Illuminating Astrophysics Engagement in Blackpool, Lancashire

布莱克浦度假村在几代英国度假者的喜爱中占有独特的地位。该镇的标志性地标塔楼、愉悦海滩、舞会和码头为繁忙的夏季提供了背景，紧随其后的是秋季著名的照明。然而，对于那些生活在布莱克浦大部分地区的人来说，生活描绘了一幅非常不同的图景。政府统计数据显示，布莱克浦是英格兰第四个最贫困的地区，只有43%的学生在GCSE中获得5*-C级或更高的成绩，进入高等教育的学生不到12%。公共参与领导力联谊会(PE)与布莱克浦委员会合作，旨在激励该镇的年轻人参与并随后追求科学、技术、工程和数学(STEM)的职业生涯。这将为他们提供更好的未来职业前景，并在该地区建立一支更具技能的劳动力队伍。这项工作还将培训其他研究人员采取类似的方法参与该国其他地区的工作。有三个方面：1.奖学金将使我能够在从小学六年级到中学八年级的三年期间，与来自这些贫困地区的特定群体的年轻人接触。这次活动将包括我和其他天文学家的学校访问、社区活动和参观专门的UCLan设施。它们是UCLan/Ri青年科学家中心(YSC；一个充满活力的实验室空间，专门提供互动的STEM研讨会)和阿尔斯顿天文台(一个教学和体育设施，包括现代和历史的望远镜、展览和天文馆)。每个活动都有一个教案，说明要实现什么，以及如何对其进行评估。活动的例子包括建造一辆火星漫游者，一直到住在我们暴风雨般的太阳附近。重点将是激励年轻人从事STEM，从而激发他们追求科学事业的抱负。除了每年举办以社区为基础的迷你科学节外，还将为参加的教师举办年度讲习班，学生群体的家庭将被邀请参加。2.重要的是要利用这项工作中出现的机会来培训体育科学家。来自英国各地的研究人员将被邀请参加YSC活动，体验如何在这种环境中最好地工作。在访问学校时，我还将带上我所在大学的早期职业研究人员。这两个活动都有一个重要的因素，那就是学生们自己遇到了可以成为他们榜样的鼓舞人心的科学家。2016年，UCLan在坎布里亚的怀特黑文举办了一个由科学技术基金会资助的互动天体物理学展览和艺术装置项目(参见https://gmoo.gl/bB9gUC上的一段短片)。因此，我将利用研究金的机会在布莱克浦进一步开展这项工作。议会热切希望看到这些私募股权投资机会与度假村最出名的东西联系在一起。这包括；-布莱克浦照明的天体物理学：上面的艺术装置包括一个大型的半圆形太阳图像投影，以及一个特别创作的配乐和一部太阳教育电影。我将与Blackpool照明团队合作，评估开发这一科学图像的最具影响力的方式。-舞蹈工作坊：拥有著名的塔舞厅，度假村是所有类型舞蹈的代名词。与布莱克浦委员会一起，我将调查与适当的当地舞蹈团体合作，以雇用和适应以前开发的天文舞蹈工作坊。-科学单口喜剧：布莱克浦的喜剧传统是无与伦比的。然而，人们对科学单口相声的兴趣并没有影响到度假村。引入这一点的一个合适的途径是举办一个“Bright Club Blackpool”(www.brightclub.org)。与理事会合作提供了一条与场馆并肩工作并相应寻求赞助的途径。

The resort of Blackpool holds a unique place in the affections of generations of British holidaymakers. The town's iconic landmarks of the Tower, Pleasure Beach, Prom and Piers provide a backdrop for busy summer seasons followed in autumn by the famous Illuminations. However, for those living in large parts of Blackpool, life paints a very different picture. Government statistics rank Blackpool was as England's 4th most deprived region with only 43% of pupils obtaining 5 or more A*-C grades at GCSE and less than 12% entering Higher Education. This Leadership Fellowship in Public Engagement (PE) is in collaboration with Blackpool Council and seeks to inspire young people in the town into engaging with and subsequently pursing a career in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). This will provide them with better future career prospects as well as build a more skilled workforce within the region. The work will also train other researchers to undertake similar approaches to engagement in other parts of the country. There are three strands:1. The Fellowship will allow me to engage with a specific group of young people from these deprived areas over a three-year period from Year 6 (Primary) through to Year 8 (Secondary). This engagement will consist of school visits by myself and other astronomers, community events and trips to specialised UCLan facilities. These are the UCLan/Ri Young Scientist Centre (YSC; a vibrant laboratory space dedicated to offering interactive STEM workshops) and Alston Observatory (a teaching and PE facility that houses both modern and historical telescopes, exhibitions and a planetarium).Each event will have a lesson plan of what is to be achieved and how it will be evaluated. Example activities include building a Mars Rover through to living close to our stormy Sun. The focus will be on inspiring young people to engage in STEM and so spark their aspiration of pursuing a career in science. An annual workshop for the participating teachers will be held along with an annual community-based mini-science festival to which the families of the pupil cohort will be invited. 2. It is important to use the opportunities that arise from this work to train scientists in PE. Researchers from all over the UK will be invited to join in the YSC activities to experience for themselves how best to work in this environment. On visits to schools, I will also take with me early career researchers from my own university. Both of these activities have the important element of the pupils themselves meeting inspiring scientists who can be role models for them.3. In 2016, UCLan delivered an STFC-funded interactive astrophysics exhibition and art installation project in Whitehaven, Cumbria (see a short movie at https://gmoo.gl/bB9gUC ). Thus I will use the opportunity of the Fellowship to pursue this work further in Blackpool. The Council are keen to see these PE opportunities being associated with what the resort is best known for. This includes;- Astrophysics at the Blackpool Illuminations: The art installation above consisted of a large, semi-circular projection of solar images along with a specially composed soundtrack and an Sun educational movie. I will collaborate with the Blackpool Illuminations team to assess the most impactful way of developing this science imagery.- Dance workshops: With the famous Tower Ballroom, the resort is synonymous with dance of all types. With Blackpool Council, I will investigate working with appropriate local dance groups to employ and adapt the astronomy dance workshops previously developed. - Science Stand-up Comedy: Blackpool's comedy heritage is unsurpassed. Yet the interest in science stand-up has not touched the resort. One appropriate route to introduce this would be to host a "Bright Club Blackpool" (www.brightclub.org). Collaborating with the Council provides a route to working alongside venues and seeking sponsorship accordingly.