National Science Week (NSWk) – August 13-21

Author: Jesse Shore

National Science Week (NSWk) is 13-21 August, and with related events scheduled either side of that nine day week it becomes a three or four week ‘week’. Many of the activities during this time are organised and/or delivered by ASC members. We are a diverse bunch and our many-sided involvement in NSWk mirrors this. It is likely that the more successful NSWk becomes, the more work, and hopefully employment, there is for science communicators.

I have a special mention about ASC member involvement in NSWk activity in South Australia. The ASC SA branch committee works closely with the SA NSWk coordinating committee (and I expect other ASC branches have representatives on their local NSWk committees). The branch is helping organise the launch of NSWk in SA. In conjunction with that event, they are announcing their two awards: the Unsung Hero of South Australian Science and Unsung Hero of South Australian Science Communication.

ASC SA is following that up with a book launch of Dinosaurs in Australia, a CSIRO publication, and is holding this notable and timely NSWk event in association with RiAus.

Last year around 1.4 million Australians attended NSWk events. Individual ASC members and our branches are doing their bit to increase this number as well as raise the quality of Australians’ engagement in science.

And given the efforts of full-time science communicators, I expect we will contribute to the three or four week ‘week’ extending into an even more horologically incorrect time period.

See http://www.scienceweek.gov.au/Pages/index.aspx for a list of NSWk events, and http://www.scienceweek.gov.au/National/Pages/default.aspx to learn more about NSWk and its future dates.

Jesse Shore

National President

 

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