Departmental open days - new approaches at the Wellcome Trust Centre for Cell-Matrix Research
The Wellcome Trust Centre for Cell-Matrix Research has run their National Science and Engineering Week open day for a number of years. Ceri Harrop, a PhD student and the driving force behind the day, was motivated to develop an open day after taking part in a number of public engagement activities, including Researchers in Residence. The 'Wellcome to the Matrix' day was developed with local school teachers and each event provides the opportunity for Key Stage 3 and 4 students to gain insight into biological research.
Martin Humphries, the Director of the Centre and Vice president of the Faculty of Life Sciences in Manchester:
"In Manchester, we are dedicated to employing staff and producing graduates who are not only outstanding professionals but also informed, ethically aware, socially responsible citizens. The WTCCMR has responded to this challenge by elevating public engagement (PE) activity to a high priority, and over the last few years we have assembled a large network of lab staff and academics who now see PE as a core aspect of their job.
Our Wellcome to the Matrix schools event aims to educate Key Stage 3 and 4 pupils about the importance of cell-matrix research through various hands-on activities including model-building (such as polymers out of Liquorice Allsorts, multi-coloured mucus slime out of borax, etc.), presentations and laboratory tours. Another major aim is to increase the pupils' interest in science as a future career choice, and 100 per cent of the accompanying teachers this year [2009] felt that we had succeeded.
An additional, unexpected benefit was that 60 per cent of the pupils felt their views of what scientists were like had been changed. Previously, they thought scientists were geeky, boring, mostly men, and old! Hmmm."
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