Client: Department for Education and Skills, NESTA

Project: Planet Science Outreach Programme - Science By Design

Summary

By Design delivered an interactive engagement programme, Science by Design, which used popular culture and sport as a communication vehicle to enhance the education of science across 25 secondary schools in Birmingham.

Objective

The Planet Science Outreach Programme received £1 million funding from DfES (managed by NESTA - National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts) to explore how schools with low levels of attainment in science could be encouraged to take part in, and benefit from, science outreach activities. The programme proved both competitive and popular, attracting 45 applicant organisations from the field of science education and communication. Eight were chosen to develop their ideas and pilot their projects, with six projects being funded for a 12 month period. Four projects received further tapered funding for an additional academic year (2004 - 2005).

Solution

This project required significant "upfront" advocacy in aligning and gaining support from multiple partners including 25 Secondary Schools, major facilities, academic institutions, local authorities and LEAs. The By Design Group's project 'Science by Design' was funded throughout this process being one of the four projects that remained in 2004 - 2005 academic year. Science by Design used popular culture and sport as a communication vehicle to enhance the education of science. The approach involved the engagement of Year 9 students from 25 secondary schools in the West Midlands (some 3,900 students), with a package of activities that gave a ‘club’ feel for both pupils and teachers and included:

• Student contact 1 - Hands on 'Physical' Science Workshop delivered to the Year 9 cohort at each school.
• Student contact 2 - Interactive media rich presentation delivered to every Year 9 student profiling how science has helped top class sport has helped Sci-Sport presentation at each school to the identified year group
• Student contact 3 - Student visit to Thinktank Interactive Science Museum in Birmingham
• A comprehensive web site - with games, information and an introduction to sports science research, together with student and teacher resources as well as links to other relevant sites: www.sciencebydesign.net.
• Newsletters - delivered into the hands of every Year 9 student in the programme, together with all teacher and agency contacts.
• Teacher and Partner Conference and Seminars Contact Directory
• On-going self and independent evaluation throughout the programme
• The programme involved working closely with the following partners and agencies: NESTA, Thinktank - Birmingham Science Museum, Birmingham University (together with EPSRC in the final year), Institute of Physics, Royal Society of Chemistry, West Midland Teachers Centre, Birmingham & Solihull SETPoint and Birmingham City Council and LEA

The modules were all (England) curriculum based and available for 7-11, 11-14, 14-16 & 16-18 year olds. (Key Stages 2 - 5 in England).

Results

Science by Design was hailed as a huge success, surpassing all targets and metrics and received further tapered funding for an additional academic year (2004 - 2005).