Communicating STFC Research using a Mobile Planetarium

我们的目标是根据“奇迹计划”，更有效地加强科技资助基金科学领域的外展计划，以面向8至14岁（4至10年级）的学生。“奇迹计划”旨在将各种背景的人与科学技术联系起来。这一切都是通过倾听、理解和回应人们想要了解的科学和技术，给服务不足的社区一个平等的声音。因此，该倡议侧重于与来自英国社会经济最贫困地区的参与者合作，特别关注8至14岁的儿童及其家庭和照顾者。考文垂被认为是社会经济贫困严重的地区，很大一部分孩子来自没有人考虑或上大学接受高等教育的家庭。总体而言，来自社会经济贫困地区的年轻人获得参与机会的机会较少，因此通常接触科学相关知识的机会较少。这种情况在大流行期间变得更加普遍。众所周知，孩子们早在小学就决定了他们的职业选择。在这些年中，性别差异和文化差异的趋势是，获得丰富的STEM环境可能对选择产生强烈影响。因此，我们选择了8至14岁的目标人群，因为研究表明，在这个年龄段接触科学相关知识的机会较少，会影响年轻人的人生观，并可能阻碍他们从事STEM职业。我们相信，移动天文馆提供了一个理想的平台，为这个年龄段的人提供身临其境、引人入胜、令人难忘的STFC研究演讲。

We aim to enhance our outreach programme in STFC science areas to target 8 to14 year olds (Year 4 to Year 10) more effectively in line with the Wonder Initiative. The Wonder Initiative aims to connect people from all backgrounds with science and technology. It is all about giving under-served communities an equal voice by listening, understanding and responding to what people want to know about science and technology. As a result of this, the Initiative focuses on working with participants from the most socioeconomically deprived areas of the UK, with a particular focus on 8 to 14 year olds and their families and carers. Coventry is considered to have areas of great socioeconomic deprivation with a large percentage of children coming from homes where no one has considered or attended university for higher education. Overall, young people from areas of greater socioeconomic deprivation have less access to engagement opportunities and as a result, typically have less exposure to science-related knowledge. This has become even more prevalent over the course of the pandemic. It is widely known that children make decisions about their career choices as early as primary school. During these years, there is a tendency for gender differences and cultural differences where access to STEM rich environments can have a strong influence on choice. Therefore, we have chosen to target 8 to 14 year olds as research has shown less exposure to science-related knowledge at this age shapes a young person's outlook and could dissuade them from a career in STEM. We believe that a mobile planetarium provides the ideal platform to deliver immersive, engaging and hence memorable talks on STFC research to this age group.