Subject-Specific outreach
A number of Schools and Departments across the university run outreach activities in specific subjects. These activities include demonstrations in schools, taster days held at the University and support from current students within the Schools.
Below you will find links to the various subjects' outreach pages, which detail information relating to their activities with schools and colleges.
The School of Biosciences is involved in a number of activities with schools and the wider community to promote a better understanding of science and to encourage young people to embark on a career in science. These activities include masterclasses, support for teachers, talks and demonstrations and participation in Summer Schools.
The School of Chemistry has established a number of outreach activities which seek to make science more appealing to younger generations and tackle public opinion that 'science is boring' by giving a more balanced view of what science can and is doing. This is done through hands-on experiments, demonstrations and discussions.
Engineering Outreach tries to enthuse young people with an interest in engineering - to get them to think about how their lives have been and can be improved by engineers; to think about how things work, or why they don't. The faculty does this through lectures, presentations, demonstrations and hands-on activities.
The outreach activities of the School of Modern Languages and Cultures are co-ordinated through their Widening Participation Consortium. The Consortium organises a number of activities including taster days, revision sessions, support in schools and has developed a number of resources for schools and colleges.
OPAL is a partnership initiative celebrating biodiversity, environmental quality and people’s engagement with nature. Anyone with an interest in the environment is encouraged to get involved. In the East Midlands the activities are centred around exploring the heathland and helping to protect one of the rarest habitats in the world.
Outreach activities in the School of Physics and Astronomy look to involve schools and the wider community in cutting-edge physics and astronomy through demonstrations, taster days, masterclasses and other public events.
The School of Psychology provides a range of outreach activities designed to excite and inspire schools and the wider community in the study of the human mind, brain and behaviour. These include school visits and public events as well as the Summer Scientist Week, a unique summer activity scheme for 4-11-year-olds and their families.
The Science Outreach Project trains early career researchers in communication and outreach skills, and then encourages them to share their scientific knowledge and research experience with local schools.
Using the University Libraries
There are ten libraries across the University’s UK campuses, containing a wealth of resources on a myriad of subjects. Library staff are keen to give local schools access to this and have devised a menu of activities ( Word document 92kb) detailing what is on offer.