Curiosity Accelerator 2021 & 2022: Prototyping Excellence & Scaling Impact
Year Awarded
2020
Amount
€300,000
- Organisation:The Festival of Curiosity Ltd
- Audience:General Public, Policy Makers
- Format:Informal Education
- Location:Dublin, national
- Topic:Science
Project Summary
The Curiosity Accelerator is Ireland’s first science communications accelerator engaging over 500 science communicators every year. It develops capacity for the delivery of STEM Education and Public Engagement by scaling the quantity and quality of events and activities. The accelerator supports the development of science capital through prototyping new and innovative science communications ideas that can be accelerated into cultural institutions and pre-existing STEM initiatives across the island. It is a year-round complementary project to The Festival of Curiosity, one of Europe’s most exciting and innovative international festivals of science, arts and curious technology.
Over the next two years, we will double the reach of the Curiosity Accelerator to over 2,000 science communicators and indirectly impact up to 200,000 members of the general public. We will undertake two strategic objectives:
1. Prototyping Excellence – Build on the successful launch of the PROTOTYPE programme in 2019 by prototyping new engagement ideas that are innovative and engaging as well as having a firm STEM foundation, especially in a post-COVID 19 world.
2. Scaling Impact – Expand the reach of the Curiosity Accelerator projects to disconnected audiences outside of Dublin and continue the development of best practice in engaging non-traditional audiences.
The Curiosity Accelerator has been evaluated independently in 2019 and 2020 demonstrating positive impact on participants, the general public and the broader STEM community and cultural institutions. The Curiosity Accelerator supports the development of a truly world class science communications sector in Ireland.