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STEM

When you think of a science museum, maths may not come to mind. Our museums go beyond science and tell stories from all aspects of STEM. In the second post of our ‘maths engagement’ series, Jess Sashaw unlocks the maths behind some of our collection themes.

At the beginning of 2020, we started a project to develop a maths engagement offer for the Science Museum group Academy. Jess Sashaw, Academy Programme Leader, has been looking at our learning offer, and in this post reflects on the importance and value of maths engagement.

In the latest ‘Out and About’, Maxwell Hamilton took his niece to Eureka! The National Children’s Museum. He shares how they were made to feel welcome, and how the experience encouraged science talk and helped them link STEM to their everyday lives.

In November, we hosted a Skills Fair for students aged 11-13 years at the Science Museum, London. Jess Sashaw, part of the team who developed and delivered the event, shares why we chose to base our fair on skills, rather than hosting a traditional careers fair.

Whilst working to embed a science capital approach across the Science Museum Group, we have also been sharing our experiences with universities, museums and science centres across the world. Sarah Callan, Science Museum Studies student, SUNY Oneonta University, NY, shares her cohort’s experience of applying the research to an informal education setting.

Maxwell Hamilton catches up with Frederike Gerstner, half of the ‘Ben and Fred’ duo who won the 2019 Josh Award for STEM communication. Find out how they created ‘The Juggling of Science’, and how they adapted it for the Science and Industry Museum’s half term crowd.  

This summer the Science and Industry Museum had a full programme of solar related shows and workshops to coincide with the new temporary exhibition ‘The Sun’. Maxwell Hamilton reflects on the application of science capital research in this programme of Explainer-led activities and beyond.

Bridget Holligan, Director of Education and Engagement, Science Oxford shares how Science Oxford have kicked off their ‘Science Capital in Practice’ grant with a training day exploring their existing understanding of science capital and how they will be integrating it into their programme.

This summer, the Science Museum’s temporary exhibition, Top Secret, invites visitors into a world of secret communications and intelligence. Hannah Daley, the Exhibition Project Manager who led the project, shares the ways that the team worked to make the exhibition family friendly.

In June, we kicked off our ‘Science Capital in Practice’ programme with a two-day training academy. Maxwell Hamilton, Science Museum Group Academy Programme Leader, introduces the programme and shares insight from the workshops.