Edinburgh truly does live up to it name of 'The Festival City'. In April, it is the turn of the International Science Festival to put on engaging talks and demonstrations across the City for both children and adults. This year marked the 30th anniversary of the festival, and it was a great honor to volunteer at events and share the science being carried out a Heriot Watt University. This month I reflect on what, in my opinion, are the benefits of getting involved in this and similar STEM* outreach activities.
1. Giving something back
It is hugely rewarding to donate time and energy to giving something back to the community. A large portion of my research and past studies has been funded in part by the tax payer, and I feel a responsibility to share my science to anyone who will listen! One of the major downfalls of the current science publishing model is that publically-funded research is very often published in subscription journals, thus making the results of research unavailable to the general public.
Outreach events such as the Edinburgh International Science Festival provide a platform for sharing with many more members of the public than would otherwise be possible for me to do myself. One event I volunteered at was the Heriot Watt Family Fun Day which saw an incredible 6000 attendees from diverse backgrounds. Although the event was aimed at children, I was delighted to engage with curious parents who would often corner you with inquisitive questions!
2. Re-engaging yourself in the science
A study by the organisation STEM* learning saw that a staggering 91% of their STEM ambassadors reporting a increased sense of satisfaction with their work. I totally agree with this sentiment.
It is incredible easy as a researcher to get sucked into the science. Focusing on the statistics, the results, the research outputs, and the next bit of funding often lead us to forget about why we are researching. For me, the why is untimely driven by my desire to make the world a better place, both for nature and for people. It is, therefore hugely beneficial to interact with the people I am trying to serve first hand.
3. Networking & Personal Development
Getting out of the office gives the opportunity to meet colleagues outside of your team or research group. As no others from my department were involved with the events, I was 'adopted' by another department, giving me the chance to meet colleagues across the University and learn about the science they are researching. This in turn not only increased my visibility in the department, but also got my thinking of new ways to solve big geoscience problems through multi-disciplinary collaborations.
On top of this, these events are a good opportunity to develop communication skills. I've always struggled with thinking on my feet at a Q&A session at the end of a formal presentation, but practicing this by interacting with school children is great practice. They ask some absolutely brilliant questions and really make you think about your subject from a new perspective. Indeed, you need to know your subject inside out to be able to communicate it to a primary school child - it is much more challenging than discussing your science with a fellow scientist!
4. Inspiring the next generation
The main driver for me to be involved in Outreach programs is to inspiring the next generation. Both to inspire them to care for the World they live in, and also to inspire them to consider career opportunities that they may not be aware .
It was science centre workers and teachers in my own past that helped inspire my career path, and I am so grateful that they have guided me into a job that I am excited by and passionate about. If even one of the 6000 attendees of the Heriot-Watt Fun Day are motivated to go into a rewarding science job to help the World become a better place then I would be thrilled!
Many thanks to Heidi Burdett and her Lyell Centre Team for welcoming me into Team Marine at these Outrech events. Also to the brilliant Heriot-Watt engage Team for their inspiring enthusiasm for sharing science!
* STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths. Often there is the further addition of Medicine (STEMM).
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