The Rurban Revolution isn’t confined to the laboratory: over the next two years we will be taking the research on the road, out into communities to spread the word about what we are doing and get people involved! We want to meet and talk to people about the project and get an understanding of what Rurban Revolution could mean for them. We have already started doing this through our social media channels and now we will be taking Rurban Revolution to young people in the Merseyside area this summer.

Science in the Community

Team member, Dr Beth Mead is taking part in a Science in the Community project with secondary school students in Merseyside. Along with Flo Sheen, a PhD student in Appetite and Obesity at the University of Liverpool, she will be working with groups of young people to design activities around urban growing for public engagement events. Beth, Flo and the students will be taking their activities to community and school events, such as parent’s evenings, community festivals and public spaces, over the next few months.

The “Gloveaphones”!

Beth and Flo recently took part in Science Communication training with Science Made Simple to prepare for this. “We spent the day practicing different presenting techniques and turning scientific concepts into fun demonstrations!”, said Beth. “For example, we had a demonstration of how sound waves work using the second largest whoopee cushion in the world! And then we invented our own demonstrator. We made a “Gloveaphone” – a musical instrument made out of everyday objects that shows how air and pressure can make music”.

“It was a lot of fun, and it really helped spark some creative thinking about the kinds of fun activities that could get people engaging with some of our core science in the Rurban Revolution project”. Beth and Flo will be meeting the young people in the next few weeks to start putting together some ideas and then getting out and about with them this summer.