Phil was voted the winner of Digital Zone in March 2013. Here he reports back on how his £500 was used.

If you’d like the chance to win funding to develop your science outreach work, apply for I’m a Scientist at imascientist.org.uk/scientist-apply

Hello! I am Phil, I participated in the Digital Zone back in March 2013. On I’m A Scientist I was frequently asked what my typical day was. Well my typical day during the event was something like this. Wake up. Grab coffee. Open I’m A Scientist, look through dozen or so newly asked questions. Stress over inability to answer them all. Answer questions: “When will the sun explode?” & “How many KFC Bargain Buckets will it take to get to the moon?”. More questions are asked. Open chat. Enter 30 excitable students. Intensely focus and furiously type. Have the validity of my research questioned and sense of humour challenged. Students leave to a chorus of well-wishing ad promises of votes. Be called a ‘lad’. Exit chat. Check new questions. Repeat throughout day.

Me and the Game Makers club team

Now, my days involve working with students in school to help them make their own digital games in a Game Makers club. These game are different as they are designed with a specific social issue in mind. They tap into the growing trend for developing Games for Social Change – games that raise awareness of and tack problems in society. This work is being support by the Isle of Portland Aldridge Community Academy. The money that I was awarded though the I’m A Scientist competition has been used in support of this club, including the purchasing of equipment and software licenses.

Regarding specific software, I purchased a license for Game Maker at £80 and an Oculus Rift Developers Kit 2 at £350 to show off the possibilities of VR! The rest has been sunk into ongoing travel expenses – not particularly exciting of course!