'Did you know' project wins RSC Excellence in Primary Education Team Award

'Did you know', a science outreach project with Professor Dudley Shallcross and the late Tim Harrison among its board members, has won the RSC 2025 Team Prize for Excellence in Primary Education.

This is awarded for taking cutting edge science research and presenting it in formats that could be used by primary school teachers to engage their pupils in the classroom. Giving examples of current female researchers in science for example, some schools have made contact with these researchers and carried out on-line meets. One school has featured a female scientist from this project each month and reports a very positive impact of attitudes to science from girls in the school.

The diversity of the researchers whose work has been featured, has been noted by teachers and encouraged these young learners to see 'a scientist just like them'. Some researchers have visual or hearing impairments or other disabilities and this has been important to show that perceived barriers can be overcome.

The research collaborations across cultures and countries have been important and it has been reported that children in school enjoy finding out where the various countries are and their cultures. Of course, children love the idea of engaging with current research, see [1, 2] for more detailed teacher feedback. The teachers report much engagement and enthusiasm undertaking the hands-on science activities and some teachers have used these resources to change their curriculum and ways of working.