In March 2020, I’m a Scientist, Stay at home was launched to allow school students to stay connected with STEM during the school closures due to coronavirus. Students could log in and take part whether they were at school or at home, reconnecting with their teachers and each other.
The Food Zone ran over 7 weeks as part of the Stay at home activities, instead of the usual two. Students from science and food technology classes took part. This Zone was funded by UKRI.
- 31 scientists created profiles in the Zone, and 30 engaged with students in live chats and answering questions. 28 of these scientists were new to the I’m a Scientist activities.
- Scientists from a broad range of areas and career stages took part. For example, Duncan Gaskin is a lab technician testing birds who get sick, Martin Lott is a bioinformatician studying microbes on food, and Boglarka Gulyas is PhD student studying urban agriculture. On average, 6 researchers attended each live chat session.
- 146 students from 18 schools all over the UK logged into the Zone. 11 of these schools had taken part in a previous I’m a Scientist activity.
- 23% of active students were from Widening Participation schools, and 46% from Underserved Schools.
- 20 live chats took place during the event.
