Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition

The Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition is a major London-based event that illustrates the cutting-edge of UK science and technology. It is an opportunity for the public, directly and through the national media, to find out more about the UK's science and meet the minds behind it. There were 26 exhibits accepted from all over the UK, including two submissions from the University of Bristol. Visitors to the exhibition included members of the Royal Family, business and academic pioneers, MPs and Civil Servants, schools groups and the general public.

Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition

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Alison Rivett presents ChemLabS

The ChemLabS programme does a massive amount of public engagement in schools, with staff and students getting involved in assemblies, putting on workshops to demonstrate experiments to primary school children etc. The children get to wear the full 'scientist' kit -- gloves, goggles, lab coats -- which they love as they get to feel like real scientists, doing experiments that they would never ordinarily get the chance to do.

Through targeting primary schools, this engagement work lets the children learn what science is all about and what it's like to be a scientist, hopefully inspiring the scientists of tomorrow. It also gives postgraduate students a chance to talk about their research with young school pupils and develop skills communicating their work to different audiences.

ChemLabS has started to charge schools of this to sustain the programme, but the staff also provide information to schools regarding accessing funding. This is a controversial issue, but what do you think about it? How else can this successful programme be sustained?

Further references

• Working with primary schools.
• CASE STUDY: Find out more about Alison Rivett and how she got involved in public engagement work.