15,000th STEM activity pack given to local families

Imperial’s Public and Community Engagement team made and delivered their 15,000th STEM activity pack to round off the year.

Imperial's Public and Community Engagement team has been making activity packs since 2020, and have now made and delivered their 15,000th one to the local community!

Initially launched as a way to bring science to families stuck at home during the COVID-19 lockdowns, the initiative has matured into a cornerstone of Imperial’s community engagement efforts in White City with demand surging year on year. Over the years, partnerships with 40 local charities have helped ensure the packs are getting to where the need is greatest. 

"The overwhelmingly positive feedback and high demand for the activity packs have inspired us to continue this initiative. The packs not only ignite a passion for science but also demonstrate our commitment to making science accessible and engaging for everyone in our community." - Maggie Dallman, Associate Provost (Societal Engagement)

The packs are a collaborative effort between the Public and Community Engagement team and Imperial researchers. Working with a different researcher for each round of activity packs, the team’s goal is to bring Imperial’s cutting-edge research to young local audiences. The activities are designed with 7-11 year olds in mind and contain everything they need to conduct their very own science experiments at home. Previous packs have instructed children on how to make robots, measure their heart rates, and taught them about Sickle Cell Disease.

The 15,000th pack was all about space: families could make their own paper helicopters, put together UV Christmas decorations, and try their hand at origami to learn more about how NASA uses the paper-craft to get equipment to space. 

The milestone pack itself went to Bubble and Squeak, a White City initiative that collects surplus food from other local charities. The groceries are used in after-school cooking clubs, served at community events, and sold on a ‘pay what you can' basis among the community. Bubble and Squeak also have a garden where they grow their own fruit and veg. The surplus goes into their delicious jams and chutneys that are sold throughout London. 

The packs were also shared with plenty of other charities and community groups in the White City area. The feedback remains as positive as ever...

"It always surprises me how organised the packs are with instructions and equipment. It really makes it accessible for the young people."

"I tried the activities with my grandchildren of different ages and they appealed to all of them. They're child friendly for all different ages!"

"The explanation for each science activity is really clear and that there are so many different activities to make."

The activity packs are just one aspect of the family programme that’s run by the Public and Community Engagement team in White City. There are also weekly Saturday Science Clubs, holiday workshops and Discovery Days. If you want to keep up to date with the Public and Community Engagement team, you can sign up to the Societal Engagement Newsletter. And if you're local to White City, you might want to subscribe to the White City Community Engagement Newsletter.