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Explore-At-Bristol Reaches Out
This spring Explore-At-Bristol is working to strengthen
its links with Bristol’s community organisations.
Its new Supplementary Schools Project, existing Bursary Scheme and Family
Learning Project are enabling schools and community groups who would not
normally access at-Bristol to take part in exciting and inspiring
programmes designed to actively encourage and develop science learning.
The most recent visit by Bristol's African Caribbean and Caribbean
Heritage Raising Attainment (AC & CHAP) project in partnership with Erondu,
was the culmination of a five day project for thirty students. Along with
their parents, they spent a day in Explore, visiting the exhibits, taking
part in a Fizz, Whizz, Bang science workshop and evaluating all the
activities they had experienced in their week.
Shirelle Gayle, Primary Schools Co-ordinator at AC & CHAP, said: “The
visit to Explore was the perfect end to a brilliant week which left
parents and our students motivated, inspired and engaged in family
learning. This form of complimentary learning really helps to tackle the
deep rooted reasons for underachievement in schools.”
Explore-At-Bristol continually strives to make science accessible for all.
Community Engagement Officer, Jo Bryant explains, ‘Our outreach projects
help to break down the barriers that prevent many schools and community
groups from visiting Explore. Our learning programme is second to none. It
provides hands-on, minds-on science education in an informal setting and
we are delighted to be able to offer it to a much wider audience than we
would otherwise come into contact with.
She continues, ‘The projects offer both fully and part-funded visits to
groups and the Bursary Scheme which has been running for 5 years has
allowed 15000 people visit entirely free of charge so far. Feedback from
all our community projects shows that participants leave inspired with a
new, more positive attitude to science. It’s great to be able to offer
this kind of experience to people who would, under other circumstances be
unable to experience it.’
The Supplementary Schools Project is supported by the Paul Hamlyn
Foundation, the Bursary Scheme in funded by Northgate and the Family
Learning Project is supported by the Big Lottery fund.
Explore-At-Bristol is a registered charity. Since opening in 2000 it has
welcomed approaching four million visitors through its doors. Community
groups or schools wishing to find out more about funded visits should
contact Jo Bryant on
jo.bryant@at-bristol.org.uk or 0117 915 7122.
For press enquiries:
Sonja Taylor-Jones
0117 9157152 /
07956 503 478 /
press@at-bristol.org.uk
Notes to Editors:
At-Bristol is a leading science centre in the UK and a
major player in the worldwide science centre movement. It aims to be a
world-class science centre that makes distinctive, valued and recognised
contributions to informal science learning and public engagement with
science across Europe. A registered charity, At-Bristol has hosted more
than three million visits and continually strives towards making science
accessible to all.
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