Launched over a decade ago, SiS has already inspired over 500,000 students in schools across the UK. This programme is highly scalable with appropriate investment. SiS brings exciting science workshops to primary and secondary schools throughout the UK, targeting underserved and disadvantaged communities in low-income areas and covers all four nations of the UK. Support from gifts and grants is fundamental to ensure we can expand our capacity, to help us reach more students as we intend to do. SiS shows feature hands-on experiments, engaging demonstrations and interactive shows designed to spark interest and enthusiasm for science.
Shows are delivered by expert presenters, tailored to the needs of the school and students, and aligned with the curriculum to ensure relevance and impact. The visits include training and resources for teachers to enhance STEM education in their schools and offer a community Show after the school day to engage pupils’ families and caregivers to break down identified barriers to participation. Of the 4,500 teachers who participated in training, 92% reported greater confidence in conducting classroom demonstrations.
By 2028, we would like to be able to bring shows to 1,000 schools annually, reaching over 200,000 students each year. Our aim is to extend our reach into the schools which most benefit from intervention, which tend to be in remote or rural areas and urban schools whose students are affected by high levels of deprivation, a lack of fluency in English, and/or high levels of special educational needs.
By building strong partnerships and growing the workforce of presenters across the regions, we will offer a unified and consistent experience nationwide, ensuring many thousands of students have the opportunity to engage with inspirational role models and high-quality STEM education. This expansion will create lasting impact, inspiring and empowering the next generation.
Demand is huge: every year, almost 1,000 schools apply for a free visit. It costs the Ri, on average, £1,000 per SiS show package. To reach 1,000 schools a year, we would need to raise up to £1m+ per annum to deliver this initiative.