Public Engagement Training
Please note that:
Any of the sessions can be adapted to fit your needs
The times are recommended, but can be adapted to be shorter or longer
Sessions can be combined together
Training can be delivered in person or online
Sessions can be adapted to take into account any learning needs and are delivered in an engaging and inclusive way
If you are interested in bespoke training sessions, please enquire
Fees are available on request.
Introduction to Public Engagement (2 hours)
This session provides a good foundation for beginners to develop public engagement skills or for those with a bit of experience.
By the end of the session, participants will be able to:
Explain what public engagement is and why we do it
Identify audiences they would like to engage
Know how to tailor messages to different audiences
Describe different formats public engagement can take
This session can be expanded up to a full day and can include the following:
Delivering Interactive Activities (see session description below)
Engaging Young Audiences (see session description below)
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in Public Engagement (see session description below)
Planning a public engagement activity
This session has been delivered solo and with other trainers including Hana Ayoob and Sam Langford.
“Hana (Ayoob) and Sarah were the perfect trainers for the academic staff taking part in the British Science Festival 2023. They were well-informed, experienced and knowledgeable and their practice is inclusive and progressive. They held the space very well for everyone, from those fresh to public engagement to those who had been doing it for years and everyone there enjoyed it and learned something new. I wouldn’t hesitate to book them again!”
— Emery Howarth, Festival Engagement Manager at the British Science Association
Delivering Interactive Activities (2-3 hours)
This session will help participants explore what makes a good interactive activity, examples of formats and how to effectively deliver them in different settings.
This can be delivered in combination with the introduction to the public engagement session. It can also involve either a longer session or follow up session where Sarah can help participants explore their activity ideas further.
By the end of the session, participants will:
Know different examples of interactive activities
Feel more confident to effectively deliver interactive activities
Understand the practicalities to consider when delivering activities
Have an activity idea they can develop further
“Sarah ran an excellent session on creating table top activities for our researchers. It was enjoyable, insightful, and full of practical tips. It inspired them to create activities that we still use today.”
— Simon Watt, Public Engagement Manager at UCL
Engaging Young Audiences (2 hours)
This session will help participants feel more confident with engaging young audience, different ways to engage and barriers to consider. This session is ideal for those who have little to no experience working with young people.
This session can also involve either a longer session or follow up session where Sarah can help participants explore their activity ideas further.
By the end of the session, participants will be able to:
Identify young audiences they may wish to work with
Describe different barriers for young people to participate in STEM
Feel more confident with engaging young audiences
Have an activity idea they can develop further
“Sarah delivered a training session for my Women in Physics undergraduate summer school around engaging young audiences, and in particular looking at how to design outreach activities and interventions for young people aimed at addressing the physics gender imbalance. Sarah went beyond the basic “girls into STEM” concepts to take a more intersectional approach to why groups might be excluded from physics, introducing our participants to some new perspectives in a very supportive, engaging way. The feedback on the session was excellent (and at least one participant subsequently went on to a career in STEM engagement).”
— Emma Nichols, University of Manchester
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in Engagement (2.5 - 3 hours)
This session explores what equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) is and how we can effectively embed these principles when engaging different audiences. This is ideal for anyone who is looking to effectively build EDI into their engagement practice.
Please note that this training will not focus on EDI in workplace practices such as recruitment, but rather where you can influence your engagement practice and how you as an individual, team, department or organisation engage and work with your audiences.
By the end of the session, participants will be able to:
Define EDI and the benefits for embedding it into engagement
Describe ways in which bias can affect audience engagement
Explain what intersectionality is and why it’s important to include in EDI
The last part of the session will involve going through different strategies for embedding EDI into engagement practice and as part of this, participants will have the opportunity to reflect on their own practice and plan next steps.
“Sarah's delivery of an engaging inclusive communications session is an absolute must for anyone working in the sciences. We've worked with Sarah to deliver this training for PhD students and postdocs for the past few years and every time it's an absolute hit with attendees. It's thought provoking, practical, and important.The session will help when considering how to make your science communications as inclusive as possible to help reach as many people as possible with the science stories you have to share.”
— First Create the Media
Sensitive & Inclusive Engagement (1 day or 2 half days)
This session is delivered by Sarah Cosgriff and Hana Ayoob.
Enhance your public engagement practice through sensitive and inclusive approaches to engagement. Consider how to identify who you want to engage with, how to consider different audiences and the different barriers they may face. Learn how to effectively embed equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) within your public engagement activities and to address the sensitive and controversial areas of your work with different groups.
This session includes:
How to identify and define audiences
An introduction to equity, diversity and inclusion
Why research may be sensitive or controversial to different groups
Guiding principles for engaging with sensitive or controversial topics
Taking into account unconscious bias and intersectionality
Practical tools to help you make your engagement more sensitive and inclusive
Working through different scenarios and reflecting on your existing practice
Time to begin developing new activity ideas
Guided intention setting for the future
This session can be delivered face to face in 1 day or online in two 2.5 hour sessions. It is designed for researchers who already have some knowledge and experience of public engagement. If you would prefer a more introductory session covering these areas, please do get in touch to discuss further.
This session will include content from Sarah’s session on EDI in Public Engagement and Hana’s session on Engaging with Sensitive or Controversial Topics.
“Sarah put everyone at ease at the start of the session by setting a clear agreement at the start of the session that all participants are open to new ideas, respectful of each other’s views and the reassurance that everything in the session is confidential. She addressed a range of inclusion issues, such as unconscious bias and accessibility, in an easy to follow way and prompted regular discussions and audience participation. Sarah’s session was very inclusive, not just on the subject matter, but also in involving the audience which, in the medium of online delivery, can be a challenge.”