Evan won the Iron Zone in June 2011, here he tells us how he spent his winnings:
I have donated my prize money to 3 very important organisations. The first is TASTE (The African Science Truck Experience).
This is a UK-based charity which works in Uganda to bring science to high school students. In Uganda science achievement in schools is very low, something which is strongly influenced by a lack of funding to buy any lab equipment! It is very difficult to learn science ‘by rote’ rather doing the experiments yourself. It is this ‘getting your hands dirty’ that really creates understanding. TASTE aims to change the situation by bringing lab equipment from school to school, in a truck, for students to use, as well as providing training for local teachers. It is an excellent project and that is why I donated £300 of my prize money to it. Amazingly, this small sum covers the cost of regular experiments for 30 children for an entire academic year. I am not the only IAS Winner to have donated to TASTE: tasteforscience.org/about/our-funders so this competition is hugely benefiting this extremely worthwhile project.
I donated a further £100 of my prize money to the Museum Of Science and Industry (MOSI), in Manchester.
It is actually the largest museum of its kind in the world and is built on the site of the world’s first railway station (visitors can even take a ride on 1830s style trains)! It also has a full replica of ‘Baby’ – the world’s first stored-program computer (which is definitely not a baby in size!), as well as numerous historical aircraft and locomotives. It also runs very successful outreach events and above all else it is free to enter. In June 2013 the museum was threatened with closure, to huge public outcry and several government petitions which seem to have fended off the immediate danger, but the free access is still under threat. I feel free access to MOSI is extremely important as it is a vital educational (and historical)
resource which would be inaccessible to many if an entrance fee were introduced. The numbers prove this as MOSI currently attracts over 800,000 people each year. Before it was free to all, less than 300,000 could afford to visit it – I hope my donation will keep MOSI free for those people who would otherwise not be able to visit.
I donated the final £100 to the Council for Assisting Refugee Academics (CARA).
This group was set up in the 1930s to help academics fleeing from Nazi Germany. Jewish scientists, as well those with any opposing political views were experiencing strong oppression from the government. The group was founded in Britain and helped thousands of academics flee to the United Kingdom and the United States, and many of these saved academics went on to become Nobel Prize winners. Today CARA’s work of defending academic freedom continues in places like Iraq, Syria and Zimbabwe. In the Irish language ‘cara’ means ‘friend’ so for me (an Irish scientist) it is a very pleasant name for what is a very important group.
Thanks to the Wellcome Trust and I’m A Scientist for making all of this possible,
Evan
