I chat to around 10,000 schoolchildren every year from Year 1 right through to Year 13, and it never ceases to encourage me how interested they are in outer space and the wider universe. Almost every kid has a question. “How big is the universe?”, “What’s beyond the universe?”, “Are there other universes?”, “Sir, are aliens real?”, “What would happen if you got sucked into a black hole?”, “Miss, is time travel really possible?”
In search of the answers, teachers often take their pupils to science centres or invite guest speakers into school. I work in both of those spheres and I love them (check out my in school talks here). With nearly a decade’s worth of experience answering their questions I’ve learnt just how imaginative kids can be and also how to answer them in a fun, jargon-free way that they can understand.
But, sometimes, those options either aren’t practical or, quite rightly, leave the class wanting more. School trips can be expensive and time consuming to organise with all the necessary accompanying paperwork and risk assessments. Getting a good speaker into school can also rack up the pounds because you have to pay for their travel time and expenses.
So I am offering a third option. Not to replace science centres and guest speakers, but to complement them where needed and offer an alternative where necessary. I can answer all of your pupils’ questions via the internet using a webcam connection. If you’re worried that sounds too technical, it doesn’t have to be – check out the “How does it work?” page.