Skype a Scientist
Skype a Scientist is an educational program launched in 2017 by Sarah McAnulty, a squid biologist at the University of Connecticut, which enables scientists to connect with teachers and students via Skype. Over 7,000 scientists have participated, connecting with over 15,000 classrooms.
Origins
Sarah McAnulty came up with the idea for Skype a Scientist in 2016, while she was a biology graduate student at theUniversity of Connecticut. She says the idea was inspired by a perceived growing distrust of scientists and a rise in anti-intellectualism in US society.[1] Sarah was concerned that scientists were being viewed as stereotypes, not human beings: "Scientists on television and in movies are often depicted in a cold and calculating way. People think of us as data machines, and that’s so far from the truth."[2]
Her plan was to connect volunteer scientists with K-12 classrooms around the world using video conferencing to humanize scientists, showcase diversity in science, and inspire young scientists.[3] It was important to the success of the program that sessions were interactive so that participants did not feel they were being lectured to by the volunteer scientists: "we want people to feel as though they've really met a scientist."[4] Scientists were recruited through social media to lead informal question-and-answer sessions with students for 30 minutes to an hour.[4]
Success
Since the first Skype session in 2017, Skype a Scientist volunteers have spoken to over 15,000 classrooms.[5] The scope of the program has extended beyond schools to correctional facilities and book clubs.[5][6] [7]
References
- ^ Killgrove, Kristina (27 Feb 2019). "How The 'Skype A Scientist' Program Combats Fake News Through Public Education". Forbes. Retrieved 2020-01-26.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Poppick, Laura (20 Sep 2018). "The squid biologist connecting schools and scientists worldwide". Nature: d41586–018–06772-9. doi:10.1038/d41586-018-06772-9. ISSN 0028-0836.
- ^ Franz, Julia (22 July 2017). "What does a scientist look like? The 'Skype a Scientist' program helps schoolkids find out". Public Radio International. Retrieved 2020-01-26.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ a b Tarantola, Andrew (7 Mar 2019). "Social media is revolutionizing how scientists interact with the public". Engadget. Retrieved 2020-01-27.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ a b Saylor, Zoe (12 Sep 2019). "People who don't trust scientists might just need to Skype one". Grist. Retrieved 2020-01-27.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Kooser, Amanda. "Women scientists call out Discovery's dude-fest advertising". CNET.
- ^ Boston, Jilana; Cimpian, Andrei (12 July 2018). "Here's how to encourage more girls to pursue science and math careers". The Conversation. Retrieved 2020-01-27.
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