The Environmental Engagement Training Academy
The UK Association for Science and Discovery Centres (ASDC) and Natural Environmental Research Council (NERC) are delighted to invite you to the Training Academy for Environment Researchers on our Operation Earth Phase 2 project, and how to engage with the project as a method and tool for public engagement. This is part two of the Operation Earth national programme, that engaged over 200,000 children and families at Science Centres and events across the UK n its first year.
This lively Training Academy will take place on Wednesday 20th January 202021 on Zoom with breaks between sessions and some pre reading.
We will ne joined by members of NERC and guest speakers specialised in Public Engagement, Behavioural Psychology, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, and Climate Outreach. The will be sharing their knowledge and techniques with you to help you engage the public in new ways during COVID, as well as offering a space to think on how you can design and plan engagement for COP26. We will also show you the kit from Operation Earth and ways to work more closely with Science Centres.
Please register via Surveymonkey before Tuesday 12th January 2021
There are limited places available which will be allocated on first come first served basis. Places are supported by NERC and therefore free to researchers.
About the Researcher Training Academy
This academy will include:
- Introductions to the programme and activities, a summary of the latest behavioural psychology, and engagement methods around climate and the way people think and make decisions
- How can you reach wider more diverse audiences, and who in your university can help you?
- Information on the latest data summaries they can use for areas outside your specialism, such as climate data or sea temperatures
- How can you work with social scientists when discussing difficult issues and what resources can your university add
- How can you continue working with the Science Centres or NERC central team and borrow the engagement kit into the future
- Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI), social sustainability and what you may need to consider when doing public engagement
Benefits of attending:
- Increase skills and knowledge on how to engage the public with environmental science research
- Training on using the Operation Earth kit; available to NERC researchers through NERC centres public engagement team, and through partnerships with Science Centres
- Build relationships with Science Centres (locally and nationally)
- Support from ASDC, NERC and Science Centres for the duration of the project and using the kit into the future
- Platform to engage the public (digitally and face-to-face Coivd-19 dependent) in the run up to COP26
What is expected of you:
- 1-2 hours conducting preparation activities ahead of the training academy
- Attendance at the training academy on Wednesday 20th January 2021
- Attendance at a virtual coffee networking event, where a small group of NERC researchers on the training programme will be paired with a Science Centre for informal networking and discussion (optional but advised)
- Willingness to engage with Science Centres and build relationships (virtually and when it allows, face-to-face)
- Willingness to work with ASDC and NERC for all evaluation requirements for the training and project
Registration closes Tuesday 12th January 2021
For more information about this programme please contact Cait Campbell
Cait.Campbell@sciencecentres.org.uk