1.  INTRODUCTION

  Today's society faces unprecedented changes to our global environment. It is vitally important that the UK attracts young people into science, and keeps them engaged, so that we can better understand global environmental issues, such as climate change, pollution and loss of biodiversity, and make realistic predictions of what might happen to our rapidly changing world.

  For most of our 60-year history the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) has engaged in a dialogue with the public, and we are committed to explaining our science to as wide an audience as possible. One of the ways we do this is to form partnerships with the UK's leading Science and Discovery Centres, such as the Natural History Museum in London and Our Dynamic Earth in Edinburgh, to enthuse young people about our science and operations in Antarctica. We are convinced that Science and Discovery Centres have a vital role in attracting young people to study science subjects and eventually into science careers: BAS itself needs to recruit young scientists.

2.  CASE STUDY—ICE STATION ANTARCTICA

  Ice Station Antarctica is a major, international science exhibition developed by the Natural History Museum (NHM) working in partnership with BAS. It is an excellent example of how public engagement can be enhanced by a close working partnership between two world-leading organisations, where both benefit from the association and deliver much more than they could do by working alone.

  After four years in development, Ice Station Antarctica opened in London on 25 May 2007. It creates a visitor experience that excites and challenges children, between the ages of 7-11, to see if they have "what it takes" to survive the extremes faced by scientists in Antarctica. A series of exhibits, housed in special "pods", let children enter an icy world where they can try on the special clothes needed to work in the freezing cold, test their snowmobile driving skills as they go a virtual hunt for meteorites, and where divers search under the sea-ice for underwater animals. During the exhibition's year-long London run the museum expects it to be seen by over 200,000 people.

  NHM invested £1.7 million in developing Ice Station Antarctica, with BAS providing non-cash investment involving expertise and advice, content development and interpretation, provision of objects and images, shared communications and promotional activity. Over 50 staff at BAS contributed to the development of the exhibition content. To complement the exhibition, a series of NHM "Nature Live" events will feature guest scientists from BAS throughout the year. The exhibition finishes its run at the NHM in April 2008, after which it will move to Granada, Spain and then tour extensively in Europe and beyond.

3.  FUNDING OF SCIENCE EXHIBITIONS AT SCIENCE AND DISCOVERY CENTRES

  The BAS has no funds available to invest in science exhibitions at Science and Discovery Centres, but we will assist with non-cash investment, such as staff time and the provision of exhibits, photographs and video. However, the huge demand far outstrips our capacity to assist, and we have to judge very carefully which projects we get involved with.

  It would be very helpful if Government could set up a new grant programme, perhaps through the Department of Culture, Media and Sport and the Department for Education and Skills, to help fund staff at UK research centres and Higher Education Institutes to take part in the development of major science exhibitions at Science and Discovery Centres. This would enable BAS to do more in this area: we cannot draw on our core science and operations budget for this purpose.

4.  ANTARCTIC SCIENCE IN UK SCHOOLS AND SCIENCE AND DISCOVERY CENTRES

  Schools right across the UK now study Antarctica and Antarctic science, especially in Geography and Biology. For example, Antarctica features in several school exam papers this year, including the OCR Geography GCSE, and the Edexcel GCE Geography A-level. Antarctica is also featured in this year's English primary schools Literacy SATs.

  There is great demand from both primary and secondary schools across the UK for Antarctic science classroom talks and visits. BAS encourages its staff to go into schools and provide presentations and "hands-on" science demonstrations. In 2006, we gave 70 school talks, and will probably give almost 100 talks in 2007. But we always have to turn down many deserving requests. So we have developed, in partnership with the Royal Geographical Society and with funding from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, an award-winning, on-line interactive schools website—Discovering Antarctica (www.discoveringantarctica.org.uk).

  Discovering Antarctica is aimed at teachers and students (age 11-16) and features a wide range of Antarctic school resources to be used both in classroom learning and in independent coursework. Topics include climate and environmental change, current scientific research, the future of the continent, international politics, and tourism. Each topic comes with downloadable factsheets, multimedia interactives, and images, video and sound clips. A dedicated "Teachers Area", provides further notes, relevant curriculum links and top tips for using the website on an interactive whiteboard in the classroom. The website has been an outstanding success, and in May 2007 received 2.7 million hits as teachers and students prepare for the summer exams.

  Given the sustained and very high level of interest in Antarctica shown by UK schools, we consider there is potential for regional Science and Discovery Centres in England and Wales to do more to showcase Antarctic science. Scotland has shown the way, with the Scottish Executive granting funds to Our Dynamic Earth and Sensation in Dundee to install special polar science exhibitions, as part of the International Polar Year (2007-08) celebrations.

  There is no doubt that Science and Discovery Centres are fun, interesting, informative and entertaining, but our experience has been that there is sometimes a major disconnect between them and the science which is actually being taught in schools. We would like to see closer links between the science curriculum, schools and the centres.

5.  CONCLUSION

  BAS believes that Science and Discovery Centres have a very important role in public engagement and attracting young people, especially children, to study science.

  A major strategic priority for BAS is to be a focal point for public interest and to achieve worldwide public recognition for excellence. To increase public recognition of our work, we promote public engagement and dialogue about BAS science through media relations, publications, the World Wide Web, educational resources, public events, lectures, school talks and exhibitions.

  BAS consider that research institutes partnering Science and Discovery Centres in the creation of major exhibitions can be a very cost-effective and innovative way of communicating science to the public. Ice Station Antarctica shows what can be done. It is a model that could be used elsewhere in the UK.

June 2007