Deep Space High - Space Camp

In 2011, the STFC awarded Fun Kids a Small Engagement grant to help increase understanding of space amongst children and their families through a series of speech features, entitled 'Deep Space High'. Our aim for Deep Space High was to engage with children, introduce and highlight the fun side of space, and inspire children and parents to find out more, either through organised education or as a recreational interest.

To assist production and maximise awareness with children, we split the series into 2 mini series of 10 features each, called 'Marvellous Missions' (with the focus on missions from Pioneer and Skylab, to ISS and SETI) and 'Universe Handbook' (looking at a broader range of topics relating to space exploration including varieties of space telescopes, observing the universe, effects of space on human bodies, measuring space, superfuels and (theoretical) shortcuts).

The series have been broadcast on Fun Kids since July 2012, are available to listen again on the Fun Kids website and iPad app, and as free downloads on iTunes. We also created a dedicated micro-site on the Fun Kids website, with users able to find additional information, images, videos, downloads and careers information, plus links to find out more at the STFC and other agreed websites.

Reaction to these series has been significant. Since launch, the series has been heard by 199,100 children aged 6 to 12, and 77,300 adults. In addition, there have been 2,510 downloads of the audio through iTunes, with a growing level of weekly downloads.

But with a substantial amount of space for Deep Space High still to explore, through "Space Camp" we propose 3 further mini series to look at more detailed aspects of space exploration and Britain's involvement in these. The new series will follow the Deep Space High teachers and pupils as they embark on field trips to explore the Earth and the Sun, as well as the UK's involvement in space exploration.

The informative and inspirational features will be written for a core child audience aged 9 to 12 year olds, although from experience we know that both younger and older children will also listen to the features, as well as parents and carers. A secondary benefit is therefore encouraging parents and older siblings to also discover, and perhaps develop a family plan to learn more.

We will promote the series on-air, with online pages and banners on our website, editorial in our weekly newsletter and associated press activity. We will also communicate with schools to make them aware of the series. The series will benefit and build upon the existing Deep Space High brand, providing added value to that work.

To further help build awareness of the series amongst listeners, we will run a number of week long competitions during the project period. These will be in the form of simple Q&A competitions with opportunities for children to win books (we can assist with sourcing) and possibly other suitable prizes (which we can discuss). Towards the end of the project period, we propose to run a short story writing competition on a space theme, with the best stories recorded and broadcast on Fun Kids and available for download. We find that such competitions help inspire children and families to find out more about space, and think around the topics.

We will measure success through listener reaction to the features, download numbers, online visits as well as direct research with our parent panel, entries to the competitions and by the level of click thrus to third party websites. We will also review reaction to the supporting online material through Google Analytics.

The overall impact that we aim to achieve is to help further increase children's general understanding of space and the UK's involvement, and to inspire children and their families to find out more, with perhaps a few children taking up science at school and as possible future career

The series will be broadcast primarily in 'The Club', our weekday hometime show with a weekly audience of 100,000), with each feature broadcast a minimum of 10 times each over an initial 8 month period. The features will be available to listen again on the Fun Kids website (see www.funkidslive.com) and through the Fun Kids iPad app (see http://bit.ly/funkidsipad). The audio would also be available for free download on the Fun Kids iTunes channel (see http://itunes.apple.com/gb/artist/fun-kids/id459706404). We would also make the audio available to approved third party stations and websites, and as an educational resource for schools.

Fun Kids broadcasts to over 14m children and parents on DAB radio across London and South East England. It is also available across the UK online. DAB radio penetration and usage continues to grow, with over 41% of the population listening to radio through a digital radio each week.

Building Awareness - By its nature, Deep Space High will be a very public project, with a wide audience able to access the audio features and online material. We will promote Deep Space High widely through a mix of media, such as newsletters and press activity, through the use of social media and direct contact with educational establishments, to maximise awareness of the features in the weeks leading to their first airing and throughout the project term.

Dissemination - Deep Space High will have a life beyond the project term. The series will become part of our expanding library of speech features and will be broadcast and available online for many years. We will use the template of the series, and the learning we gain, to produce further features on space and science discoveries. We will also use our learning to develop the Principal Pulsar character beyond just radio, with potential for educational books and live demonstrations to children. We will share our output and research with other broadcasters and child focused media entities to help promote awareness of the campaign and its aims. We have presented Fun Kids and our unique speech content at a number of international radio conferences, generating considerable interest in the Fun Kids concept from across Europe, Asia and Australia; in particular dealing with subjects that often are deemed to be the preserve of public sector broadcasters. Through whatever platform, the more children that have access to radio content bespoke to them, and which helps inspire and encourage them to learn, the better the outcome. We would make our findings available to a wide audience through presentations at radio and children's media conferences, to parents at school visits, and other relevant events. In addition, the feedback from our detailed research project will, we hope, provide information for STFC as well as ourselves about the extent that one can raise awareness of science and health issues among young consumers. We will monitor third party media coverage, and also reaction from other organisations and institutions.