February 2006
Contents
Invitation to host a skills workshop
DfES e-consultation opportunity
D-Space project wants your views
New democs kits free to download
Digital planetarium for Thinktank
NEWS FROM THE ECSITE-UK OFFICE
Skills workshops: facilitating discussions with young people
Ecsite-uk has developed a training package for staff and volunteers who lead discussions with young people as part of science centre programming.
Thanks to funding from the Potential Trust, we are able to offer skills workshops in science centres and museums. We are seeking six venues across the UK, willing to host the workshops for their staff/volunteers and staff/volunteers from other nearby venues. Sessions will be run for up to 20 participants. Workshops will be held from March 2006 until November 2006.
The session lasts three hours and is delivered by an experienced trainer and facilitator. Topics covered include: facilitation styles, engaging and motivating participants, recording and leading conversations, and managing group dynamics.
The workshops are cost neutral:
- Your venue provides the room
- Participants time/travel is paid by their employers
- Trainer/facilitator costs are covered by the Potential Trust
- Result = 'free' training, on-site!
If your venue is willing to host a skills workshop please contact us
NEWS FROM ECSITE’S BRUSSELS OFFICE
Not ‘ecsite’ but now ‘Ecsite’
Following a meeting with Catherine Franche, new Executive Director in the Brussels office, it has been decided that we should change the way that Ecsite is written and printed.
As guardian of Ecsite's editorial style, it is my job to inform you, and to ask you immediately to:
- make changes to existing electronic documents, websites, email text etc
- make sure your own organisation uses the form Ecsite in printed and electronic text.
This concerns printed and typed text. There is no change to the lovely logo!
DEVELOPMENTS IN THE SECTOR
Gift Aid branding to download
Thanks to their generosity, and with assistance from ZSL, there is now a website resource for all the branding materials, and a link to the HMR&C website section dealing with Gift Aid for Charitable Attractions.
Please promote these websites to all appropriate contacts:
www.giftaidvisitor.co.uk
www.giftaidvisitor.com
DEVELOPMENTS IN THE SECTOR
DfES e-consultation opportunity
DfES is consulting on the vision and aims that will underpin the Education Outside the Classroom Manifesto.
It is intended to be a ‘movement’, or joint undertaking which many stakeholders create and which anyone, including providers, voluntary organisations, youth groups, schools and local authorities can sign up to. The main aim of the Manifesto is to provide all children and young people with a variety of high quality learning experiences outside a classroom environment, whether that be during school, after school or during holidays.
This consultation fits Ecsite members’ needs in terms of promoting out of classroom experiences, possibly designating approved curriculum-linked services, and promoting a better framework for schools and LEAs organising and promoting such opportunities.
DfES welcomes responses from all interested parties on the draft framework for the Manifesto in the consultation.
The consultation ends on 14th February 2006.
DEVELOPMENTS IN THE SECTOR
D-Space project wants your views
The D-Space project is a European initiative, currently in the feasibility study stage, which aims to make a network of robotic telescopes available via the Internet to students, teachers, researchers, amateur astronomers and the wider public through science centres and museums.
The project intends to integrate 5 robotic telescopes around the world into one 'virtual observatory' and provide the services required to operate this facility, including a scheduling service, tools for data manipulation, plus access to related educational materials.
The initial website can be viewed at www.discoveryspace.net
Would you be interested in using such a service?
Please help us by visiting www.the-observatory.org/d-space.htm [link removed] and completing the questionnaire. Your responses will enable the project team to create a service suited to your needs. Many thanks in anticipation!
RESOURCE
New democs kits free to download
New democs kits for schools are now on the nef website and FREE to download.
The kits are at [archived page - link removed] on stem cell research, climate change, vaccination policy, gm food, animal experimentation and neuroscience. They can be used with young people in and out of schools, in science clubs, festivals and special events, and in science centres and museums.
A CD-ROM is also now available which includes:
1. all the schools kits each with an interactive process chart that can be used on a whiteboard or computer in class to guide students through the process
2. five Wellcome Trust kits for adults, including kits on nanotechnology, Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis and xenotransplantation
3. a short introductory video on democs that gives context in terms of science and citizenship
4. video clips and tips on facilitation
For details on how to get hold of a copy visit
[archived page - link removed]
For more info on democs visit
[archived page - link removed]
CPD training sessions for teachers are being offered in partnership with the Centre for Science Education through Science Learning Centres in the South East, South West, West Midlands, East of England and London.
NEWS FROM THE REGIONS
Digital planetarium for Thinktank
The new Planetarium at Thinktank, Birmingham, opened just before Christmas. It is the UK's first purpose-built digital Planetarium, seating up to 70 visitors per show (with additional room for four wheelchair users), under a projection dome 10-metres in diameter.
The Planetarium is in Thinktank’s new look Futures gallery which features unique interactive exhibits including ‘Create an Alien’ and ‘Mission to Mars’. Thinktank opened in 2001 and explores the impact of science and technology on our lives in the past, present and future.
DIARY DATES
Public Engagement Conference
3-4 April 2006, at the Manchester Conference Centre
Explore the rich diversity of creative outputs, supported by the Wellcome Trust, which have raised awareness of bioscience and its issues to people of all ages, from all walks of life. The Engaging Science Conference will provide:
- the time to consider the growth of public engagement and ask: Is progress being made? Has our thinking really changed? Do we stop there? What should we be doing now for the future?
- the place for many different sectors to share ideas and discuss current issues around public engagement in science
- the platform to explore how we can create access to all sectors of society with the science that affects all of our lives
- the opportunity to learn from the profiled activities, live events, policy initiatives and research projects.
Delegates are invited from all sectors, disciplines and communities. If you are interested in public engagement practice, the arts, science, communications, social inclusion, education, public debate or policy, then join us to consider if public engagement is actively engaging all sectors of society or repeatedly reaching the same few.
Sessions include:
- 'At what stage to engage'
- Live theatre performance - Y-Touring's new production on biomedical issues
- Information on Wellcome Trust public engagement funding opportunities
- 'Going Digital' - what the digital age offers public engagement and education
- 'To the future: Science education in 2015'
Scottish Science Communication Conference
6-7 April 2006, Edinburgh
The BA, with the support of the Scottish Executive and ecsite-UK, is organising a Scottish Science Communication Conference at Our Dynamic Earth in Edinburgh.
The Scottish Science Communication Conference will include a mix of plenary sessions, informal ‘Working Lunches’ and networking opportunities and its content will link with that for the London conference in July. Both conferences will be arranged in the same three strands (Science in Society, Science Education and Science Communication), but the April conference will consider the topics in the Scottish context where this is appropriate.
The Working Lunches will address the practical skills required to support delivery under these themes.
There will be a drinks reception in the Rainforest/Polar Regions at Our Dynamic Earth, followed by an informal conference dinner in a nearby restaurant.
If you would like to register an interest in attending please contact: events@the-ba.net or visit www.the-ba.net/scicomm.
Ecsite Annual Conference 2006
8-10 June 2006, Mechelen
The Ecsite Annual Conference 2006 is in Mechelen (just outside Brussels), hosted by Technopolis, the Flemish science centre.
The themes for 2006 are:
- Trends and challenges in cutting edge research and technological development
- Science centres: children only?
- What are they really learning?
Ecsite Conference 2006 first announcement (PDF file)
For details, contact conference@ecsite.net and watch the website for announcements www.ecsite.net
Science Communication Conference
13-14 July 2006, London
The 2006 Science Communication Conference will take place at the Institute of Electrical Engineers, Savoy Place, London.
Plans are to split the conference into three strands looking at:
- Science Education - linking formal and informal learning
- Science Communication - science and the media, science PR and science events
- Science in Society - public engagement, policy through dialogue, SIS strategy
There will be a mixture of plenary, group and workshop sessions as well as lunchtime discussions and working lunches covering more practical skills. As in previous years there will be a drinks reception and conference dinner.
Draft versions of the programme will be circulated via the pscicom e-mailing list for comment, if you would like to make suggestions of sessions, projects or speakers please contact nick.hillier@the-ba.net.
Ecsite-uk
Dr Melanie Quin, Executive Director
Ecsite-uk: the Network of Science Centres and Museums
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