User:ScienceNatty/sandbox

Soapbox Science is a novel public outreach platform for promoting women scientists and the science they do. The events transform public spaces into an area for learning and debate where scientific curiosity is highly encouraged in the spirit of Hyde Park's Speaker's Corner. Soapbox science allows scientists to explain their research to members of the public using non-traditional methods (i.e. no projector slides). Speakers usually make home made props to help explain the science behind their research.

Soapbox Science first event ran in London in 2011  and was founded by Dr Seirian Summer and Dr Nathalie Pettorelli and funded by L'Oreal UNESCO For Women In Science Scheme and the Zoological society of London, Science & Technology Facilities Council. Soapbox Science also formed a partnership with Speakezee in 2016.

Soapbox science aims to showcase some of the most eminent female scientists across the world.

The first three annual events 2011-2013 ran in London, in 2014 events ran in London, Bristol, Dublin  and Swansea too.

In 2015 more cities joined including Exeter, Manchester, Newcastle, Belfast and Glasgow.

In 2016, Cambridge, Cardiff, Edinburgh , Hull, Milton Keynes, Oxford Reading and Brisbane ran events.

Impact
Soapbox science along with other initiatives such as Athena SWAN are helping to tackle issues of low numbers of women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)

Awards

 * Soapbox science was awarded the Silver Medal from the Zoological society of London on June 22nd 2016 which was presented to Nathalie Pettorelli and Seirian Summer by Sir John Beddington.

Notable Speakers

 * Prof Athene Donald
 * Dr Sue Black OBE
 * Prof Julie Williams
 * Prof Hilary Lappin-Scott
 * Prof Karen Holford
 * Prof Sunetra Gupta
 * Prof Georgina Mace
 * Prof Lesley Yellowlees
 * Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock
 * Dr Victoria Foster
 * Dr Goedele De Clerck
 * Prof Siwan Davies