Widening Participation

At the Department of Earth Sciences, UCL we offer an exciting and comprehensive programmer of activities and assistance for schools and colleges. Events and activities are run regularly by staff from the Geology Collections, particularly during holiday periods. Some of these are open to the public, but others are arranged individually with schools and societies.

Examples of activities we have undertaked over the past few years include:

Rock and Fossil days for small groups of children and families: these explore all aspects of geology, in a relaxed atmosphere with activities such as fossil casting, feely-boxes, gem panning and fossil rubbing.
Summer Schools for both Primary (KS-2) and Secondary (KS-3) school students, involving visits to the department. Activities for younger children have included making paints from pigments for cave painting, gem painning and feely-boxes. For older children, activities have centered on the rock cycle, and involved using keys to sort rocks and minerals. There is a short geological trail around UCL and a quiz. Some sessions have been run jointly with the Grant Museum of Zoology.
The Earth Sciences Department regularly runs Taster Courses for sixth form students.
Mars in the Classroom: Other educational activities include the Mars in the Classroom project which provides years 9 - 11 (ages 13 - 16 yrs) science pupils in the UK with an engaging programme of extra-curricular activities. Students are asked to plant their own manned mission to Mars, exploring a wide range of relevant subjects both theoretically and experimentally as they progress through various workshops. The project is constructed around several self-contained modules to provide as much flexibility as possible.
Loan Box: A Loan Box has been developed by a MA Museum Studies group, and is available from the Geology Collections.

For all general enquiries please contact the collections staff at geolcoll@ucl.ac.uk

Images: 'Copyright of Geology Collections, UCL Museum & Collections'