Public Outreach at RAL: Engaging the Next Generation of Scientists and Engineers

21st International Conference on Computing in High Energy and Nuclear Physics

物理学;计算机科学

Corbett, G.^1 ; Ryall, G.^1 ; Palmer, S.^1 ; Collier, I.P.^1 ; Adams, J.^1 ; Appleyard, R.^1

STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Harwell Campus, Didcot

OX11 0QX, United Kingdom^1

关键词: Engineering problems;    Outreach activity;    Public engagement;    Public outreaches;    Rutherford appleton laboratories;    Science , technology , engineering , and mathematics;    Science and Technology;    Scientists and engineers;   

Others  :  https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1742-6596/664/5/052007/pdf
DOI  :  10.1088/1742-6596/664/5/052007

学科分类：计算机科学（综合）

来源: IOP

【 摘 要 】

The Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (RAL) is part of the UK's Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC). As part of the Royal Charter that established the STFC, the organisation is required to generate public awareness and encourage public engagement and dialogue in relation to the science undertaken. The staff at RAL firmly support this activity as it is important to encourage the next generation of students to consider studying Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) subjects, providing the UK with a highly skilled work-force in the future. To this end, the STFC undertakes a variety of outreach activities. This paper will describe the outreach activities undertaken by RAL, particularly focussing on those of the Scientific Computing Department (SCD). These activities include: an Arduino based activity day for 12-14 year-olds to celebrate Ada Lovelace day; running a centre as part of the Young Rewired State - encouraging 11-18 year-olds to create web applications with open data; sponsoring a team in the Engineering Education Scheme - supporting a small team of 16-17 year-olds to solve a real world engineering problem; as well as the more traditional tours of facilities. These activities could serve as an example for other sites involved in scientific computing around the globe.