Show Notes
“A really important part of inclusion is understanding your audience, understanding their needs, but also understanding their assets… What knowledge do they already have? … Science capital is about recognising what people already bring to the table.” – Shanii Phillips
Welcome back to Season 3 of The SciComm Collective! In this season we’re talking about how science stories get into public spaces like news, magazines, theatre, parks, museums, science centres, and youth groups.
In our third episode, Avantika and Ximena dive into the exhilarating world of science centres with Shanii Phillips, PhD student at the Australian National University's Centre for the Public Awareness of Science, and Audience Research Manager at SciTech. They explore what inclusion in science centres really looks like, how it can be understood through the idea of science capital, and why engagement through informal science learning is more like a springboard than a pipeline. Shanii also shares her own learning journey – from the experience that first sparked her love of science communication, to her current goal as a doctoral researcher on a National Industry PhD scholarship. Tune in now to find out more!
“It's not just those one-off events, it's everything throughout your life. I like to think of it as a science engagement ecosystem. So as a science communication community, I think it's really important that we work together… It's about how all of those little experiences over the course of your life can all work together to give you a sense of science identity, or seeing the relevance of science in your everyday.” – Shanii Phillips
Episode Links Learn more about Shanii’s research here – https://researchportalplus.anu.edu.au/en/persons/shanii-phillips/ Read this paper by Shanii Phillips, Tarryn Basden, and Dr Heather Bray:“‘You feel like you’re a good parent if you go and do something sciencey’: The role of science centres in supporting science capital” Visit SciTech’s website here – https://www.scitech.org.au/ Professor Louise Archer and the STEM Participation & Social Justice Research Group – https://www.ucl.ac.uk/ioe/departments-and-centres/education-practice-and-society/research/stem-participation-and-social-justice-research-group Researching the social impact of SciTech– https://www.scitech.org.au/2025/03/pilot-study-measures-the-social-impact-of-scitech/ Life Science Centre in Newcastle upon Tyne – https://www.life.org.uk/ Dr Karina Judd – what is inclusive sci comm? https://researchportalplus.anu.edu.au/en/publications/what-is-inclusive-science-communication/
Episode Credits Hosts: Avantika Menon, Ximena Shaw Williams Guest: Shanii Phillips Producer: Emma Gill Editor: Hannah Archer Audio Engineer: Matt Gill Research: Avantika Menon, Ximena Shaw Williams Show notes: Hannah Archer Audiogram created using: Adobe Podcast Socials: Follow The SciComm Collective on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thescicommcollective/reels/
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