PhD student Sam Frampton explains this excellent chance to engage with school students online, answer questions, and win money for outreach.
I need an exact number, how much money do you make? What’s your favourite planet? If aluminium is so far up the reactivity series, why do they choose to build satellites out of it? In November I had the opportunity to answer these questions and others as I took part in I’m an Engineer! Get me out of here!
Founded in 2008, the ‘I’m a scientist!’ (IAS) activities are a way for scientists (and later engineers) to meet and interact with students in moderated online chat rooms. Student ages range from primary school to sixth form, so there’s a real breadth of the level and type of understanding students bring to the Q&A sessions. Given the slowdown of outreach activities this year, IAS gives researchers the opportunity to contribute to science education with students across the UK.
Once you’re signed up you will be placed into a themed zone (I was unsurprisingly placed in the ‘Space Zone’). Participants can book on to as many chat sessions as you want or are able, these usually run for about 30 minutes and can be pretty full on. There are also slower forum style questions where students can post open questions to all participants who can then answer at a time that suits them. Students then have the choice to vote for their favourite scientist, the scientist with the most votes at the end of the month in each zone win £500 to spend on further outreach activities.
Having now taken part in both I’m a Scientist and I’m an Engineer (being multi-disciplinary has its advantages) I would highly recommend them to anyone, even if you haven’t taken part in many outreach activities. It’s a low-pressure environment, you don’t have to stand in front of a crowd or speak to a camera. The questions also allow you to contextualise your research across a range of age groups. Among younger children, many assumed that working with space meant that you were an astronaut, and the discussion started focusing on what a job researching space actually entailed. For older students, there was a clearer understanding of the practicalities of research, and questions become more practical e.g. “Do you have to study engineering to work on satellites?”. Apart from being an educational experience for me, it was also a lot of fun, and I enjoyed the curve ball questions that came my way in every session.
If you’re interested in learning more or signing up check the websites, or follow the teams on social media:
I’m a Scientist: https://imascientist.org.uk
I’m an Engineer: https://imanengineer.org.uk/
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