We’ve been running a ground-breaking science project with Ignite Futures since April, for 0 to 18 year olds across Nottingham, so we thought we’d bring you up to date with what the project has achieved!
Our Curiosity project is part of a national ‘Curiosity’ programme funded by Wellcome and BBC Children in Need. The national programme aims to take science into informal youth settings to see how it can be used to address issues affecting young people, like confidence, communication skills and self-belief.
Here in Nottingham, we took science to children of all ages, working with everyone from play groups for little ones, to youth clubs for teenagers, to give young people across the city the chance to benefit from free, inspiring science activities chosen and led by them.
Watch little ones discovering science in this great clip from Notts TV
The project reached over 150 children with 110 enjoying ‘Curiosity’ activities week after week.
Ignite Futures worked with seven groups at seven venues around Nottingham including play groups at Edwards Lane Community Centre, Forest Fields Play Centre and Phoenix Adventure Day Nursery in Broxtowe, plus Tots Time at Bulwell Library, the SEND project at the Greenway Centre in Sneinton, the Notts Refugee Forum at St Ann’s Allotments and our very own Summer Camp at Brendon Lawrence Sports Centre.
Children and young people got the chance to explore everything from plants, bug hotels and caterpillars to microscopes, light and many, many different types of rocket. For example, over the summer holidays, Ignite Futures worked with families from Notts Refugee Forum at St Ann’s Allotments to explore science in the natural world, from fruit trees and bushes to insects such as wasps, spiders and ants. They also worked with children and young people at our Summer Camp at Brendon Lawrence Sports Centre, to see who could make the tallest constructions and the most accurate marble runs.
Watch the project in action at St Ann’s Allotments.