quite common for us to be the only group attending large events with access to such activities. This translates into the ability to effectively show and explain phenomenon such as Calcium Aluminium Inclusions (CAIs) and chondrules. Finally, and arguably our most important unique selling point, is how we structure the logistics relating to the activities that we run at events. Our aim is to have all the activities as stand-alone packs that can be run individually or combined, in order to reduce the planning time required for events. This modular approach makes our displays very versatile, which is an important consideration given the range of the themes of events that we attend. The STFC Small Awards scheme would, in part, be used to fund enhancement of this modular activities concept.
It is clear that people are enthusiastic about planetary science and we anticipate that we have not yet reached our maximum sphere of influence. As such, we are looking to expand the number of events we attend. Based on previous numbers and forecast expansion, it is expected that we will boost our impact by increasing the number of large scale events we attend (subject to when they are run). We estimate that this will expand our audience by up to 10,000 every year. We will also aim to increase the number of school events we run by expanding our availability and our advertising.
In summary, we have a strong, proven track record of engaging with members of the public of all ages through activities relating to our research and the wider field of Planetary Science. Our aim is to reach a wider audience than just the subject specialists of 'academia'. We want to share our enthusiasm for Planetary Science with a wider audience. We aim to inspire and inform the younger generations, enlighten the older generations and generally make the subject of space and the solar system more interesting, accessible and fun to people of all ages and from all backgrounds.

We already post details of any public engagement sessions and resources on the research group's Earth and Solar System blog and our microblogging Twitter and Facebook accounts. Some members of our research group (including S. Crowther and K. Theis) are STEMNET (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths network) Ambassadors, which is a nationwide organisation that brings researchers and professionals together with students and teachers.

We are building a reputation with companies like the BBC, Manchester Museum and Jodrell Bank all of whom have said that they would like us to return to their events next year as our displays and activities have been very successful. Large events like Live from Jodrell Bank, Manchester Science Festival and BBC Stargazing Live are widely publicised by the main event organisers, and our reputation often gets us headline billing in their publicity.

At present activities and talks for schools and amateur societies are normally organised through word of mouth. We aim to advertise our resources on the School of Earth, Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences (SEAES) website and through newsletters regularly sent out to local schools by The University of Manchester. The SEAES is in the process of developing a new programme of activities for schools, which will be advertised online and through direct communication with local schools. A number of our activities will be included in this programme. In addition, there is also scope to expand our own advertising which could be directed more towards schools and groups that are particularly looking for planetary science activities. We consider this an important factor because people looking for planetary science activities will not necessarily be directed to the SEAES website by search engines. Taking this into consideration we aim to expand our online presence by further developing out Facebook, Twitter and blog accounts, potentially tying them into a single website from which we can control search engine optimisation. We would also use this website to distribute successful ideas to groups that may seek to duplicate them.

Such a website would supplement our growing online presence; Facebook, Twitter and our Earth and Solar System blog are all social media avenues upon which we are developing a growing presence. An online presence is invaluable for disseminating additional learning facilities as well as for advertising the events we run. The methods of maintaining an online presence also mean we can respond quickly and efficiently to queries or requests that are sent to the group.