How do we take research beyond academia and share it with the people who matter? How do we help young people connect the subjects they are learning with the real world? Futurum Careers is a free online resource and magazine aimed at introducing 14-19-year-olds worldwide to the world of work in STEM (science, tech, engineering, maths, medicine) and SHAPE (social sciences, humanities and the arts for people and the economy). We collaborate with academics all over the world and translate their research into free education resources that can be used in the classroom, at home and in STEM and SHAPE clubs.
This project addresses key challenges in STEM and academia by providing:
- A proven and effective public outreach resource
- Measurable impact
- Pathways for inspiring the next generation of STEM and SHAPE experts
And in secondary and tertiary education by reinforcing:
- Science literacy
- Careers provision and the Gatsby Benchmarks
- Social mobility
MICROBOOST – FOCUS GROUP FLYERS
MICROBOOST – LOGO
THE CLEAN AIR CRISIS
What does ‘clean air’ really mean and should we be worried about bioaerosols? We are working with an international consortium (Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH, Barcelona Institute for Global Health, Cranfield University, Université de Laval, University of Essex, UK Health Security Agency) to create a suite of resources for primary and secondary school students that explain what we mean by clean air, what microbes and bioaerosols are, and how they might affect our health. These resources include animations, handouts, activity sheets and PowerPoints.
The resources will be delivered in four stages: June 2022, September 2022, January 2023 and March 2023.
Science needs diverse ideas and perspectives to help address pressing environmental and societal challenges. Informal science education venues, such as museums and science centres, play a critical role in bringing science to the public. However, variations in health, mobility, language and other factors prevent some people from engaging with science in these settings. The aim of the STEM Ambassadors Program (STEMAP, funded by the US National Science Foundation) is to place STEM Ambassadors within hard-to-reach communities (prisons, youth custody centres, senior centres, etc.).
We are working with STEMAP to create a marketing tool to encourage academics to get involved in their STEM Ambassadors training programme. The marketing tool includes a summary of the programme, profiles of STEM Ambassadors, call to action, text for the mass email send, and interactive banner ad.
The Indoor/Outdoor Bioaerosols Interface and Relationships Network (BioAirNet) is one of the six networks funded under the UK Research & Innovation (UKRI) Strategic Priorities Fund (SPF) Clean Air Programme. The BioAirNet team is producing a compendium on bioaerosols sampling and detection methods and has asked us to make the graphics more visually effective.
3C4LIFE
Europe is facing teacher shortages in STEM subjects. Director Brett Langenberg serves on the advisory board for 3C4Life, which aims to tackle this issue by raising of the profile of the STEM teaching profession and supporting STEM teachers. An acronym for ‘Perspectives for Lifelong STEM Teaching – Career Guidance, Collaborative Practice and Competence Development’, 3C4Life is an EU-funded project, led by the International Centre for STEM Education, Germany. The project brings together 12 partners from six European countries, including Sci-Comm Consulting and will run for three years (2021-24).
NEXT GENERATION PAPER TECHNOLOGY
What if print media could be augmented to embrace internet-of-things technologies? Sci-Comm Consulting worked closely with a team at the University of Surrey and Open University in the UK to explore the myriad opportunities surrounding an authoring and playback system for augmented books. Using a Futurum Careers resource (Volcanology and Geology: An explosion of possibilities), this COVID-extension research project tested a cross-platform version of the NGP Player app for Apple IOS as well as Android.
www.surrey.ac.uk/digital-world-research-centre/funded-projects/next-generation-paper-markets