Events and activities for Schools - November 2016

Dear teachers,

Here is the latest round up of free activities and events for school students and teachers with plenty of opportunities to work with researchers at the university. This information is sent to teachers via email newsletter, to receive future editions please email ellie.cripps@bristol.ac.uk.

University of Bristol events and activities for schools

This newsletter features:

• Events for teachers

• Workshops and events for students

• Public events (that students may be interested in)

Events for teachers

Schools’ Engagement Fair

Thursday 1st December 2016, 5-7pm

Graduate School of Education, University of Bristol, 35 Berkeley Square, BS8 1JA

From spectroscopy demonstrations to student finance talks, the University of Bristol has a range of activities and events for schools that can be hosted on campus or at school. The Schools’ Engagement Fair will bring together engagement staff and academics from across the university to present information about their activities and how your school can get involved. There will be representatives from all university faculties, plus teams from widening participation and public engagement. This is a great opportunity to make connections with key contacts in outreach and engagement, and to make the most of the school activities on offer at the university. We will also be celebrating the last four years of schools engagement with plenty of food and drink! The event is open to any school staff member in primary and secondary schools or colleges. To register for your free ticket, go to: http://schoolsengagementfair.eventbrite.co.uk

Workshops and events for students

Schools Conference on Antibiotics and Antibiotic Resistance Science, Bristol ChemLabS

Wednesday 9th November 2016, 2-4.30pm

School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Cantock’s Close, BS8 1TS

This school conference on antibiotic science is suitable for Post 16 Chemistry and Biology students. The conference is hosted by Bristol ChemLabS and will feature presentations and demonstrations from postgraduate researchers and academics about antibiotics science. The conference aims to engage students about antibiotics science and will be of interest to students aspiring to careers in biological, medical and chemical sciences. For further information and to book free places please email chem-net@bristol.ac.uk

Media Representations of Crime 

NB: Date Change - Wednesday 18th January 2017, 9.30am-12.30pm

School of Sociology, Politics and International Studies, University of Bristol, 11 Priory Road, BS8 1TU

This is an interactive workshop for Year 12/13 students interested in social sciences and politics. Students will be given the opportunity to explore issues surrounding media representations of crime, from petty crime to tax avoidance. Students will work with academics from the School of Sociology, Politics and International Studies to develop analytical tools that will allow them to critically dissect media representations of crime, as well as social movements like Black Lives Matter. There are limited places available for this workshop (up to 10 per school). For more information or to book places, please email ellie.cripps@bristol.ac.uk

Invincible

Monday 20th February – Friday 4th March 2017 (Mon-Fri only)

Location nr. University of Bristol

We have teamed up with Kilter Theatre to put on Invincible, a play about the future of synthetic biology. The play has been devised with “BrisSynBio”, a group of researchers working in synthetic biology, and will explore the ethics of this exciting new area of science and technology.  It aims to engage students with some of the challenging choices that we will face in the future, and about synthetic biology’s impact on our lives. This immersive theatre performance will take place in a house near the University of Bristol. Morning and afternoon slots are now available to book for 2017. Performances are aimed at KS4/5 students and there are restricted to 20 people per performance (including teachers/supervisors). For more information and to book places, email david.owen@bristol.ac.uk

Schools Chemistry Conference, Bristol ChemLabS

Tuesday 7th March 2017, 7-9pm

School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Cantock’s Close, BS8 1TS

This free conference for Year 10-13 students will feature several talks and demonstrations from academics and postgraduate researchers. The talks will cover various topics based on research at the university and will include Prof Tim Gallagher (Dean of Science) on the Pharmaceutical Industry and a demonstration about chemical kinetics by Tim Harrison. For further information and to book free places please email chem-net@bristol.ac.uk

Big Bang Fair, Bristol

7th-8th July 2017

Trinity Centre, Trinity Rd, BS2 0NW

Save the date! A local version of the very popular Big Bang Fair is coming to Bristol in July 2017. There will be a range of companies and representatives from local universities running interactive stands about their work across all STEM subjects. Email ellie.cripps@bristol.ac.uk to register your interest and look out for more information next term.

Iridescence in the natural world

Dates flexible and workshop hosted at school

Undergraduate students in the School of Life Sciences have developed a short, free workshop for Year 7/8 students around the physics of iridescence and its applications in the natural world. The workshop is based on current research at the university. The workshop will form part of an education research project about information retention and learning styles. There will also be the opportunity to talk to the undergraduate students about university life and studying biology at university. For more information, please email ellie.cripps@bristol.ac.uk

Public Events

The following events are public but may be of interest to students.

Inaugural Lectures

Various dates: 9th November-2nd December

Various venues at the University of Bristol

As part of the University’s public lecture programme, a range of inaugural lectures by university academics are taking place this term. Topics include: financial reporting, molecule shapes and function, treating respiratory disease, billiards and chaos theory, population health and molecular biology. For more information go to: http://www.bristol.ac.uk/pace/public-events/current/

Beagle 2 and Bedbugs

Wednesday 16th November 2016, 6.15pm            

Wills Memorial Building, Queens Road, BS8 1RJ

Since the Beagle 2 Mars Lander was located in January 2015 on the surface of the planet - over ten years after it was declared lost - the mission team have been interpreting images of the landing site. Professor Mark Sims and Dr Taff Morgan from the team will speak about the latest findings, the significance of the UK landing on Mars, and the legacy of the Beagle 2 mission, including how technical and scientific expertise gained on this mission and other spacecraft is leading to exciting practical applications here on Earth. For more information and to book go to: http://www.bristol.ac.uk/pace/public-events/pillinger/

Feel It Festival

Thursday 17th – Sunday 20th November 2016

Circomedia, St Paul’s Church, Portland Square, BS2 8SJ

Feel It brings together research from the University of Bristol investigating pain, breathlessness, and the experience of being human. Researchers from the Elizabeth Blackwell Institute have collaborated with visual artists, dance and theatre-makers, poets, aerial performers and musicians. A huge range of activities are on offer including performances, interactive workshops and installations, debates with experts on the culture of pain in sports, meditation workshops, screenings, talks and exhibitions exploring themes from domestic violence to the history of asylums. For more information go to www.bristol.ac.uk/feel-it-festival 

Altering plants, microbes and people

Wednesday 23rd November 2016, 6-8pm

Watershed, 1 Canon’s Road, BS1 5TX

The emerging discipline of synthetic biology may be applied to a range of sectors, from using microorganisms as factories for food and fuel, smart therapeutics, improved crops and even altered humans. Should we embrace the potential of these new technologies? Or is there more cause for concern? Join researchers from BrisSynBio, Bristol’s new Synthetic Biology Centre, to discuss these important issues.  To sign up for your free ticket go to: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/altering-plants-microbes-and-people-tickets-28389614100

Engagement opportunities in schools this Autumn

There are lots of opportunities in schools engagement this term, including training, presenting you work to teachers and offering your research expertise to students.

Networking Opportunities

Schools' Engagement: Next Steps, 22nd September, 10.00am-12.00pm

This informal session is aimed at participants of previous school engagement training sessions, particularly those looking for guidance in putting your training into practise. The workshop will be an opportunity for you to reflect on how the training you have received has influenced schools' engagement you've done since or other aspects of your work at the university. If you haven't done any activities since your training, don't worry! We would still like to hear your reflections on the training. We will also be discussing funding options and schools engagement activities that are coming up both in and outside the university to ensure you have plenty of opportunities to build on your experience. Sign up at http://schoolsengagement-nextsteps.eventbrite.co.uk

Schools Engagement Fair: 1^st December, 5.00pm – 7.00pm

Do you want to engage with local schools? Whether you’re a researcher with one activity or responsible for a whole outreach programme this event aims to display the range of school activities on offer at the University. The Schools’ Engagement Fair will take place on the 1st of December from 5 to 7pm at the Graduate School of Education. This is a good opportunity for researchers involved in outreach or engagement activities for schools to network and publicise their activities with local teachers. If you want to run a stand about your school’s engagement offer or want to know more about it, email ellie.cripps@bristol.ac.uk.

Schools Engagement Training

Schools Lecturette Training, 31^st October, 10.00am – 12.00pm

For STEM postgraduates interested in developing a short talk for secondary school students about your research, this training by STEM outreach expert Tim Harrison will offer support and practical advice, including information on linking your research to the curriculum and how to design an engaging talk. For more information go to: https://schoolslecturettetrainingoctober.eventbrite.co.uk

Introductory schools engagement training, 19th October, 10.00am - 1.00pm

For researchers from any department and career stage who are new to schools engagement, this introductory session by engagement specialists Graphic Science will help you to prepare for working with schools, covering communication skills, confidence as well as practical advice for working with schools and designing activities for schools. For more information go to: https://introductoryschoolstrainingoctober.eventbrite.co.uk

Engaging with schools workshop, 24th November, 9.30am – 12.30pm

If you are looking to build on your experience in engaging with schools and are looking to develop an activity that links to your research, this workshop led by Ed Drewitt will cover practical advice including learning outcomes and evaluation as well as case studies from other colleagues in the university and tips from a teacher. For more information go to: https://engagingschoolstrainingnovember.eventbrite.co.uk

PERFORM, from January

The Centre for Public engagement are recruiting early career researchers (ECR) in science to join the 2017 cohort of the PERFORM project. PERFORM is an European Union Horizon 2020 research project investigating the effects of the use of innovative science education methods based on performing arts in fostering young peoples’ motivations and engagement with STEM in selected secondary schools in France, Spain and the United Kingdom. Selected ECRs will participate in a unique training programme which will encourage them to critically consider scientific practice and develop skills to communicate this thinking to secondary school students. For more information, please email vivienne.kuh@bristol.ac.uk.

Activities at the University

EPQ Mentoring, 16^th November 1.30pm - 3.30pm

The University supports local sixth form students (Age 16-18) in their completion of the Extended Project Qualification, where students to a self-motivated research project around a topic of their choice. As part of this programme, there is a mentoring fair where small groups of students spend an hour discussing their projects and getting advice from researchers who work in similar areas. Full training by the public engagement team and a local teacher will be given (training date: 3^rd November) and no previous experience of working with schools is needed. If you are interested in being a mentor, email ellie.cripps@bristol.ac.uk.

Women in Science and Engineering Day, 16^th November, 10.00am – 12.00pm

The University is running a Women in Science and Engineering day on the 16th November on campus to celebrate females in Science and Engineering. The day will involve students in Y8 and Y9 from local state schools in the area taking part in a poster competition and then attending a range of demonstrations, designed to be interactive, showcasing the research that is happening at the University. The event will run from 10:00-14:15, we would need academics/students to run demonstrations or help to judge the posters from 10:00-12:30. If you would like to volunteer to be involved with the day, please email adele.ruston@bristol.ac.uk

Activities in Schools

NSETC STEM Careers Fair, 20^th October, 4.00pm – 7.00pm

An opportunity for academics in STEM departments to speak to local secondary school students about STEM qualifications and careers in academia. The event will be a hands-on careers fair where you can run a stand with some interactive activities about your work or your department. If you would like support in developing ideas for your activities or need funding for consumables, please get in touch. For more information email ellie.cripps@bristol.ac.uk.   

SMRT TrED lunchtime talks, several dates available, 12.25pm – 1.10pm

The sixth form are looking for researchers to give lunchtime talks about your research. This could be in a specific topic aimed at students specialising in your subject or a more general topic that could be of interest to any students. The school are particularly interested in controversial topics or something that will get the students talking such as politics, ethics or philosophy but all ideas welcome. Email ellie.cripps@bristol.ac.uk for more information and to develop ideas for your talk.

Winterbourne International Academy Science Week, w/c 5^th December

The school are hosting a week of science activities for their students and the local community. We are looking for people to lead workshops or demos that are 1-2 hours long for groups of students from a class of 30 to a year group. These can be around any science subject and we can support any ideas you’d like to develop and provide funding for consumables. Academics are also invited to give 1 hour evening lectures (including a Q and A) about their research to interested students, their families and members of the community. For more information, please contact ellie.cripps@bristol.ac.uk.

Other opportunities

I’m a Scientist, Get me out of here! and I’m an Engineer, Get me out of here!, 7–18^th November

These online competitions for scientists and engineers are an opportunity to interact live with students all over the country. Students ask questions in live chats about anything from your research to your first pet and favourite band. Throughout the competition, people are gradually “evicted” until the winner is left, who receives £500 to spend on public engagement. For researchers looking to do public engagement from their desk – this is an ideal opportunity! The deadline to apply is 26^th September. For more information or to apply, go to: http://imascientist.org.uk/2016/08/november-2016-zones or http://imanengineer.org.uk/2016/08/november-2016-zones. 

Events and Activities for Schools - Summer Term 2016

Calling all teachers!

We've recently sent out an email with a round-up of various events happening this term (see below). If you would like to receive future editions please email ellie.cripps@bristol.ac.uk.

University of Bristol events and activities for schools

EPQ Library Visits, 21st June and 7th July

The library are hosting free group visits to the University for Yr 12 students doing the EPQ on 21st June (20 places remaining) and 7th July (30 places remaining). The day will start with a talk (09.45-10.30am) to introduce students to the library system, then students can use any university library to research their EPQ topic until 3.00pm. Library Services at the University of Bristol have over one million books, journals and other publications that students can use. Students can use the visitor scheme to make individual return visits to the library during July and August to continue their research.

For more information and to book your place, email ellie.cripps@bristol.ac.uk.

Biomedical Sciences Taster Days, 20th June and 21st June

The Faculty of Biomedical Sciences are offering taster days for Yr 12 students studying sciences. The day will give students a taste of undergraduate teaching as well as some laboratory practical experience, with sessions from Biochemistry, Cellular and Molecular Medicine, and Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience. There will also be an opportunity to attend a lecture about current research in the faculty and to receive admissions advice ahead of UCAS applications. Students will need to book on to the day individually; each place costs £5. Lunch and refreshments will be provided.

For more information and to book your place, go to http://www.bristol.ac.uk/biomedical-sciences/outreach/. 

Science Educator Residency, 6th-7th July

Interactive Scientific are looking for science teachers to take part in a Science Educator Residency.  Fully funded places will be offered to science teachers who demonstrate an interest in enhancing science learning both in and out of the classroom. The event takes place at the Royal Society's Chicheley Hall, and the theme is “Making the Invisible Visible”. It will explore how teachers can communicate invisible, abstract concepts in science to their students and feature exciting demonstrations including: Nano Simbox, danceroom Spectroscopy, Spectroscopy in a Suitcase and the Global Experiment. Interactive Scientific Ltd are running the event in collaboration with the University of Bristol, Corsham Institute and the Royal Society of Chemistry. The Science Educator Residency includes one evening (6th July) and one full day (7th July). It is fully catered, accommodation is provided and travel expenses will be covered.

For more information and to apply, go to: http://interactivescientific.com/science-ed/.

Quantum in the Summer, 25th-29th July

The Centre for Quantum Photonics are giving Sixth Form students the opportunity to spend a week at the university, getting an insight into the use of light in photonics, spanning optics and quantum computing. The summer school is aimed at students with a keen interest in physics and engineering who would like to tackle material beyond the curriculum. Students will also have the opportunity to find out about the work of quantum physics researchers and career options in the field. The deadline to apply is the 7th June.

For more information and to apply, go to: http://tinyurl.com/h7cwha4

From Plants to Planes, May to December

Engineers from the University of Bristol are giving schools the opportunity to host a workshop about the use of renewable materials in STEM industries, including aerospace and the biomedical industry. The workshop is based around current research looking into extracting cellulose from plants and processing them into strong fibres for use in engineering applications. It is aimed at KS4/5 and students will be the scientists as they carry out research around this topic and present their findings to the rest of the group. The workshop is available from May to Dec 2016 (approx. 2 hrs per workshop in school but this is flexible).

If you are interested or would like more information, please contact ellie.cripps@bristol.ac.uk.

Synenergene Theatre Project, from July

An exciting opportunity for teachers to collaborate on a new theatre project for schools; the university has partnered with a local theatre company to create a play about the ethics of synthetic biology as part of a large European project called Synenergene (https://www.synenergene.eu/). The play is based on cutting-edge research taking place at the University and we are seeking teachers to advise on the design of the play and support its development for a school audience. This will involve a couple of meetings (from July) with synthetic biology researchers and theatre practitioners plus giving feedback on the script. The cost of your cover and travel will be paid for. The play will then be performed in your school in the academic year 2016/17.

If you are interested or have any questions, please contact mireia.bes@bristol.ac.uk or david.owen@bristol.ac.uk.

Western Outreach Network

Don’t forget you can check out outreach opportunities from across the four universities in Bristol and Bath via the Western Outreach Network: http://www.won.ac.uk/.

Hope to see you at some of these events!

Top Tips from Ed Drewitt

Ahead of our Engaging with Schools training session next week, we invited resident schools expert Ed Drewitt to share his top tips for creating outreach activities for schools.

About Ed

Ed Drewitt works across the University delivering training and has been working with schools for over 14 years. He currently teaches part time in the School of Biological Sciences. Previously he has worked at Bristol Museum and on the University’s Bristol Dinosaur Project.

Young archaeologists at work with the Bristol Dinosaur Project (credit: Ed Drewitt)

Top Tips for developing engaging activities for schools:

1. Develop three clear learning outcomes for your activity

2. Employ a mix of activity styles appealing to different learning preferences

3. Use touchy feely objects - children learn through touching

Students learning about electrostatic charge with glitter at the Festival of Nature schools day

4. Don't forget that attention span is related to age: a seven year old generally has an attention span of seven minutes

5. Pilot your workshop in a school first to iron out timings and activities (the Public Engagement team can help you with this!)

Come along to the training to get more information and advice from Ed. You'll be able to expand your knowledge of working with young people and learn how to develop an activity linked to your research that could inspire the next generation of researchers. There will also be presentations from researchers representing the arts, sciences and social sciences, plus advice from a deputy headteacher.

Engaging with Schools Training

21st April, 9.30am-12.30pm - Queen's Building, University of Bristol
The training is aimed at anyone interested in doing outreach activities in schools to get advice and ideas for developing activities. Taking part in outreach is great for skills development as a researcher and most importantly it's a lot of fun!

New Schools Partnership Coordinator - Ellie Cripps

I recently started as Schools Partnership Coordinator taking over from Chloe Anderson. I'll be coordinating the SUPI project (School-University Partnerships Initiative) and finding opportunities for local school students to engage with academics and the research of the University of Bristol. Previously, I managed the STEM Ambassador volunteering programme for Bristol/Bath and before that I studied at Bristol myself.

Over the next few months I'm particularly keen to share great examples of Bristol's researchers working with schools and reflections on these activities. I'll also be looking at ways to make the activities sustainable and easy for researchers and schools to get involved.

If you'd like to contribute to the blog and tell others about an activity you've taken part in, or to find out about ways to engage with local schools, email me at ellie.cripps@bristol.ac.uk.

For more information about Public Engagement at the University of Bristol, including past or current projects and advice for researchers, go to our website.

 I'm looking forward to working with you all!

Becoming an EPQ mentor

David Dewar, a Postgraduate Researcher (PGR) in Musicology, reflects on the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) Fair on 9 November.

I saw that there was an opportunity for research postgraduates to be involved in mentoring sixth form students undertaking the Extended Project qualification and to advise them in research skills. As a (somewhat) mature PGR, who has undertaken a fair bit of research and lecturing in previous careers, and being interested in teaching here at Bristol, it seemed too good an opportunity to miss. I’ve found that I learn at least as much from undertaking teaching, coaching, and mentoring as does the recipient!

So I signed-up and attended a briefing in the Victoria Rooms, which itself was packed with information.  One particularly significant feature was a chance to look at completed previous EPQ project reports from candidates; those were really outstanding. I was looking forward to the chance to meet some of the new cohort of candidates at the EPQ Fair.

On the day of the Fair I had the chance to meet the three students assigned to me. Not only were they all impeccably polite and a pleasure to talk to, they had an impressive grasp of their topics. They also had definite aims in life – equally important in maintaining a sense of motivation. They had to get to grips with the specialist repositories for their subject, which we are used to dealing with, and the construction of effective Boolean search criteria.

Given the ambition of some of the projects, the timescale for completion is tight. The mentor’s task does not so far seem to be onerous; there is just the requirement to be positive, encouraging, and thoughtful when there is contact and I’m looking forward to further discussions with each of them.    

Their projects, apart from one, do not directly relate to my own research, but do make use of life-experience and interests. Since the overall aim is to be a ‘research-colleague’ or sounding-board, it is not necessary for the mentor to have project-specific knowledge. Having had initial discussions, I can now do some thinking around their particular projects to be able to take the discussion further when next we might meet or exchange emails, and to be able to suggest some additional materials for them to consider.

I’d recommend this programme for the experience it gives to hone one’s own skills in interacting with potential future colleagues; showing that researchers are not necessarily geeks(!); genuinely trying to help those trying to gain a qualification in an important life and academic skill; and in the chance to show the University in a good light.

For more information visit: www.bristol.ac.uk/public-engagement/schools/case-studies/epq-mentoring

De-coding Gender in the Media - schools workshop

Natalie Jester reflects on her experiences of designing and delivering the Gender Research Centre's workshop for local A Level students

What we did

When the call for proposals for the ESRC-sponsored Thinking Futures Festival went out in 2014, the request for events targeted at ‘new audiences’ using ‘different engagement methods’ caught my eye. I liked the idea of running an academic workshop with local school pupils, so I suggested it to fellow members of the SPAIS Gender Research Centre, and it was adopted as one of our centre’s proposals. I co-wrote the successful application with Professor Jutta Weldes, and we held our first Decoding Gender in the Media workshop in November 2014 with Thinking Futures and the Schools University Partnership Initiative, supported by Chloe Anderson. We felt that it went well, so we applied to run the same workshop again in 2015, and it took place in early November.

A Level students involved in the De-coding Gender workshop

Why we did it

When I first had the idea for this workshop in 2014, one of the main things in my mind was this idea of ‘new audiences.’ I really enjoy engaging with young people, although I didn’t have much experience of it before our first workshop in 2014. It is a horrible cliché, but young people really are the future. They are the ones who will be producing our culture, running our government and our schools, so the way in which they make sense of the world really does matter.

Teenagers are also in that difficult space between childhood and adulthood, where they are trying to figure out who they are. I remember being that age myself and having terrible body image problems, so part of the motivation for running this workshop was to give young people the tools with which they could deconstruct the media and say precisely why it was rubbish. With tablets and mobile phones making the media accessible 24/7, this is even more important than ever.

We also have a selfish motivation for running this workshop: both Jutta and I really enjoy doing it. As much work (and if I’m honest, stress) as it has been, seeing all the groups pulling apart the media resources and then presenting their interesting findings made it all worth it. The students genuinely seemed to enjoy the workshop, too, which was also important for us as organisers.        

Students present their findings to the rest of the group

Lessons learned

Running this workshop two years in a row has taught me many lessons, chiefly that nothing ever goes entirely to plan, and you just have to be prepared to deal with that on the day. If you expect traffic problems, illness, and to forget something you needed, you won’t feel so worried when one of those things inevitably happens; just improvise. Forgotten your name labels? Use post-it notes with sticky tape. Forgotten your camera? Find someone with a good camera phone and use that. Secondly, I cannot stress enough the importance of working with other people, specifically a team of people you know you can rely on. Working on your own is more work, less fun and more of a risk because if you are ill on the day there is no one else to step in; a team is always better. Thirdly, everything requires more work than you think it will, even the second time around, so start preparing early. This is even more important because it mitigates the problems if something more serious goes wrong. Finally, schools are not the easiest organisations to work with, because they are so large and under pressure to hit targets, so you should expect not to receive replies to all emails, and for some people to drop out near/on the day. This is not something to be taken personally, but simply one of the few down sides of working with complex organisations.

Creating the visuals for the presentations - what would we have done without Post-It notes?!

Thinking beyond the day itself

There are many benefits to running an event that happens more than once. Organising this year’s workshop was a slightly different experience than last year’s, largely because we already knew what to expect. In 2014, for example, bad traffic delayed our participants by 20 minutes, so this year we opted for a later start to minimise the impact of rush-hour traffic (although they arrived half an hour early this time!). Running the same workshop two years in a row also enabled us to take advantage of sunk costs; we spent a lot of time on handouts detailing the key concepts of a gender/media analysis, so we tweaked our 2014 version rather than needing to make something new.

Running a recurring event allows you to build relationships, whether that’s with schools, organisations, (e.g. SUPI) or festivals (e.g. Thinking Futures). I personally have really enjoyed working with the same people over time, and opportunities can arise through these contacts if you think beyond the one day your event takes place. After creating this material in 2014, and gaining confidence delivering it, I have used it to: deliver a talk to Red Maids’ school conference (they sent students to our 2014 workshop), run a seminar for Access to Bristol and write an article for a young people’s magazine. I am already (!) in touch with one of the participating schools about doing a seminar for students unable to attend the workshop. All of these opportunities stemmed from the first event we did, which goes to show that thinking beyond the day itself only makes these events more rewarding. 

Nat Jester is a PhD student at the SPAIS Gender Research Centre. Her PhD examines how UK state identity is constructed in online British media representations of the conflict in Libya. Drawing on David Campbell's work Writing Security, she examines the way identities are sculpted around external threats, paying special attention to gendered-Orientalist tropes.