Our continued fight against the climate crisis and COVID-19 pandemic has reminded us that the world needs more scientists and innovative entrepreneurs.

To help with this mission, Science Creates Outreach was set up with the purpose of sparking young people’s interest in STEM; and providing them with real experiences of what it’s like to be a scientist, not to just do science.

The launch

Last month, we officially launched Science Creates Outreach as a registered charity. Led by CEO, Charlie Proctor, it is dedicated to inspiring the next generation of scientists and entrepreneurs. Watch our video here.

The event was held in our Old Market incubator and showcased The Learning Lab, a dedicated laboratory space where students can learn, experiment and get the chance to rub shoulders with scientific start-ups in our ecosystem. With speeches, live science demos and a ribbon cutting by Thangam Debbonaire, Bristol West Labour MP and Shadow Leader of the House of Commons, the evening was a resounding success.

The journey

Educational outreach has been an important part of Science Creates’ story since the opening of our first St Philips incubator in 2017.

Over 1,500 curious children have joined us to don white lab coats and immerse themselves in hands-on learning. Comments such as “I want to be a scientist now!” and “Science Creates Outreach held a fantastic, engaging and thought provoking session for our students – thank you!” highlight the importance of our work, to-date. Going forward, Science Creates Outreach aims to welcome 3,000 more children in the coming year.

The programme

Immersive tours, hands-on workshops and interactive lessons with scientists and engineers give learners a real-world, ‘behind-the-scenes’ experience of life as a scientist.

From the opportunity to look through the doors of vaccine developers, speak to the team developing a world-first diabetes management platform, and conduct liquid nitrogen experiments, Science Creates Outreach offers a varied, curriculum-enhancing programme. With experiments focusing on concentration, accuracy and fair tests, students learn patience, how to work in a team and determination.

Science Creates is a place where discoveries become inventions and exposure to this brings a unique entrepreneurial aspect to the charity’s work. The charity empowers young people with the confidence, problem-solving and scientific communication skills to address future issues.

Collaborating with local learners, educators and communities, Science Creates Outreach will not only bring science to life, but also show young people that groundbreaking work is done by people just like them.

The future

If you would like to support Science Creates Outreach in its mission, please donate here or email CEO, Charlie Proctor. Whether it’s donating a piece of equipment, running a hands-on session for young learners, or contributing to Science Creates Outreach’s active fundraising, your help is needed.

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