Our driving force at LifeLab is about improving the health of future generations. Much of our work, therefore , is focused on landing that message early.
The phrase ‘change the beginning and you change the whole story,” is a mantra that is not just what greets visitors to our purpose-built labs at University Hospital Southampton, but it embodies our whole reason for doing what we do. However, we are not just all about the kids.
A great big part of our work is all about the professional development of our teachers, scientists and researchers – the role models to whom our students look and whose work and teaching inspires them. We know the effectiveness of allowing students to discover for themselves the impact of their own lifestyle choices, but we know it can’t work in isolation. Having a curriculum in school that is delivered by inspirational teachers and meeting people who have made their life’s work all about advancing our knowledge of improving health, are key components of our success.
As a result LifeLab not only delivers learning for young people, but we also teach the teachers. Later this month sees an example of this type of professional development in the form of our Meet the Scientists training.
The aim is to develop researchers and scientists to be able to explain what they do to a younger generation, inspire with their words and wow with their work. Standing up in front of a class of teenagers can be a daunting prospect but our training gives our volunteers the skills and confidence to do just that. Once trained, those volunteers form a vital part of our LifeLab experience as students get to meet them as part of their day of learning in the labs. Students have the unique opportunity to sit down, listen and ask questions to real-life scientists which can be a really powerful, and sometime life-changing, experience for young people.
It’s not just a one-way street. The feedback we get from our scientists also shows what a difference it has made to them professionally. Recent we asked our existing volunteers how they felt about their time with the students.
Feedback included:
“We have a genuine two-way conversation, a chance to discuss the wide range of work we do, but more importantly to listen and understand people’s perceptions of that work.”
“Speaking to the purest young minds helps me clarify my thoughts around my research and the process throws up questions I hadn’t anticipated. Furthermore, it’s great fun too.”
“When you are truly passionate about your work it is a pleasure to share it with others. When I was at school we did not have work experience or resourses like LifeLab. There is a whole word of opportunities in STEM just waiting to be discovered, you just need someone to show you the way.”
“Science has a reputation for being too complicated and boring and it is important to take science out of the lab so school students know how amazing science is.”
Places are still available on the Meet the Scientist training that takes place at LifeLab, Level D, South Academic Block, Southampton General Hospital, on Friday 19 October from 9am to 3pm. Email lifelab@soton.ac.uk to find out more.