Aims

To coordinate public engagement and school outreach activities in WMS.

To support student-led outreach activities at WMS

To introduce and support new activities focused on WP schools

Activities/ Achievements

One of the key activities our subgroup members have been involved with is the work experience programme for students from local secondary schools. This summer we had a very high number of applications, including a few students from widening participation (WP) schools. We hosted 11 students in different BMS laboratories (7 female/ 4 male) who came from both local schools and from schools further out (Bedfordshire). We had a couple of students who attended the WMS experience day held the previous year, which was great to see. Feedback from the students on their lab experience is being collected and collated.

Group members have also has been involved in planning and organisation of the highly successful Science on the Hill public evenings held in the IBRB atrium in liaison with the Warwick Institute of Engagement. We have held 4 public evenings in 2023 on a range of topics from ‘Metals in biology’ to ‘Biology of Stress’ and involved both male and female WMS and SLS researchers at different levels in their careers. Feedback is regularly collected from these events and has been overwhelmingly positive.

A new science newsletter initiative for local high schools, led by WMS PhD students was launched in Dec 2022, with support from members of the subgroup and the Widening participation team members. The aim is to reach out to schools in under-privileged areas of Coventry in collaboration with the Warwick Widening participation team and hopes to encourage more students to take up science. However, we had challenges in continuing this as planned in 2023, with PhD students leaving and not enough students taking over. We now however have new students take over and the next newsletter will be sent out in February this year. Undergraduate students from WMS have now joined this initiative, and students plan to now have this newsletter twice a year, followed by in person engagement with schools.

Future Plans

We plan to continue to support the ongoing activities outlined above.

-Science on the hill- Future event scheduled for June 2024 on ‘Early life’.

- We have a large volume of work experience applications for this summer, and we are considering a potential collaboration with SLS to place students in labs.

A few specific aims for the next few months

- Collect more information on online forms that students fill for work experience to assess socio-economic backgrounds and neighbourhoods they are from.

- Works towards organising an Experience WMS day targeted at WP schools.