Parallel sessions

RAS200 is the Royal Astronomical Society’s bicentennial £1 million outreach and engagement scheme that aims to embed astronomy and geophysics within culture and society, with a particular focus on among non-traditional and previously unengaged partners and demographics.

To achieve this, RAS200 has deliberately sought out and engaged with partners that work with harder-to-reach groups, including young people with troubled lives, prisoners and their families, full-time carers, travellers and asylum seekers. The project has also targeted different cultural audiences internationally, with arts-science activities and events.

Since 2015, 12 RAS200 projects have been running, and this session will give NAM attendees an opportunity to meet with and hear from some of the RAS200 partners, as well as finding out how to be further involved in events in the future.

This session will include demonstrations and training on some of the materials created for RAS200 (such as the ‘Geophysics in a Box’ resources), talks from the project partners and recipients of RAS200 funding, a panel discussion on what worked and challenges encountered, and a first glimpse of the extensive findings assessments that have been uncovered and undertaken by our external evaluators.

In particular, the session will highlight the success and benefits of RAS200’s novel
partnership model of science outreach, with contributions from our partners, evaluators and RAS200 Steering Group members. As well as widening our interested audiences within the UK and providing an educational service, the RAS200 has also had a lasting positive impact on the lives of many of its beneficiaries that goes far beyond the science that has been shared. This session is part of RAS200’s aim to leave a lasting legacy of such partnerships and engagement to take us forward for the next 200 years!

Schedule:

13:05 Steve Miller “Introducing RAS200”
13:15 Lorna Hawkins “Girlguiding and RAS200: Reaching for the Stars”
13:27 Steven Gray “The Planets 360™ Planetarium Experience”
13:39 Eleri Pryse “RAS200 through Eisteddfodau in Wales”
13:51 Vasilia Nicolaou “Overcoming life challenges with RAS200”
14:03 Dipa Ward “RAS200 'Stepping Out' Astronomy Themed Respite Breaks”
14:15 Anita Heward “Cornwall Sea to Stars”