I'm a Scientist, Get me out of here - STFC

I'm a Scientist (IAS) and I'm an Engineer (IAE) are online events where school students meet and interact with scientists and engineers. They run as competitions between groups of scientists and engineers, called 'zones', where students ask the questions and decide who wins.

Taking part is exciting for students. They can challenge adults on their views, see the huge diversity of UK science and technology research, and connect on a personal level with scientists they would likely never meet in person.

It works on a deeper level too. Student-led live chat conversations and ASK questions ensure the engagement around science and technology is relevant to their own views and opinions. By relating to science on a personal level they see it as something 'for them'.

In 20 STFC-funded zones of I'm a Scientist (IAS) and I'm an Engineer (IAE), students will build their Science Capital, their relationship with science, by connecting on their own terms with scientists and engineers related to STFC areas of science and technology.

Knowing adults in scientific jobs is a key factor determining a student's Science Capital and their aspirations. Schools recognise this and organise ways for their students to meet scientists. However, many schools are underserved by these visits - our research shows schools just 30 minutes drive from a major research university receive half the number of visits as those 15 minutes away.

This STFC Legacy Award will get 120 scientists, technologists and engineers involved in STFC research areas meeting these young people online as part of the larger IAS and IAE project, with a focus on students under-served by other STEM engagement opportunities and at Widening Participation (WP) schools. Through direct engagement in 20 zones across two years, they will help thousands of UK school students, regardless of location and background, see that science and technology are for them.

Through the interaction, students:
see that the scientists and engineers are normal people doing jobs they could do themselves
see the relevance of STFC-related science and technology to their own lives
become enthused about the possibilities in the science and technology sector

The scientists and engineers:
develop communication skills
renew their enthusiasm for their work
are motivated to do more engagement

The IAS and IAE STFC zones will showcase the full diversity of STFC science and technology. In comparison to an in-person visit from a single scientist, each zone gives students access to 6 people and the wide range of expertises and experiences that exist within topics relates to STFC science. A zone can showcase people behind headline research, such as CERN and space telescopes, alongside smaller projects which get less exposure.

The zones will also improve the reach of STFC scientists and engineers to more diverse audiences. Students too far from regular visits, primary students, quiet students, loud students... online engagement works for the people that traditional face-to-face STEM engagement struggles with.

And the benefits go both ways. By taking part, scientists and engineers discover that young people are interested in their work; they learn the phrases that work to explain what they do, and in the year after participants tend to do lots more public engagement than before. They talk with their colleagues about the benefits they've gained, growing both the IAS and IAE events and championing a culture of STEM engagement in their organisations.