Australian Heritage Festival - Student Training project

Every year, the Australian Heritage Festival promotes in-person and online events around the country. From the city to the regions across Australia, this is an opportunity for the community to immerse themselves in our rich and diverse heritage, offering unmatched access to special exhibitions, tours, talks, workshops, food fairs, ceremonies, demonstrations, dinners and more.

In partnership with the Macquarie University Professional and Community Engagement (PACE) program, I supervised two science students in their third year of university study to improve their communication skills to the public. Both students had a medical sciences background, but decided to venture into the world of palaeontology to deliver blogs and a presentation on a topic of their choice.

Through several science communication workshops and masterclasses, we discussed the logistics behind event planning, how to reach and pitch ideas to different audiences, the reach of social media platforms, and the importance of reaching outside our academic spheres. These skills were put to the test when the students were asked to plan and assist delivering a two lectures that were offered online as part of the Australian Heritage Festival.