Community Engagement?

As science engagement professionals, we see STEM not only as a potential career choice, but as a valuable life skill, a force for social good and an essential part of culture. Science enhances lives and should be accessible for all for the benefit of individuals, society and for the validity of science itself.

Shaaron Leverment, Chief Executive, Association for Science and Discovery Centres

Science centres, museums, universities and informal science learning organisations need to carefully consider who we work with.

According to the BSA audience model, the “Not interested” (seeing science as not for them) and “Inactive” (interested but make no particular efforts to engage) audience segments make up three quarters of the UK population. Similarly, according to the 2019 Public Attitudes to Science survey, only about a fifth of the population felt actively connected with science or scored as having high science capital. If an organisation such as a science centre or university only works with those who are already coming to events and engaged with science, this is not a neutral decision.  

Building on years of research on science capital, researchers have emphasised the importance of changing ‘the field’, and have called for placing young people, their families and communities at the centre of programmes to value them for who they are.

Inclusive science engagement is about equity of opportunity as opposed to equality of opportunity.
The usual offer may attract those who are already easily engaged, but targeted interventions, tailored access, support and specific invites are needed to work with other groups.

One of the guiding principles I try to consider is thinking about the fact that if we're not closing the gaps, we are fundamentally maintaining them.

Lewis Hou, Science Ceilidh

Improving how we approach more inclusive science communication and engagement with our local communities not only enhances our ability to deliver educational programmes that have meaning and relevance to a more diverse audience, but also empowers young people and members of the public to have influence over decisions that affect them and their communities.

Unless we want to remain complicit in creating resources for only those most dominant groups in society - who already have plenty of resources – we have to transform the field. What on earth is the point of our work otherwise?

Emily Dawson, Associate Professor, Department of Science and Technology Studies (STS), UCL Speaking at the ASDC national conference