A day as a scientist’– October the 29th 2024

On October 29, 2024, the INSPIRE Doctoral Training Partnership hosted "A Day as a Scientist" at the National Oceanographic Centre (NOC) in Southampton. This event aimed to inspire young pupils to consider future studies and careers in science. Targeting pupils aged 11-14 from across England, Wales, and Scotland, the initiative prioritized schools that meet Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) and Widening Participation criteria.

Over 130 schools were contacted, and students were invited to submit creative responses to the prompt, “How can science help us with climate change?” Applications exceeded expectations, leading to an invitation for 16 students and their guardians to participate.

Activities Included:

• A research boat trip on RV Callista, where students measured water salinity, collected marine specimens, and examined marine plants under microscopes.
• Virtual reality exploration of research vessels, a bee diversity workshop, and a taster lecture on waves and tsunamis.

Participant Feedback: Feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with 12 participants saying they “loved it” and 14 expressing interest in future participation. Many were enthusiastic about the boat trip and hands-on experiments, which provided valuable learning about marine science, collaboration, and new scientific concepts.