Your stories: delivering science workshops to Polish school children

Joanna Bagniewska, Communications and Public Engagement Officer with the Department of Paediatrics (Read Joanna’s online profile on the Paediatrics Department website), has teamed up with other Polish scientists and journalists to stream a range of science workshops, talks and demos.

Joanna Bagniewska with hedgehog, courtesy of Jadwiga Bronte

Joanna explains: ‘I’m a zoologist by training and, alongside my role in Paediatrics, I also lecture in environmental sciences.

‘When the schools closed in Poland, my home country (a week before the UK’s schools), I teamed up with a group of other Polish scientists and journalists to deliver a range of online sessions to children during school hours.

‘I have personally given classes on building hedgehog tunnels and bee hotels, but between us we’ve covered all sorts of topics including earthquakes, dinosaur poo, melting icebergs, what’s inside the brain, how to 3D print body parts and how quantum computers differ from regular ones – to name just a few!

‘Each scientist delivers just an hour or two a week so the commitment on our side is minimal, but it provides a lot of much needed relief for parents.

‘It’s also really good fun. If any parents of Polish-speaking children would like to take a look, the YouTube channel is titled Projekt ALPHA.’

Do you have a story to share about how you or your team is adapting to deal with the extraordinary situation we are all facing? If so, please forward the details over to internal.communications@admin.ox.ac.uk