Parallels Sessions I – 1.2 Horizon Talks

Kristin Anders, University of Galway, Ireland

Giving Real Opportunities to Widen participation in STEM with novel approaches and partnerships

Ireland has developed many avenues over the past decades to address educational disadvantage. These efforts include providing schools within disadvantaged communities with additional resources, as well as the development of strong Youth Work sector. While strides have been made, gaps remain around science identity and interest. Resources remain a major barrier. Non-formal science education is a critical aspect of building science identity and science capital. Hands-on, tailored and authentic experiences offer young people diverse and unique opportunities to engage in science.

Through collaborations with the Youth Work sector and schools, we found a way to widen participation and reach communities often left out. We developed two activities, an Escape Room and Youth Science Club, designed to Give Real Opportunity to Widen participation in STEM in these contexts. The design of these activities as well preliminary findings on the evaluation will be presented.

Deja Lusk, University of Glasgow, Scotland, UK

Promoting STEM Gender Equity: Challenges and Pathways for Change

There is a current international political focus on increasing and widening participation in STEM. One of the leading arguments for positively impacting on STEM participation is addressing STEM identity, attitudes and aspirations. Leading research in the field conducted by the ASPIRES project (2012, 2020) evidences addressing three areas of impact that contribute to the agentic development of STEM identity, attitudes and aspirations. In an effort to understand effective strategies addressing gender equity in Scottish STEM, a study was conducted which highlighted ways in which to promote STEM gender equity. This Horizon Talk highlights the findings from this study, primarily, the challenges and pathways for change in STEM gender equity.

Jackie Gorman, Midland Science & Craig Slattery, University College Dublin, Ireland

Sharing Science – making science communications accessible

As the world becomes more complex, it is vital that science communications is as accessible as possible. Accessibility ensures that science is reflective of society as it responds to society. Midlands Science has been working with the support of the Medtronic Foundation to develop practices that will make science communications more accessible and this work is currently in progress. It will culminate in a guide to accessible science communications and training based on research and practice work using strategies such as science capital, universal design for learning, key practices from adult literacy education and also design tools that respond to dyslexia, dyscalculia etc. The session will present a real-time review of the research undertaken to date, progress to date on developing an accessibility guide and training and anticipated outcomes from this work including a theory of change overview and an emerging community of practice in making science communications accessible.

Eugenia Covernton, Lecturers Without Borders, France

Lecturers Without Borders: removing barriers to science outreach

The learning of STEM from an early age is very important to empower a new generation to face the challenges of the 21st century. Teachers around the world do their best to motivate students in the learning of STEM subjects, and most academic institutions try to contribute by organising outreach activities. However, there’s big inequalities in access to STEM outreach. Schools that are in close proximity to academic institutions and that have more economic resources have a much easier time joining outreach events, while scientists and schools from underrepresented communities and/or with lower resources tend to have less opportunities to participate in them.

Lecturers Without Borders aims to contribute to lowering the barriers for both schools and scientists, by organising visits of scientists to schools around the world. This creates new possibilities for science engagement in unprivileged communities and gives visibility to work done by scientists all around the world.

Heribert Insam, University of Innsbruck, Austria

MicrobeX – a science center featuring microorganisms

The upcoming MicrobeX-Science Center in Zirl, Austria, shall focus on microorganisms governing our daily life. The storyline will be crossing atmospheric microbiology related to climate change, food microbiology and environmental biotechnology. Visitors will appreciate living microorganisms doing their job in wastewater purification, biogas, food and pharmaceuticals production. A most central role will have matter cycles, starting from deadwood decomposition, soil dwelling microbes and those associated with plants, supplying them with nutrients and making organic agriculture possible. Aesthetically pleasant staging will attract the visitors’ eye, giving unforgettable impressions on luminescent bacteria, unicellulars like the Physarum polycephalum or novel, mycelium-based building materials. Algal and other microbe-based facades will show how future cities may eventually become greener.