Photo: Anthony Holloway Public Outreach and Engagement at Jodrell Bank Naomi Smith Events and Participation Programme Manager Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre

Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre Jodrell Bank Observatory (JBO) Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre (JBDC) Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics (JBCA) Square Kilometre Array Organisation

Jodcast Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre A monthly podcast produced by Jodrell Bank researchers – – Audience of 5000 – 6000 each month – Interviews with astronomers from around the world – Could feature RadioNet members –all you need to do is put someone forward to be interviewed

Lovell Lectures Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre Named in honour of Sir Bernard Lovell 6 -8 per year, audience of 120 (expanding to 200 with new building in spring 2015) Academic gives talk on their research to general public audience Option to book dinner beforehand to make more of an evening Core of regular attendees Some school groups

Meet the Expert Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre An expert scientist or engineer gives a short talk about their work (5-10 mins) then audience can ask them anything Could involve external scientists and engineers via video link – would be good to include RadioNet members Currently engage around 2000 people per year with this Available during most school holidays

Star parties Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre One or two per year in Winter Talk by researcher Invite local astronomical societies so there is plenty of chance to observe Food and drink offered Other hands on activities

Girls Night Out Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre Event aimed at getting girls into science Talk by female researcher – maybe someone from RadioNet by video link? Female members of local astronomical societies attend Staffed by women only Men are not forbidden to attend but it is clearly a female space Refreshments offered Other hands on activities available

Music & Science Festivals Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre Live from Jodrell Bank summer festivals 45,000 people so far over 3 years Science arena alongside music arena

Film Festival Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre Part of British Film Institute national Sci-Fi season – – 2001: A Space Odyssey – Alien Mini science festival organised alongside this – Researchers from the University – 2 hours before film each night – Food and drink also available – 1600 visitors over two nights Same idea could be used in other venues and also possible to do on smaller scale

Explore your Universe Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre Funded by UK Science and Technology Facilities Council to promote all science which they fund – Widening what you do to include more general science but making sure you include astronomy Organised by UK Association of Science and Discovery Centres and Jodrell Bank and National Space Centre were project partners Trained 20 science centres and university departments to deliver schools workshops, family science shows and meet the expert sessions First phase of project with 10 science centres engaged over 150,000 people Second phase with additional 10 centres underway Could explore expanding a project like this Europe wide or create a new one using a similar model

School holiday programme Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre Science shows – 4 times per day, 30 minute show, audience of 120 – 12,000 people per year engaged – Requires space, presenter and basic equipment Hands on activities – e.g. Big Telescopes, Mars exploration – Drop in sessions, difficult to count numbers, estimate 9,000 per year – Requires space, presenter and basic equipment Meet the expert All deliverable at other venues

Schools Programme Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre Tweeted whilst on their way to Jodrell Bank!

Schools Programme Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre Selection of curriculum linked activities available for all school aged children – Inflatable planetarium – Workshops with experiments – Links to research Currently engaging 16,000 people per year Widening Participation Programme takes activities into schools and organises visits to Jodrell Bank – Additional 2,000 people engaged Teachers are not always looking for curriculum linked activities so these are mainly transferable to other countries (N.B. England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have different curriculums!) Secondary school teachers often want links to real research

Big Telescopes Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre Funded by UK Science & Technology Facilities Council – Exhibition – Schools workshops – Hands on activities Schools workshops shared – -projects/big-telescopes/ -projects/big-telescopes/

Future Plans Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre Third Discovery Centre building being built, largely to increase school groups to 25,000 per year (currently full) Developing workshops using real (live) radio telescope observations e.g. with our 6.4m and 42-ft telescopes JBDC would like its own >3m radio telescope Planning a new large exhibition based on the history of Jodrell Bank and radio astronomy 70 th anniversary of JBO late in 2015 Joint outreach project with SKA Teacher CPD Training program in outreach skills for new academics Taught module on public engagement for undergraduate physics and astronomy students Teaching astronomy GCSE