Techniquest

Families from Cardiff Voyage Through the Solar System!

November 20, 2019

Explore Your Universe is a multi-generational project aiming to engage with families about space and physics in an interactive way!

Photography by Zaid Djerdi

 

The community-based project aims to bring space and physics to families from Grangetown, Riverside and Butetown. Working with partners such as ACE Cardiff, Shiloh Fellowship, Women Seeking Sanctuary and Women’s Connect First to deliver the six sessions, we were able to engage with 116 aged between 5 and 67. This idea of generational learning hopes to increase the science capital within the local area and provide tools to make STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) relevant in day to day life, whilst also ensuring that STEM learning doesn’t stop once leaving school and continues beyond the classroom.

 

Activities included, voyaging through the solar system and touring the night sky using our star lab, learning about the scale of our planets, using star charts and taking home binoculars to view the stars above your home.

 

Community partners provided Techniquest with the opportunity to connect with individuals that may not have had demonstrated a prior interest in STEM. The sessions were facilitated in community spaces such as Grangetown Hub, Cardiff and Vale College, Women Seeking Sanctuary and SRCDC.

 

A representative of ACE Cardiff embraced this opportunity to ‘offer the children attending [their] learning club the chance to do something different and enjoy activities that [the group] can’t provide normally’. Amongst these activities is Techniquest’s Star-lab, a mobile Planetarium that offers an insight into the solar system and the stars. ACE Cardiff deemed these sessions to be ‘amazing fun’ as ‘the children found it exciting as did the adults’.

 

Women Seeking Sanctuary aim to open up their engagement activities to include ‘more involvement for the [children]’. The multi-generational project assists the organisation in achieving this goal using Techniquest’s Starlab and through providing STEM activities.

Photography by Zaid Djerdi

 

This work is being funded as part of phase 4 of the Explore Your Universe programme, developed from a strategic partnership between The UK Association for Science and Discovery Centres (ASDC) and the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC).

“Science and discovery centres in the UK are doing some excellent community engagement. Explore Your Universe 4 is an opportunity to build on that to create a truly participatory process that will have a longer term impact on both organisations and communities. It has the potential to kick-start a radical shift in ways of working, and change the public perception of the role of science centres in society. It is both exciting and a privilege to be part of it.”

Piotr Bienkowski, Culture Heritage Museums and Director of Our Museum

 

Phase 4 is, at its heart, an audience-driven programme, focused on participatory methodologies and working with the same families multiple times to build trust and truly include and involve those who may not currently walk through the doors of our centres.

 

Are you interested in finding more about how to be involved with our Explore Your Universe sessions for 2020? Connect with our Engagement & Partnership team!

Connect with us

Are you a Community Organisation or Individual? Connect with us at Techniquest, please contact us at info@techniquest.org.

Support Us

Support us

 

Find us

  • Techniquest, Stuart Street, Cardiff, CF10 5BW

Contact us

  • info@techniquest.org
  • 029 2047 5475
    Mon–Fri: 9am–5pm Sat–Sun: 10am–5pm
    While we always endeavour to answer calls, when the centre is busy it may not always be possible.
    If you leave us a message we will respond to you as quickly as we can.

Opening hours

  • Techniquest’s opening hours vary — visit the Opening Times page to find out the current hours.

Charity & company

Newsletter Signup

Get the latest news from Techniquest direct to your email inbox.

FAQs

  •   What is Techniquest?

    Techniquest is an educational charity, with a science centre in Cardiff Bay. Our mission is to embed science in Welsh culture through interactive engagement. We provide a range of services to schools and teachers to complement formal education provision in Wales and work extensively with public audiences.

  •   Where can I park?

    We are pleased to be able to offer all of our visitors discounted parking with Q-Park, our preferred parking partner.

    The Q-Park operates the Cardiff Bay car park in Pierhead Street which is around 8 minutes walk from Techniquest.

    We have agreed a special discount rate for our customers of 15% off all pre-bookings.
    Pre-book and guarantee your space here using the code TECHNI15.

    There are also nearby pay-and-display car parks on Stuart Street and Havannah Street. Please do not park on Havannah Street itself.

    We regret that there is no parking on-site at Techniquest.

  •   Who is it for?

    Techniquest is suitable for all ages! We do have special events for certain groups, however — see Toddler Days and Home Educator days.

  • I have a different question.

    Please see our dedicated FAQ page.

  • logo
  • logo
  • logo
  • logo
  • logo
  • logo
  • logo
  • logo
  • logo