Wonderseekers

We are really excited that the Association for Science and Discovery Centres's Access Unlocked conference will be hosted at Winchester Science Centre on Wednesday, 7 May. We can't wait to see everyone! 💜

Ever wondered how many galaxies there are or if a caterpillar could survive on another planet? 🐛 These are some of the questions children asked our science Inspirers after science and Planetarium shows. This was part of a research-practice partnership project with the University of Southampton that investigated the impact of unstructured conversations on engagement with children at Winchester Science Centre. The paper, co-authored by Neta Shaby, Ran Peleg, Ian Coombs, and Jackson Hemming, our Schools Curiosity Officer, found that over 70% of conversations featured children asking questions to learn more about science. Jackson said: "It was incredible to be part of this project. I feel we can often discount the smaller interactions when presenting shows as they can feel like a small part of what we do. Seeing this data completely flips that on its head. With the shows inspiring more engagement with our audience, we can apply this to further our impact in future practice. One way we can do that is to use the questions asked by visitors to develop future content. Recording these interactions also allowed us to expand our knowledge using the questions as a guide to support development." Congratulations to everyone involved in this project! 👏 Read the full paper: https://lnkd.in/eHHcgsX5

📣 Calling all businesses. Are you on the hunt for a venue to host an event that's out-of-this-world? 🌎 We've got you covered. Winchester Science Centre is now available for corporate hires. Give your guests the chance to relive their childhood as they explore two floors of interactive exhibits, bring your event to life under the stars in our Planetarium, or celebrate the Christmas period with a science adventure. Whatever the occasion, our friendly team are on hand to help you create a unique experience. 💫  To discover more about what we offer, say hello to Tourism South East who are representing us at The PA Show at Excel London which starts today. Or visit our website: https://lnkd.in/eE3HNtbQ

Did you know we run a corporate partnership scheme called the Curiosity Collective? Launched in September 2024, this initiative encourages collaboration between Wonderseekers and businesses who are passionate about creating a better future for children and the planet. To join this vital movement, we ask for a £1000 donation towards our Charity’s new educational science and nature experiences. With this support, we can continue our work empowering children to take action against climate change and biodiversity loss. In return, companies can demonstrate their commitment to the environment, work towards achieving their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) goals and help the next generation have a better future. Already members are DFL-UK, Saint-Gobain Ecophon UK and Ireland, electrical engineering firm Parlex, a Johnson Electric company, and NOSY Creative Agency. Recently, we were very pleased to welcome Insensys, and Bertin Exensor to the collective. To find out more visit our website or contact Natasha MacMahon, our Fundraising Officer. https://lnkd.in/eCyYW6Nu

The countdown to the Southampton Science and Engineering Festival 2025 has begun! 🧪 Our Equity, Community Engagement, and Outreach (ECO) Team are very excited to be joining the line-up of #SOTSEF! Join the team on Sunday, 16 March at University of Southampton for an explosive live science show. Check out this photo of Jordan Holman-Thatcher, one of our ECO Inspirers, from last year's festival.    SOTSEF 2025 runs from Friday, 7 to Sunday, 16 March. Find out more and get your tickets here: https://lnkd.in/ebwdDzi6 #BSW25

Andrew Keenan, Head of Equity, Community Engagement, and Outreach (ECO) at Wonderseekers had a brilliant time the Association for Science and Discovery Centres' Emerging Technologies Masterclass last week. Hosted at the National Quantum Computing Centre (NQCC), the day delved deeper the fascinating world of quantum computing and Artificial Intelligence (AI)! 💻

Recently, our science Inspirers at Winchester Science Centre took part in sighted guide training as part of our Charity's mission to remove barriers and make science accessible for all. Led by Jenny Hoppé, our Equity, Community Engagement and Outreach Officer, the training provided the Inspirers tips on how to approach and introduce themselves to someone who might need guided assistance, and common guiding techniques to navigate the Science Centre. Including up and down stairs, to seats, and through narrower spaces between exhibits. We regularly run this training to make sure our staff feel well equipped and confident when supporting visitors. Jenny gained the necessary knowledge and skills to deliver the session from The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association, who provided the same training to the Science Centre's staff in 2022. Guided assistance is just one of the accessibility facilities we offer at the Science Centre. To find out more, visit our website: https://lnkd.in/ec_XW9vn

At the end of January, it was celebration time at Winchester Science Centre for our Young Design Panel. 🎉 Twenty-five children aged between 7 and 14 years old, have been working on a 9-month partnerships project combining science and the arts. The project hopes to help build our understanding of how children feel about the effects of climate change and biodiversity loss and to encourage them to want to take action.  The children's families and invited guests were treated to a presentation in The Planetarium with some of the children taking centre stage to share their favourite moments. Artist Milly Rolle and exhibition designers Kate Kneale and Richard Houghton from Houghton Kneale Design Ltd (HKD) also shared their experiences of co-working with the children. To top off the fantastic evening, the children received certificates for the nationally recognised CREST Award for their scientific contribution! We're very grateful to everyone who has contributed to this project, especially our fantastic Young Design Panel and scientific partners including NatureMetrics, Butterfly Conservation, South Downs National Park Authority, Newhouse Farm, Alresford, the University of Southampton and the University of Surrey. We can't wait to share our organisational learnings in due course. Check out our latest blog for more photos from the event, link in the comments.

Recently, our Experiences Team took part in some exciting sustainability training! As part of our Charity's journey to reduce our indirect environmental impact, the team explored ways we could make the café at Winchester Science Centre more sustainable. Led by Soil Association, the day covered food certification on different products, how far our food travels, and the carbon footprint involved in the production process. Rowena Schofield, Café Manager at Winchester Science Centre said: "I feel especially lucky and very excited to improve sustainability in an educational, dynamic environment like the Science Centre. The training was very informative with lots of useful advice. We have already started thinking about potential improvements, we can make that support the things we learned. This includes, switching our tuna to a more ethically produced product. And we are looking into introducing certified plastic free drinking cups that are made in the UK, are home compostable and recyclable!”

To celebrate #InternationalDayOfWomenAndGirlsInScience we were very excited to welcome Katie Martin from BBC Radio Solent to Winchester Science Centre to speak to some of the children in our Young Design Panel and Young Steering Group. Being interviewed by the BBC gave some of the children we work with the opportunity to share their opinions and ideas on the importance of engaging with science. As a Charity we want to support children to make sure their voices are heard and opportunities like these help us in achieving this goal. Check out these behind-the-scenes shots of 8-year-old Paige, from the Young Design Panel, talking to Katie. She was a natural! 👏 A huge thanks to Katie and BBC Radio Solent for visiting our Science Centre, we really enjoyed working with you! If you haven't heard what the children had to say yet, listen here: https://lnkd.in/e2TJGgaB (timestamps: Starts: 1:19:52, Ends: 1:25:05).