IOP launches space-themed summer exhibition with family day

The IOP today launched its annual summer exhibition with its family day, with more than 100 families in attendance. Mimi’s Space Adventure, a space-themed summer event, will now run for general admission until 29 August.

All young people taking part received a copy of the brand-new Mimi’s Space Adventure storybook to take home and enjoy.

Speaking at the launch event, group chief executive Tom Grinyer took the opportunity to discuss the transformative impact hands-on experiences like the exhibition can have on young learners.

And he said the government’s current curriculum review should stress the importance of giving young people access to genuine experiences of scientific phenomena taking place around them.

Grinyer said: “The new government is reviewing the curriculum we provide to primary school children and the message we would like them to hear is that for young people just starting out on their scientific journey showing them that the sciences can be for them is absolutely essential.”

He added: “Having meaningful experiences of thinking like a scientist and engaging with scientific ideas in contexts that are local and meaningful to them will help build the foundations in both the knowledge and understanding that will underpin their future enthusiasm for science.

“This is a great way of fostering a lifelong passion for the sciences and also for making sure every child gets access and an exposure to scientific ways of looking at the world – too often that is still dictated by whether there is a parent or carer who has an interest.

“That’s what the young people attending our exhibition will be getting. The opportunity to learn about space science by making radiation detectors, seeing moon dust and finding out about how astronauts eat in space. They can then take that experience and accompanying book away with them and read about those ideas and how they are used with their parent or carer.

“We need more of these kinds of relatable experiences in schools, to create a lifelong love of science – so many primary school teachers already do this brilliantly but the more support we can give them with the expectations we set in the curriculum the better.”

And it is a big week for the IOP and its work on space science as the launch of the exhibition will be followed by our Shaping UK Space Science Strategy leadership dinner.

These two activities illustrate how the IOP is already delivering its strategy, Physics for Our Future - skills, science, society.

If you would like to attend the exhibition it is at: Institute of Physics, 37 Caledonian Road, London N1 9BU. The Dublin exhibition opens later this week.

The London exhibition runs until 29 August 2024, every weekday, 10am - 4pm. Find out more and access lots of Mimi’s Space Adventure-based resources, including the storybook, on our online hub.