Announcing the 15 Selected Centres for our New National Programme to encourage more diversity in Science
The UK Association for Science and Discovery Centres (ASDC), in collaboration with the Science Museum Group, are delighted to announce the 15 selected partners for a new national programme to increase diversity and inclusion in science.
The 15 selected science centres and museums nationally will be delivering initiatives as part of the UK Association for Science and Discovery Centres and the Science Museum Group's ‘Science Capital in Practice’ programme.
The concept of science capital, led by the work of Professor Louise Archer and her teams from University College London and King’s College London, give us a valuable insight into why and how some people engage with STEM, and why some do not. It also helps us to frame and shape experiences which are designed to support STEM engagement widely.
The
15 Selected Science and Discovery Centres and Museums are as follows:
1. Aberdeen Science Centre Aberdeen
2. Dundee Science Centre Dundee
3. Glasgow Science Centre Glasgow
4. Eden Project Cornwall
5. Royal Botanic Gardens Kew London
6. International Centre for Life Newcastle
7. National Coal Mining Museum Wakefield
8. Catalyst Science Discovery Centre Widnes
9. Cambridge Science Centre Cambridge
10. Oxford University Museum of Natural History Oxford
11. Science Oxford Oxford
12. Thinktank (Birmingham Museums Trust) Birmingham
13. Woolsthorpe Manor Lincolnshire
14. Winchester Science Centre Winchester
15. Techniquest
Glyndwr Wrexham, North Wales
These science centres, museums and discovery centres, all members of ASDC, will bring their exceptional talents in engaging communities, families and schools with science in fun and engaging ways as well as their experience working in communities and with underserved groups to the ‘Science Capital in Practice’ Programme.
This programme is part of the Science Museum Group Academy,
which focuses on embedding good practice informed by the latest science capital
research, to enable children and adults from a more diverse range of
backgrounds to participate in science-related experiences and feel that science
‘is for me’.
The announcement was made on 18 March, 2019 at the Manchester launch of the Science Museum Group Academy at the Science and Industry Museum.
Dr Penny Fidler, CEO of The UK Association for Science and Discovery Centres (ASDC) said: We are delighted to be a key partner in this national programme. Championing diversity and inclusion in science is at the heart of what ASDC and the Science Centres and museums do daily. This programme will support centres to nurture the scientific talents and entrepreneurial minds across our whole population, not just those who are already interested."
Karen Davies, Head of Learning Research and Resources, Science Museum Group, said: “We were hugely impressed by the quality of proposals we received and are delighted to be working alongside the 15 partner organisations to build a community of good practice across the country. This is a great opportunity to test ideas informed by the research that will have longer term benefits for the centres, and which allows those audiences they engage with to feel that science, and science centres and museums, are for them.”
This programme has been made possible through the SMG Academy’s founding partner, BP who also funded The Enterprising Science Project which focused on much of the early academic work on science capital.
