Bringing different worlds together: Engaging very low social and science capital audiences on Teesside through exoplanet science
Lead Research Organisation:
The Open University
Department Name: Faculty of Sci, Tech, Eng & Maths (STEM)
Abstract
I will visit schools in some of the most deprived communities of the UK, and spend time with children, teachers and parents. My aim is to share my enthusiasm for astronomy, specifically for the study of exoplanets: stars orbiting stars other than the sun. I think most people are interested in this science, some of the basic concepts familiar from film franchises like Star Wars. Exoplanets are a great vehicle for introducing scientific and mathematical ideas. I hope to overcome the aversion to science and maths that some members of low social capital communities feel. I am specifically targeting Teesside, including schools in the neighbourhood I grew up. There are not many research scientists to be found in these neighbourhoods, and I hope to demonstrate that children from them can aspire to any career they choose. I will use some of my time to developing networks of people who work in science and technology on Teesside, and facilitating joint events involving them and my target schools. There is a strong and growing digital 21st Century economy on Teesside, but a shortage of interactions between the two worlds apart. I will work with parents who did not succeed in gaining science qualifications in their own schooling, and together we will develop gateway resources to make the world of free online education more accessible. I will evaluate which types of engagement interactions produce the most lasting impacts, and share these findings with research scientists across the UK. I will contribute to a regular feature "This week in Space" on BBC Radio Tees.
Title | Collectors of Light |
Description | In this film, we are introduced to the importance of telescopes to astronomers when trying to discover more about the history of the universe. We learn about the uses and structure of telescopes and discuss the OpenScience Observatories and their contribution to scientific research. We introduce the ground-breaking James Webb telescope and how you can get involved in astronomy. 15 minutes, pitched to KS3 / general public |
Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
Year Produced | 2022 |
Impact | we will develop ebooks for use in KS2 classroom activities partly using what we learned here, and re-using some footage. |
URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=roY5PBZO25Q |
Description | Star Hub |
Organisation | North York Moors National Park Authority |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
PI Contribution | I supported the development and application for International Dark Skies Reserve status. I collaborated on the planning and inauguration of the new Star Hub facility at Sutton Bank. I conceived and organised dark sky viewing experiences for primary school groups, and organised these. |
Collaborator Contribution | The Park provide the venue and facility, and complementary activities delivered by the NYM Education and Youth Engagement staff. |
Impact | the outputs are schools and public engagement events and capacity to do more of the same |
Start Year | 2021 |
Description | StarHub stargazing |
Organisation | North York Moors National Park Authority |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
PI Contribution | We run startgazing events for children from disadvantaged communities at the NYM Park Authority's Sutton Bank Star Hub |
Collaborator Contribution | Provid venue. Run complementary nature activities. Provide staff. |
Impact | Inauguration of Dark Skies Viewing Platform (I was guest of honour) covered in the regional press. |
Start Year | 2021 |
Description | Collectors of Light |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Schools |
Results and Impact | we made a short film called Collectors of Light which explains how astronomers use telescopes to collect light and thus learn the properties of astronomical objects. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=roY5PBZO25Q |
Description | Dark Sky Viewing |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Schools |
Results and Impact | I organised a dark sky viewing visit by Pennyman Primary Academy to the dark sky viewing platform on Sutton bank in Oct 2021 in collaboration with partners. Subsequent visits have been arranged in 2022 |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
Description | Gaia DR3 launch event for schools |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Schools |
Results and Impact | I ran a national (international? as more than one home nation included) schools event to celebrate the milestone 3rd release from the ESA Gaia satellite. We webcast from Goonhilly in Cornwall to schools around the UK and had three primary schools from the local community present on site. We worked with young scientists around the country who were present in classrooms. We covered spectroscopy with a hands on activity where each pupil built and used their own spectrograph, we covered distance determination by parallax in an interactive presentation. Pupils were able to use and define the words "spectrum" and "parallax" afterwards. They took their spectrographs home to share with their family, raising science capital. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
Description | Geopolitics of yellow and blue flight suits |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Appearance on BBC Radio 5 Live Sunday Breakfast, March 20th. Discussing geopolitical interpretation of the yellow and blue flight suits Russian Cosmonauts arriving at the International Space Station Reach ~ 1.2 million |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
Description | International day of Women and Girls in Science |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Schools |
Results and Impact | I organised a webinar for Key Stage 2 children in Feb 2022 in which 4 female scientists talked about their work in an age-appropriate way. 780 people attended. We hope to overcome the preconception that scientists are invariably middle-aged white affluent males, and encourage young people to consider careers in STEM. We have some pre- evaluation data and are awaiting our post evaluation data. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
Description | JWST images and scientific potential |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | July 2022 Interview on FM4 Radio (Austrian National Public Radio) on James Webb Space Telescope images and scientific potential |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
Description | Radio 5 Live Sunday breakfast "Start me Up" |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Live radio appearance discussing the implications of the UK's first (attempted as it turned out) orbital space launch from Spaceport Cornwall. Focussed on the Space Industry ecosystem which is developing in Cornwall and its implications for the career prospects of young people in the South West. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
Description | TV appearance: Brian Cox Universe |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | talking head appearance in high profile BBC / PBS / OU co-production discussing the history and emotional impact of the Hubble launch and optics story on the astronomy community |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
URL | https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p09ybnpd |
Description | The Conversation |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | I wrote an article connected with the forthcoming launch of the James Webb Space Telescope. It has had over 140,000 views |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
URL | https://theconversation.com/five-of-the-most-exciting-telescope-pictures-of-the-universe-169877 |
Description | This week in Space |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Frequent appearances on BBC Radio Tees feature "This Week in Space" . Estimated listenership ~5000 per appearance |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
Description | Webb Art-Science Workshops |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Schools |
Results and Impact | Series of Art-Science Workshops presented in collaboration with Helen Schell. Five low social capital primary schools on Teesside. KS2 pupils saw images from space telescopes presented and described by the PI and made art-work guided by local artist Helen Schell. They took their artwork home and thus engaged with parents / general public. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
Description | World Space Week 2021 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Schools |
Results and Impact | I delivered two webinars on "Alien Worlds" for World Space Week in October 2021. One was for adults and I was one of 4 scientists presenting. One was for Schools and I was the only presenter. This reached 20 school classes, estimated total attendees 620, in three countries: UK, Netherlands, Sweden. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0SsraPgBOqQ |
Description | school careers event Royal Latin School |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Schools |
Results and Impact | attended careers fair at the Royal Latin School in Buckingham. Talked to 15 individual school students who were interested in pursuing aastrophysics at degree level or beyond |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |