Astronomy for Remote and Island Schools - STEM Clubs
Lead Research Organisation:
Liverpool John Moores University
Department Name: Astrophysics Research Institute
Abstract
The Astronomy for Remote and Island Schools STEM Club project (AfRIS STEM Clubs) is a proposal to establish and manage a small mobile astronomy-outreach team to support the delivery of school STEM Club activities within remote and island communities around the UK. The project would be undertaken in partnership with the National Schools' Observatory (NSO), who as project partner, would provide extensive support through (i) funding face-to-face and remote NSO staff involvement, (ii) providing physical STEM Club activity booklets, (iii) hosting online workshops/events for participating pupils, and (iv) providing remote support, guidance, and encouragement for STEM Club leaders.
STFC and NSO funding will enable the AfRIS team to support the delivery of STEM Clubs in remote/island schools in a way that recognises the unique challenges faced by teachers in geographically remote communities. As part of the proposal, the project team would trial different levels of support with different schools, which will help to determine the most efficient or best practice model for future remote/island STEM Club provision. By encouraging LEA involvement from an early stage, it's hoped that our best practice model will be taken forward for future STEM Club delivery in remote/island communities.
In supporting school STEM Clubs, the AfRIS team will (i) work on a regular basis with 15 to 20 schools, (ii) engage directly and indirectly with 400 pupils from both primary and secondary schools on a regular basis, (iii) engage directly with, and provide long-term support to, at least 20 teachers or STEM Club leaders, (iv) undertake 36 trips to participating remote communities, with several school visits scheduled for each trip, (v) develop and manage a dedicated website and social media presence, (vi) develop a complete package of STEM Club resources that can be used independently going forward, or as part of a future LEA or school cluster delivery strategy using the AfRIS best practice model.
The AfRIS team will be made up of experienced presenters and astronomy researchers, and location visits will be undertaken via car and ferry (where required) to transport STEM Club resources. The workshops and activities undertaken will also seek to highlight the broad range of STFC science activities and aim to plant STEM seeds in the minds of students in low science capital communities, who may not previously have considered a career in science.
A detailed evaluation will be conducted throughout the project to assess the short-to-medium term impact of repeat visits and STEM interventions, and to ensure that our STEM Club support package evolves to suit the needs of the communities we visit. The AfRIS team will provide regular updates, images, and reports on all activities, which can be used for wider dissemination purposes. On completion of the project, a paper will be submitted to the Communicating Astronomy with the Public (CAP) journal, that will recommend a 'Best Practice Model' for future STEM Club provision in remote an island communities.
STFC and NSO funding will enable the AfRIS team to support the delivery of STEM Clubs in remote/island schools in a way that recognises the unique challenges faced by teachers in geographically remote communities. As part of the proposal, the project team would trial different levels of support with different schools, which will help to determine the most efficient or best practice model for future remote/island STEM Club provision. By encouraging LEA involvement from an early stage, it's hoped that our best practice model will be taken forward for future STEM Club delivery in remote/island communities.
In supporting school STEM Clubs, the AfRIS team will (i) work on a regular basis with 15 to 20 schools, (ii) engage directly and indirectly with 400 pupils from both primary and secondary schools on a regular basis, (iii) engage directly with, and provide long-term support to, at least 20 teachers or STEM Club leaders, (iv) undertake 36 trips to participating remote communities, with several school visits scheduled for each trip, (v) develop and manage a dedicated website and social media presence, (vi) develop a complete package of STEM Club resources that can be used independently going forward, or as part of a future LEA or school cluster delivery strategy using the AfRIS best practice model.
The AfRIS team will be made up of experienced presenters and astronomy researchers, and location visits will be undertaken via car and ferry (where required) to transport STEM Club resources. The workshops and activities undertaken will also seek to highlight the broad range of STFC science activities and aim to plant STEM seeds in the minds of students in low science capital communities, who may not previously have considered a career in science.
A detailed evaluation will be conducted throughout the project to assess the short-to-medium term impact of repeat visits and STEM interventions, and to ensure that our STEM Club support package evolves to suit the needs of the communities we visit. The AfRIS team will provide regular updates, images, and reports on all activities, which can be used for wider dissemination purposes. On completion of the project, a paper will be submitted to the Communicating Astronomy with the Public (CAP) journal, that will recommend a 'Best Practice Model' for future STEM Club provision in remote an island communities.
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| Christopher Leigh (Principal Investigator) |