Teachers Moira and Michele implemented a buddy system for multiple year groups to take part in I’m a Scientist. It had hugely positive outcomes for both older and younger students.
“My colleagues were buzzing. They were watching conversations unfold, and seeing individual students’ interests that they hadn’t seen before. It’s a great way to get to know students in a different light. ” — Jon Hale, Head of Biology at Beaulieu Convent SchoolWhen PHSE plans were scuppered by the COVID-19 pandemic, Jon Hale chose to bring I’m a Scientist to an entire school… at the same time. Continue reading
“Taking part in both activities allowed me to engage in active, reflective learning… Learning about science capital has really changed my mindset.” — Katie Fala, PhD student and IAS Academy alumna Katie is a PhD student at University College Cork, Teagasc Moorepark and APC Microbiome. She signed up for the IAS Academy online course on public engagement principles offered at the same time as taking part in I’m a Scientist. Katie believes taking the course ‘really added value’ to her experience: “The IAS Academy was of interest to me as I haven’t had the opportunity for much formal training in outreach and felt that my skills could be improved by doing it alongside the IAS activity.”
“It’s always amazing to think that you might have helped one person to think, ‘Hey, this might actually be for me.’” — Aisling Lee, Technical Architect Through I’m an Engineer, Aisling Lee was able to show school students a different pathway into STEM.
“Fitting the I’m a Scientist activity around my job was fortunately quite a success: I was able to fit the live chats around my shift pattern.” Jess Leung, Quality Technician at Kerry Ingredients Jess Leung took part in an I’m a Scientist general zone along with five other scientists from a range of industries and career stages. School students were very interested in her work “testing flavours that go into food and drinks” and she found the whole experience rewarding, fun and flexible enough to fit in around her work schedule.
After every event we ask the winning scientists to write a short post to be sent to all the students who took part in the zone. It’s the perfect way for the scientists to reflect on all the engagement of the previous weeks, thank all the students for voting for them, and talk about how they plan to use their €500 prize money.
If you’re a scientist, whether in the public, private or academic sector, and you’re keen to experience the ‘best crash course in scicomm’, applications are open year round: imascientist.ie/scientists Continue reading
Hugh was voted the winner of the New Materials Zone in November 2018. Here he writes about using his prize money to host a STEM careers day for students from all over Ireland at the Advanced Materials and Bioengineering Research Centre, where he works. If you’d like the chance to win funding for your own public engagement work, apply for the next I’m a Scientist, Get me out of here: imascientist.ie/scientist-apply. I won I’m a Scientist in November 2018 and I used the money to host a Science & Careers event in the Advanced Materials and Bioengineering Research (AMBER) Centre, based in Trinity College Dublin. I invited students from all around Ireland to learn about STEM careers from a variety of AMBER researchers. The goal was to show that what ties all STEM fields together is the focus on solving problems and creating new knowledge, and in that, there is something for … Continue reading
After every event we ask the winning scientists to write a short post to be sent to all the students who took part in the zone. It’s the perfect way for the scientists to reflect on the previous two weeks, thank all the students for voting for them, and talk about how they plan to use their €500 prize money.
Here’s what November’s winners had to say… Continue reading
“As we are a remote rural community we do not have a huge variety of careers on our doorstep but these events help to bring them closer to pupils. More students should be getting these funded opportunities across the UK.” — Emily Tulloch, Science teacher on the island of Unst The most northerly school in the UK is located in one of our most distant areas in the Shetland Isles. Emily tells us how I’m a Scientist allowed her remote students to explore a range of STEM careers and increased motivation to learn science.
After every event we ask the winning scientists to write a short post to be sent to all the students who took part in the zone. It’s the perfect way for the scientists to reflect on the previous two weeks, thank all the students for voting for them, and talk about how they plan to use their €500 prize money.
I’m a Scientist, Get me out of here is an online activity where school students get to meet and interact with scientists.
It’s a competition between scientists, where the students are the judges.
Students challenge the scientists over intense, fast-paced, online live CHATs. Then they ASK the scientists all the questions they want to, and VOTE for their favourite scientist to win a prize of €500 to communicate their work with the public.
