The Association for Science and Discovery Centres

Xplore! Science Discovery Centre

Xplore! Science Discovery Centre is researching how co-production with community groups can develop science centres as a place for lifelong learning.

A place of lifelong learning

Project goals:

  • Increased number of communities participating in lifelong learning
  • Breaking down barriers for communities with their local science centre
  • Improved relationship with the centre’s community partners

Xplore! Science Discovery Centre is researching how co-production with community groups can develop science centres as a place for lifelong learning. Four community groups have begun their co-development journey with the centre to initiate significant, positive change to their own lives and to influence the future of Xplore!.

An outdoor community festival. One young person is shown smiling, in the action of throwing coming at a fairground game.

KIM-Inspire has created a scavenger hunt around the centre of Wrexham which encourages families to tick off places of interest as they explore the city. Dynamic Voice had a delayed start to their engagements due to illness, but the group has now decided to work on a ‘Cyber Survival’ activity.

Arts from the Armchair, the project’s largest co-research group with 20+ senior citizens, has been using conversation to share experiences and knowledge. The group wants to capture these stories on film and is now deciding on a topic to cover, with possibilities including travel, school years and food. And the Contact Club has used its time to get to know the Xplore! staff, play games and to prepare for ideation sessions planned for the near future.

Two adults representing a mix of genders and ethnicities stand over a light table interacting with mathematical shapes

Through learning with these four partners, Xplore! plans to pioneer new, innovative practices, to inform research around lifelong learning, celebrate successes, and disseminate learning to other museum and science centre practitioners.

A group of six mixed gender adults stood around a table outdoors at a fair. They are all in xplore science centre uniform and the table has a branded xplore tablecloth.