National Science Week is a celebration around the country of all things SCIENCE. We want Australians of all abilities to be able to learn about, and be involved with, science so we’ve made a list of some of the events that are making science accessible for everyone.
Upcoming events
Making for all | Monday 17 – Friday 21 All day
To boost the participation of our disability community during National Science Week, Making for All: Reaching people with disabilities kits and events have been designed so that young adults with sensory, significant motor or cognitive disabilities can, regardless of skill level, learn to make their own technology. Once Making for All participants complete their circuit-making activities, we hope they’ll share a photo of themselves with their creations, demonstrating how much people with disabilities can do in STEM when given the right opportunity.
SciFest Little Scientist Workshop: Blood & Stuff Part 2 | Tuesday 18 6:00 – 6:30 pm
Calling all little scientists aged 5-12 across Australia and beyond to join Dr Rina for an online, live and interactive Little Scientist Workshop on Blood & Stuff. Not for the faint-hearted, recommended for brave little scientists only. Dr Rina will share about her ‘bloody’ research through a song performance, realtime experiments and for those with good typing fingers, ask away during our Q & A. The event will be AUSLAN interpreted.
Super STEM Careers Q&A | Wednesday 19 4:00 – 5:00 pm
Are you a high school student who wants to design, build or discover new things? Do you want to solve the challenges of the future? Want to know what a STEM career really looks like, and how to get there? Join Professor Lisa Harvey-Smith, Marita Cheng AM and Dr Kalinda Griffiths as they talk about their jobs and how they started on their STEM career pathways. It will be a FREE live streamed interactive Q&A to get answers to your questions about careers in STEM, which will include live captioning and an AUSLAN interpreter.
Science Alliance | Thursday 20 4:00 – 5:30 pm
Vanessa de Kauwe with assistants from the ACT Down Syndrome Association Science Alliance group will present a live demonstration of the Steps of Thinking employed to educate students of all abilities. “Steps of Thinking” systematically guides students through intellectual processes needed to understand, explore and create science for themselves. Hands-on science is a fun and accessible way to practice the “Steps of Thinking”, but there is no limit as to how students may choose to use it in their daily lives.
Science Alliance is an alliance between science professionals and the disability community, aimed at the empowerment of students with neuro-diversity.
Immersive Science IV (SciVR): Science Champions (adults livestream) | Friday 21 7:30 – 9:00 pm
Dr Rebecca Allen and A/Prof Alan Duffy share research using Australian facilities, like the CSIRO Parkes telescope, to reveal more about the nature of extreme and transiting objects as they explore the origins of mysterious and energetic phenomena. They are using the immersive medium of VR (the app can also be used in non-VR mode for those who do not have a headset or suffer vertigo), as people participate in the streamed event, including an in-depth Q & A. The event has AUSLAN interpreting.
Sensory Science (Special Needs) | Friday 2:30 – 3:00 pm & Saturday 3:00 – 3:30 pm
Join Seto the quokka lab assistant and Dr Rina Fu for three sensory fun experiments that you can do at school or at home – without any special science gear. Dr Rina will team up with Louis, her brother who has non-verbal autism to bring you these DIY science experiments including explanations about our sensory input. Colourful, fizzy and crafty hands-on fun designed for children and teachers, carers, sibling and parents of those with special needs
SciFest Art meets Science – Crystals Rock! Family Science Workshop | Saturday 22 12:30 – 1:00 pm
Get ready for some family fun with Dr Rina in this interactive workshop. Bring out your scientific and artistic best as you embark on an adventure and create a beautiful keepsake. We’ll examine some large and some microscopic crystals found in nature, the human body and even parasites. The event is for families with children aged 5 – 12 years, and will be AUSLAN interpreted.
Meet the Scientists – Sign Me Up! (Bunbury) | Sunday 23 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
The West Australian Foundation for Deaf Children’s Meet The Scientists – Sign Me up! Auslan interpreted event aims to engage deaf and hard of hearing children aged 6 – 12 years and their siblings and peers with science. The children will meet four scientists from all different science backgrounds, learn about their science and have the opportunity to ask questions and do hands-on activities with them in an accessible and inclusive environment. The event is being held at the Stirling Street Arts Centre, Bunbury.
Look on this site for a full list of the events and make sure to tag us on Twitter @Aus_scienceWeek, Facebook @NationalScienceWeek, and use #scienceweek to let us know what you’re attending.
