Science with Purpose – Glasgow Science Centre & IOM
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Glasgow Science Centre’s vision is to help create a country where all people value science and technology to inform decision-making, empower individuals and enrich lives.
It is a belief we share with organisations such as IOM and many others throughout the world. Whether this is with universities, other science centres, public and private companies or alongside government, we recognise that there is a common goal.
Across the UK, there are over 50 science and discovery centres and science museums. We all share a common goal to inspire public audiences with science and we collectively engage with more than 20 million children and adults every year.
We are all partners within the UK Association for Science and Discovery Centres, the national organisation that brings together the UK’s major science engagement organisations to play a strategic role in the nation’s engagement with science. Together, our vision is for a society where people of all backgrounds and in all parts of the UK are inspired and fully involved with the sciences.
Over the last few years, visitors have come to Glasgow Science Centre in record numbers. Our adult audience has grown significantly, we have engaged with diverse community groups from across Glasgow, and throughout Scotland, and we have tried to make our offer more inclusive with Autism Friendly Sundays and Deaf Science Clubs.
However, we have to do more. There are still large sections of society who still think ‘science is not for people like us’. Science is for everyone. It can empower and enrich each and every one of us and any section of society that feels excluded from science, for whatever reason, is at risk of being marginalized and unable to access the many opportunities that science and technology create.
That’s one reason why Glasgow Science Centre is about to embark on a £4.2m programme of change, that aims to break down the barriers, real and perceived, to engaging with science. It’s the biggest transformation to take place in our 19-year-old history.
Our aim is to take the fun of Glasgow Science Centre outdoors and build a free-to-access outdoor space for play, discovery and social interaction. On the inside, we will be introducing new exhibits, a community learning hub on the ground floor and the introduction of a Changing Places toilet. We will also be spending more time out in local communities to develop an understanding of their needs.
We want Glasgow Science Centre to be for all of Scotland and for our audience to reflect the richness and diversity of the great communities that we aim to serve.
Dr Robin Hoyle, Director of Science at Glasgow Science Centre