Deep Space High - Space Camp

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

In 2011, the STFC awarded Fun Kids a Small Engagement grant to help increase understanding of space amongst children and their families through a series of speech features, entitled 'Deep Space High'. Our aim for Deep Space High was to engage with children, introduce and highlight the fun side of space, and inspire children and parents to find out more, either through organised education or as a recreational interest.To assist production and maximise awareness with children, we split the series into 2 mini series of 10 features each, called 'Marvellous Missions' (with the focus on missions from Pioneer and Skylab, to ISS and SETI) and 'Universe Handbook' (looking at a broader range of topics relating to space exploration including varieties of space telescopes, observing the universe, effects of space on human bodies, measuring space, superfuels and (theoretical) shortcuts). The series have been broadcast on Fun Kids since July 2012, are available to listen again on the Fun Kids website and iPad app, and as free downloads on iTunes. We also created a dedicated micro-site on the Fun Kids website, with users able to find additional information, images, videos, downloads and careers information, plus links to find out more at the STFC and other agreed websites.Reaction to these series has been significant. Since launch, the series has been heard by 199,100 children aged 6 to 12, and 77,300 adults. In addition, there have been 2,510 downloads of the audio through iTunes, with a growing level of weekly downloads. But with a substantial amount of space for Deep Space High still to explore, through "Space Camp" we propose 3 further mini series to look at more detailed aspects of space exploration and Britain's involvement in these. The new series will follow the Deep Space High teachers and pupils as they embark on field trips to explore the Earth and the Sun, as well as the UK's involvement in space exploration. The informative and inspirational features will be written for a core child audience aged 9 to 12 year olds, although from experience we know that both younger and older children will also listen to the features, as well as parents and carers. A secondary benefit is therefore encouraging parents and older siblings to also discover, and perhaps develop a family plan to learn more.We will promote the series on-air, with online pages and banners on our website, editorial in our weekly newsletter and associated press activity. We will also communicate with schools to make them aware of the series. The series will benefit and build upon the existing Deep Space High brand, providing added value to that work. To further help build awareness of the series amongst listeners, we will run a number of week long competitions during the project period. These will be in the form of simple Q&A competitions with opportunities for children to win books (we can assist with sourcing) and possibly other suitable prizes (which we can discuss). Towards the end of the project period, we propose to run a short story writing competition on a space theme, with the best stories recorded and broadcast on Fun Kids and available for download. We find that such competitions help inspire children and families to find out more about space, and think around the topics. We will measure success through listener reaction to the features, download numbers, online visits as well as direct research with our parent panel, entries to the competitions and by the level of click thrus to third party websites. We will also review reaction to the supporting online material through Google Analytics.The overall impact that we aim to achieve is to help further increase children's general understanding of space and the UK's involvement, and to inspire children and their families to find out more, with perhaps a few children taking up science at school and as possible future career