Sound Science – audio adventures for children

It’s been quite a week here at ScienceGrrl. As well as unleashing our beautiful new website on the world, we’ve also had some very exciting news – we’ve secured our first public engagement grant from STFC!

A few months ago, we began developing a collaboration with now>press>play, an innovative education company. The result is Sound Science, a project which will see scientists from ScienceGrrl create exciting new science experiences for KS3 schoolchildren (aged 11-14), using now>press>play‘s innovative approach to curriculum delivery. This project has been largely funded by our grant from STFC.

now>press>play create and deliver workshops which bring the curriculum to life; the children put on wireless headphones and are immersed in sound. They become a main character in a story, meeting people, discovering places and solving problems, on an educational adventure they’ll never forget.

With Sound Science, we will will be creating emotive, imaginative, first-hand experiences that explain complex ideas and help children understand and engage with science in a whole new way. Sound Science audio adventures will be written in collaboration with ScienceGrrl scientists, ensuring factual accuracy as well as a fascinating experience.

In 2014, the first four audio adventures will be taken into 12 schools free of charge, reaching 1500 young people. ScienceGrrl scientists will accompany now>press>play workshop leaders to link their adventure in sound to the reality of a career in science, and to explain what they do on a day to day basis and the difference this makes.

We are hoping to secure slightly more funding to provide training that would assist our scientists in communicating effectively with young people. If you know of any organisations that would be prepared to invest in Sound Science, either to enable us to deliver this training, or to fund additional Sound Science audio adventures, or if you would just like to know more about the project, please get in touch.