Category: <span>Blogs</span>

Building communities at the Science Oxford Centre

We believe the Science Oxford Centre is for everyone. This February half-term, we’re doing things a little differently, and welcoming children and their families from Oxford-based community organisations to our Centre.

Joining in the UK’s largest annual tree celebration – National Tree Week 2022

National Tree Week runs from 26 November to 4 December, marking the start of the best period of the year to plant trees. Ignore those photographs of dignitaries planting trees in the middle of a hot summer to mark the opening of a new housing development.

Group of pupils with certificates for Young Scientists of the Year against background of exhibits at Oxford University Museum of Natural History

Celebrating Science Oxford’s Young Scientists of the Year 2022

Committed, determined, hard-working, resilient, talented, enthusiastic, passionate, curious, supportive, encouraging. These are just some of the words teachers used to describe Year 13 students nominated for the 2022 Young Scientists of the Year awards. With attributes like these in our young people, the future of STEM looks bright!

What do people who work in STEM actually do?

Thanks to Science Oxford, a group of year 10s from local Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire secondary schools who participated in the October half-term STEM Insight Week discovered what working in STEM really entails.

The ‘favourite’ autumn season and climate

With thoughts turning to the climate, we caught up with our Outdoor Learning and Ecology Manager, Roger Baker, for his insight and experience in the woodland at the Science Oxford Centre this autumn.

Celebrating our valuable volunteers

In an activity-packed, often frantic world of busy-ness, limited time is a precious commodity. So, charities and organisations like The Oxford Trust, and its Science Oxford team, are immensely grateful to all the volunteers who choose to spend their valuable time to support and work with us.

Working together to impact our communities

It takes a team to achieve real and lasting impact. In her wisdom, Mother Teresa couldn’t have put it more simply when she said, “I can do things you cannot; you can do things I cannot; together we can do great things.” Her sentiments highlight the real value in our relationships and connections with partners within the communities we serve. Drawing on each other’s strengths, we can achieve more.

Gadgeteers enjoy inventive library tour this summer

We were delighted to visit seven libraries across Oxfordshire this summer with our free Incredible Inventions family show…

Presenter Network Oxfordshire is back for 2022!

Calling Oxfordshire presenters! If you love inspiring audiences in museums, discovery and visitor centres, science communication or the media, the Presenter Network is for you! Our Education Programme Officer, Ian Snell, dons his ‘Presenting-hat’ as leader of the Oxfordshire Hub and tells all…

Applications now open for our STEM Insight Week

Applications are now open for our next STEM Insight Week, which takes place at half-term from 24–28 October. We have an exciting week planned to help Year 10 students gain insight into STEM working life, and to inspire their path into STEM careers.

Free places on our Thinking, Doing, Talking Science course

We have free and discounted places available on our Thinking, Doing, Talking Science (TDTS) continued professional development course for teachers at the Science Oxford Centre, starting on 10 October.

It’s nearly IF festival time!

Get your shoes on (or slippers, if you’d prefer online events) and head to IF Oxford, the Oxford science and ideas festival, over the month of October. Ideas will be…

Photograph of Steven Williams with woodland as backdrop

“Science Oxford changed my life”

We met Steven Williams at the Wood Centre for Innovation to find out how Science Oxford changed his life.

A hot summer in the woodland

As summer temperatures reach the highest ever recorded in the UK today, the effects on the natural world and how to look after our green spaces and wildlife is on our all minds. Luckily, we’re in good hands at the Science Oxford Centre with our Outdoor Learning and Ecology Manager, Dr Roger Baker — read his woodland update, and top tips to keep a cool head in these unprecedented times.

Young scientists shine at Big Science Event summer finals

The sun shone for the finals of our Big Science Event 2022 this week. Held at the Science Oxford Centre in Headington on 11th & 12th July, children from 24 primary schools across Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire were competing in this year’s grand final – a competition to find the county’s most engaging and experimental young scientists.

Summer of Science – hands-on family fun with Science Oxford

Summer is here and we’re looking forward to a jam-packed programme of hands-on science! Our popular Summer Science Camps are back at the Science Oxford Centre during the holidays, for children age 6-9 (August…

Teachers inspired at the Primary Science Conference

The Science Oxford Centre was filled with primary teachers from across the Oxfordshire and Reading areas on Monday 4th July for the annual Primary Science Conference – the first full day in-person conference since before the pandemic.

Catapulting careers in STEM – meet our placement student

If you’re considering a career in STEM, there’s a world of opportunity waiting! Earlier this year we were delighted to welcome a PhD student from Sheffield University, Ruth Thomas, who…

A not completely alive Live Lab session

If you visit the Science Oxford Centre for a Family Day this summer, you just might see something unusual. Our pop up ‘Live Lab’ is an interactive space where families get to meet a scientist, student or researcher – or one of our expert team.

String, the super-weird and the story of life – children inspired by ‘Extinct’ tales

School children from Oxfordshire were inspired by string, the super-weird and stories of life at a recent ‘Extinct’ talk with scientist and TV presenter Professor Ben Garrod, for Oxford Literary Festival. The…

Woodland springs to life at the Science Oxford Centre

Earlier this March, we caught up with our Outdoor Ecology and Education Manager, Dr Roger Baker, to find out what’s springing up in the woodland and grounds around the Science…

British Science Week – back with a bang!

With British Science Week (BSW) just around the corner, we’re excited to be engaging with so many schools and families. British Science Week is a ten-day national celebration of science, technology,…

Centre awarded Learning Outside the Classroom Quality Badge

We are thrilled to announce our Science Oxford Centre was recently re-awarded the Council for Learning Outside the Classroom’s Quality Badge, a seal of approval that shows to schools that…

Sir Martin Wood – engineer, philanthropist, and conservationist (1927-2021)

It is with great sadness that we announce the death of our patron and founder, Sir Martin Wood (1927-2021). A joint statement by sister charities: Earth Trust, The Oxford Trust…

Children reach for the Stars with Dr Maggie’s Space tour!

“She encourages you to reach for the stars…” Local school children were ‘over the moon’ to watch a Grand Tour of the Solar System with Space scientist and BBC The…

Give a little love to our woodland and world at the Science Oxford Centre

On Science and Innovation Day at #COP26, climate change and our environment are at the forefront of our minds as we check in with our Outdoor Education and Ecology Manager, Dr Roger…

Inspiring change at the Science Oxford Centre

Science Oxford is delighted to have taken part in ‘Project Inspire’ with the Association of Science and Discovery Centres‘ (ASDC) this spring and summer and inspired change in our Centre!…

Following the science – our new STEM Careers Programme launches this autumn

Issues important to young people are constantly in the news, from ‘following the science’ during the pandemic to the New Space Race, climate change and the global energy crisis. That’s why our STEM Careers Programme strives to…

Summer woodland delights at the Science Oxford Centre

Enjoying the outdoors this summer? We were delighted to finally welcome back visitors to our Centre this season, where we are lucky enough to have 15 acres of woodlands, grassland…

Wantage Church of England Primary and The Disraeli School win Science Oxford’s Big Science Event 2021

A team of children from Wantage Church of England Primary School Nursery won this year’s Big Science Event for Oxfordshire with their experiment on What makes snow melt faster? and…

Abingdon’s ATOM Festival science challenge weekend

We’re delighted to take part in the ATOM Festival of Science and Technology interactive event in Abingdon this weekend (June 11-13). All are welcome to get involved, engage with science…

The science of gardening – top tips for National Gardening Week

As spring arrives, we’re championing the great outdoors for National Gardening Week – the UK’s biggest annual celebration of gardening, organised by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) 26th April –…

Science Oxford receives Project Inspire grant for digital engagement

Science Oxford is delighted to announce successful funding from the UK Association for Science and Discovery Centres (ASDC) for their Project Inspire: Digital Engagement and Innovation Programme. The project is…

Big data, little data: insight into STEM Careers

As we celebrate National Careers Week, a UK initiative to empower and inform students about the world of work, we highlight Science Oxford’s STEM Careers Programme — designed to inspire…

Branching out: celebrating National Tree Week at the Science Oxford Centre

Planting trees seems more important than ever under the current circumstances – a chance to create positive change. This year we have been funded by the Tree Council Branching Out…

Celebrating the region’s best school scientists

Every year Science Oxford celebrates outstanding Year 13 science students across Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire at our Young Scientists of the Year Award. Usually, the event is held amongst the dinosaurs…

Update on Science Oxford and COVID-19, November 2020

In line with new Government restrictions from 5 November to prevent the spread of COVID-19, we have temporarily closed our Science Oxford Centre and paused our face-to-face programmes until 2nd December….

Anneliese Dodds MP visits the Science Oxford Centre

Anneliese Dodds MP took time out to visit our Science Oxford Centre recently with her daughter for one of our Family Open Days. During the week, the Centre is open for…

OxSource supporting Science Oxford’s STEM Careers Programme

We are pleased to say that local recruitment company OxSource is supporting our STEM Careers programme this year. OxSource a young, dynamic Oxford-based technology recruitment agency. Their STEM graduate programme…

STEM Club Workshops

As part of a national programme supported by the Gatsby Foundation, Science Oxford is delighted to be working with Oxfordshire Science Learning Partnership to deliver free workshops for science teachers…