Meet scientists!
Sparking STEM is delighted to be able to offer opportunities for home-educated children to meet real scientists and ask them questions about their work.
Book a place
Who are the scientists?
When and where?
How does it work?
What age is it suitable for?
What does it cost?
Can I book more than one session?
Can I book more than one sibling?
How can you support my child's needs?
Your certificate of participation
What if we need to cancel?
Do you / can we record sessions?
What do you do with my data?
Who are the scientists?
When and where?
How does it work?
What age is it suitable for?
What does it cost?
Can I book more than one session?
Can I book more than one sibling?
How can you support my child's needs?
Your certificate of participation
What if we need to cancel?
Do you / can we record sessions?
What do you do with my data?
Book a place
To book a free place simply select the event below and "checkout" (you will not be charged).
Please remember that booking without attending deprives others of the opportunity.
Please complete one booking per child, selecting the appropriate age group for each child (the age groups allow us to ensure a spread of ages can take part).
To book a free place simply select the event below and "checkout" (you will not be charged).
Please remember that booking without attending deprives others of the opportunity.
Please complete one booking per child, selecting the appropriate age group for each child (the age groups allow us to ensure a spread of ages can take part).
Meet scientists: Online February 26th 2025
£0.00
Sold out
An opportunity for home-educated students to meet two scientists online and to ask them questions about their work.
When
Wednesday February 26th 2025
Time: 2.15pm to 3pm (BST)
Cost
There is no cost to join these events. Simply checkout as if you were paying. You will not be charged and you will not need to enter any payment information.
Places are limited, so please only sign up if you have every intention of attending.
Please bear in mind that if you simply don't turn up you will have deprived someone else of the opportunity to attend.
Siblings
Please complete one booking per child, selecting the appropriate age group for each (you can "add to cart" then checkout in one go). All age groups will attend the same sessions and siblings are welcome to attend together, or from one screen if online. The age groups allow us to ensure a spread of ages can take part.
How do I join?
The online meeting is on Zoom.
Upon booking, you will be sent joining instructions, guidance and a registration form to complete for each child attending (please check your spam folder). This will give you the opportunity to let us know what name you would like on their certificate of attendance, and to let us know of any specific needs or requirements your child has.
After attending you will be sent an electronic certificate of attendance for each registered child who took part.
Who are the scientists?
There will be up to twelve scientists attending. Everyone who has booked a place will be sent details of the scientists and their research topics a week or two before the event.
The attending could be from the following Universities and research organisations:
University of Bristol
University of Bath
Cardiff University
University of Exeter
British Antarctic Survey
British Geological Survey
Natural History Museum
Plymouth Marine Laboratory
UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology
Their research topics will be in the broad-ranging field of environmental sciences.
Meet scientists: Online: December 6th 2024
£0.00
Sold out
An opportunity for children to meet a group of scientists online and to ask them questions about their work.
When
Friday December 6th '24
Time: 2.15pm to 3pm (BST)
Cost
There is no cost to join these events. Simply checkout as if you were paying. You will not be charged and you will not need to enter any payment information.
Places are limited, so please only sign up if you have every intention of attending.
Please bear in mind that if you simply don't turn up you will have deprived someone else of the opportunity to attend.
Siblings
Please complete one booking per child, selecting the appropriate age group for each (you can "add to cart" then checkout in one go). All age groups will attend the same sessions and siblings are welcome to attend together, or from one screen if online. The age groups allow us to ensure a spread of ages can take part.
How do I join?
The online meeting is on Zoom.
Upon booking, you will be sent a registration form to complete for each child attending. This will give you the opportunity to let us know what name you would like on their certificate of attendance, and to let us know of any specific needs or requirements your child has.
Once your completed registration form has been received, you will receive an email (please check your spam folder) a week or two before the event with a zoom link and password, as well as details of the research areas of the scientists you will meet.
Who are the scientists?
The scientists in this event are conducting research in a diverse range of fields with a primary focus in Biosciences (biology, biomedicine, chemistry, biotechnology etc) at the following institutes:
University of Leicester
University of Warwick
University of Aston
University of Birmingham,
Harper Adams University
You will be sent an email with their names and a summary of their research topics in child-accessible language a week or so before the event so that your child can prepare questions if they wish to.
Further events will be added here as the dates are confirmed. If you've "Registered your interest", you'll be notified by email.
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Who are the scientists?
The scientists you'll meet are mostly Postgraduate Researchers carrying out research in a wide range of fields. In the past we've had researchers from a range of UK Universities as well as those working for the Natural History Museum, British Antarctic Survey and British Geological Survey. They work in a broad range of fields such as Ecological sciences, Geographical sciences, Palaeo Oceanography, Biological sciences, Environmental Sciences, Geochemistry, Electrical engineering, Mathematical sciences, Life Sciences, Chemistry, Mechanical engineering, Psychology and more. We've had researchers who investigate Martian polar vortices, gravitational waves, penguin adaptations to climate change, volcano deformation... and so much more! One of the great benefits of joining these sessions is seeing children broaden their awareness of the many diverse applications of a career in science, and the diversity of the people that work in science.
When you book a place, each event shows which research organisations the scientists in that event are likely to come from.
Most of the scientists are attending our Effective Outreach with Children training course, as they are keen to develop their skills in communicating their science to children. Occasionally, opportunities arise for one-off events or discussion panels with individual scientists who have attended our course previously.
Approximately two weeks before each event you will be notified of the scientists (there will be up to twelve in each event) who will be attending your session. You'll be given a short description of their field of research so that your child can prepare a question or two for their chosen scientist(s) if they would like to.
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The scientists you'll meet are mostly Postgraduate Researchers carrying out research in a wide range of fields. In the past we've had researchers from a range of UK Universities as well as those working for the Natural History Museum, British Antarctic Survey and British Geological Survey. They work in a broad range of fields such as Ecological sciences, Geographical sciences, Palaeo Oceanography, Biological sciences, Environmental Sciences, Geochemistry, Electrical engineering, Mathematical sciences, Life Sciences, Chemistry, Mechanical engineering, Psychology and more. We've had researchers who investigate Martian polar vortices, gravitational waves, penguin adaptations to climate change, volcano deformation... and so much more! One of the great benefits of joining these sessions is seeing children broaden their awareness of the many diverse applications of a career in science, and the diversity of the people that work in science.
When you book a place, each event shows which research organisations the scientists in that event are likely to come from.
Most of the scientists are attending our Effective Outreach with Children training course, as they are keen to develop their skills in communicating their science to children. Occasionally, opportunities arise for one-off events or discussion panels with individual scientists who have attended our course previously.
Approximately two weeks before each event you will be notified of the scientists (there will be up to twelve in each event) who will be attending your session. You'll be given a short description of their field of research so that your child can prepare a question or two for their chosen scientist(s) if they would like to.
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When and where?
Most opportunities are online so you can join from anywhere.
Occasionally opportunities arise for "in-person" interactions at the University of Sheffield, UK.
Please note that children attending in person sessions must be accompanied by a responsible adult.
The dates and times of each event are given in the Booking details of each event.
If you wish to be notified by email when new events are added, please complete the "Register my interest" form. (Don't forget to check your spam folder)!
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Most opportunities are online so you can join from anywhere.
Occasionally opportunities arise for "in-person" interactions at the University of Sheffield, UK.
Please note that children attending in person sessions must be accompanied by a responsible adult.
The dates and times of each event are given in the Booking details of each event.
If you wish to be notified by email when new events are added, please complete the "Register my interest" form. (Don't forget to check your spam folder)!
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How does it work?
You can book a place in upcoming events and complete this form if you would like to hear about new opportunities (or click on any "Register my interest" button).
You'll be sent an automated confirmation immediately by email. As the date of your event approaches you will then be sent a further email inviting you to register your child.
Once registered, within about two weeks of your event you'll receive further information about your scientists and their research topics, as well as all the information you need to attend (please check your spam folder).
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You can book a place in upcoming events and complete this form if you would like to hear about new opportunities (or click on any "Register my interest" button).
You'll be sent an automated confirmation immediately by email. As the date of your event approaches you will then be sent a further email inviting you to register your child.
Once registered, within about two weeks of your event you'll receive further information about your scientists and their research topics, as well as all the information you need to attend (please check your spam folder).
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What age is it suitable for?
Children of all ages from five and over are welcome. All ages attend the same sessions together. Siblings are welcome to attend together, (or from one screen if online). Younger students will be offered the opportunity to take part early in the sessions and are welcome to leave before the end if they wish to.
Please complete one booking per child, selecting the appropriate age group for each.
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Children of all ages from five and over are welcome. All ages attend the same sessions together. Siblings are welcome to attend together, (or from one screen if online). Younger students will be offered the opportunity to take part early in the sessions and are welcome to leave before the end if they wish to.
Please complete one booking per child, selecting the appropriate age group for each.
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How much does it cost?
These events are completely free of charge. Simply book and checkout, you will not be charged and you will not have to enter any payment information. Please bear in mind that if you simply don't turn up you will have deprived someone else of the opportunity to attend.
Places are limited, so please only book if you have every intention of attending.
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These events are completely free of charge. Simply book and checkout, you will not be charged and you will not have to enter any payment information. Please bear in mind that if you simply don't turn up you will have deprived someone else of the opportunity to attend.
Places are limited, so please only book if you have every intention of attending.
Back to top
Can I book more than one session?
Yes absolutely! You're welcome to attend as many times as you wish.
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Yes absolutely! You're welcome to attend as many times as you wish.
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Can I book more than one sibling?
Yes absolutely! When booking, simply complete a booking for each child. When asked to register your children for your booked event you'll be asked to give the names and ages of the children you would like to attend. Please see the guidance about age before you book.
Please note that for in-person events, every child attending needs to be a registered participant with a booked place in order to comply with health and safety regulations. Unfortunately, we cannot accommodate non-registered siblings accompanying.
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Yes absolutely! When booking, simply complete a booking for each child. When asked to register your children for your booked event you'll be asked to give the names and ages of the children you would like to attend. Please see the guidance about age before you book.
Please note that for in-person events, every child attending needs to be a registered participant with a booked place in order to comply with health and safety regulations. Unfortunately, we cannot accommodate non-registered siblings accompanying.
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How can you support my child's needs?
Children are welcome to join in these sessions however they are most comfortable and we want to make sure that every child can benefit from taking part whatever their individual needs. In online sessions, children are welcome to have their cameras on or off as they wish, they can type questions in the chat function to be read out for them, or can email questions in advance to be read out on their behalf. In any session, children will never be pressured or put 'on the spot'. For in-person sessions, a "calm zone" is provided where children can have time out if needed. Photos of the venue will be shared in advance so that children can have some idea of what to expect. Warnings will be given in advance if any loud noises or potentially difficult sensory challenges are likely to be involved. I will always be happy to discuss your child's individual requirements beforehand and to do everything possible to ensure they are able to take part and enjoy the experience. Back to top |
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Your certificate of participation
Every child who attends a session will receive a personalised certificate (PDF) of participation by email after the event. This is a great addition to a home-education journal or for use in job / college applications.
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Every child who attends a session will receive a personalised certificate (PDF) of participation by email after the event. This is a great addition to a home-education journal or for use in job / college applications.
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What if we need to cancel?
Please let us know with as much notice as possible if you have registered for a session but find you are then unable to attend. This will allow us to reallocate your place. If possible we'll do our best to offer you another opportunity when one is available.
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Please let us know with as much notice as possible if you have registered for a session but find you are then unable to attend. This will allow us to reallocate your place. If possible we'll do our best to offer you another opportunity when one is available.
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Do you / can we record sessions?
Online sessions may be recorded to be viewed by Sparking STEM staff and the scientists during and immediately after the event only.
Only when express consent has been granted for individual children (at registration), will their images / video captures from the sessions be used for promotional and training purposes, including use on the internet and social media.
Please do not take recordings or screenshots of anyone other than your own child during the sessions. Some children and some scientists may not have granted photographic consent and it is important that this is respected and their images are not taken or shared. If you have granted photographic consent your child's certificate may include an image of them taking part, and of any scientists that have granted photographic consent, Thank you for respecting privacy and refraining from capturing images of others.
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Online sessions may be recorded to be viewed by Sparking STEM staff and the scientists during and immediately after the event only.
Only when express consent has been granted for individual children (at registration), will their images / video captures from the sessions be used for promotional and training purposes, including use on the internet and social media.
Please do not take recordings or screenshots of anyone other than your own child during the sessions. Some children and some scientists may not have granted photographic consent and it is important that this is respected and their images are not taken or shared. If you have granted photographic consent your child's certificate may include an image of them taking part, and of any scientists that have granted photographic consent, Thank you for respecting privacy and refraining from capturing images of others.
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What do you do with my data?
We'll need your email address to notify you of new opportunities to meet scientists. Any data you provide will be stored securely and will not be shared. You can ask for your data to be removed from our records at any time.
(Please see the privacy policy, your details won't be shared).
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We'll need your email address to notify you of new opportunities to meet scientists. Any data you provide will be stored securely and will not be shared. You can ask for your data to be removed from our records at any time.
(Please see the privacy policy, your details won't be shared).
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