Volunteer at the Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition 2017

The Royal Society is looking for reliable and highly motivated volunteers to work on the 2017 Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition this July.

The Summer Science Exhibition is the Society’s flagship event, attracting thousands of visitors over the course of a week. Bringing together 22 exhibits and over 600 scientists, it showcases the most exciting cutting-edge science and technology research from across the UK and provides a unique opportunity for members of the public to chat to scientists and ask them questions about their work. Alongside the exhibition, we run a programme of events including an adults-only Twilight Science evening, Café Scientifiques, panel discussions and interactive activities.

With so much going on, we rely on our dedicated and enthusiastic volunteers to ensure the success of this event. We are looking for people who are happy to engage in a wide variety of tasks, have good team working skills, are comfortable talking to the public, have an interest in science and, above all, are enthusiastic. The exhibition takes place 3 – 9 July. Working hours are flexible although we would usually expect volunteers to commit to 15 – 20 hours across three or four days of the exhibition. Although this volunteering opportunity offers ideal experience for someone looking to get involved in science public engagement or events management, we are also keen to hear from those who are simply passionate about science. The Society is committed to increasing diversity in STEM and we particularly welcome applications from under-represented groups.

In return for your time, you will learn new skills, meet some of the world’s leading scientists and get the opportunity to go behind the scenes at this prestigious event. The Exhibition is always a busy time at the Royal Society, but it is also a very fun and rewarding event to work on, and successful applicants will also get the opportunity to volunteer at other events throughout the year should they wish to.

Tasks during the exhibition will include:

* Taking responsibility for particular events, including speaker management, checking set up and introducing the event 
* Interacting  with the public, greeting visitors and responding to queries 
* Briefing school groups and teachers visiting the exhibition 
* Staffing the information desk 
* Acting as human signposts outside the buildings and assisting with queue management at busy times 
* Media tasks (such as podcasting, supporting filming and interviewing and social media such as Facebook Live) 
* Supporting evaluation of the event through observations and data reporting 
* Administrative tasks including evaluation and monitoring emails

Volunteers will be given a full day of training prior to the exhibition, scheduled for Friday 16 June at the Royal Society.

We will cover travel expenses and provide meals and refreshments during exhibition opening times.

If you are interested, please send a CV and a brief cover letter of no more than one page explaining why you would like to volunteer and why you think you would be suitable for the role to [log in to unmask] by Friday 19 May. Interviews will take place by phone on 30 May - 2 June.

Please include information about your availability for the week and contact details for two referees.

Volunteers will be required to attend training on Friday 16 June 2017 prior to their placement.

For more information please call Emma Slater at 020 7451 2242 or email [log in to unmask]

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