Vanessa Barratt is a highly experienced science teacher and who has also worked for a variety of sites such as the Australian Museum, London’s Natural History Museum, Taronga Zoo and more. Her current role as a science communicator with Sydney’s Royal Botanic Garden has seen her put on major science festivals such as Science in the Swamp in Centennial Parklands and Jurassic Garden in Australian Botanic Garden Mt Annan. We discuss what it’s really like to put together a science festival that people will want to attend and lessons she’s learned whilst working closely with scientists to help them engage with the public. Hosted by Ben Newsome from Fizzics Education About Vanessa Barratt Vanessa is a highly experienced teacher and science communicator with a strong history of working in a range of high profile, much-loved scientific organisations. Currently Vanessa works for the Royal Botanic Garden as a science communicator which covers sites such as the Australian Botanic Garden Mt Annan, Centennial Parklands and Blue Mountains Botanic Garden in Mt Tomah and is completing her Masters of Science Communication. Top 3 learnings 1. Don’t rest on your reputation and try not to get blinded by a ‘shiny logo’, there are fantastic educators in schools, preschools and more. Whilst there are enormously famous museums that grab the headlines there is also fantastic work being done by your local cultural institutions as well. For museum educators… you’re only good as your last show! 2. Work with your stakeholders. Find out what they need to know, learn from them and create events that reflect both the needs of both the public that is visiting your site as well as the needs of the scientists who are helping you put on the event. If it doesn’t work, pivot your ideas and try again. 3. Don’t worry be happy! As much as we like to plan everything out when it comes to our careers and projects it can also be just as important to relax and take opportunities and chances as they come. Education tip Create a science meme! Create a shareable image found on Meme Generator, Image Chef or Meme Creator where you can type a message over the top of the image to convey an idea. Use this to have a bit of fun with posters on lab safety, a science topic you’re studying or simply to grab students attention when it comes to their homework assignments. Full details can be found on the following link http://www.fizzicseducation.com.au/Blog/x_post/Science-memes-you-can-teach-with-00090.html  
Further contact details for Vanessa Barratt LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/vanessa-barratt-58517031/
Interesting book to read that was discussed in this episode Stewart, Amy. The Drunken Botanist : the Plants That Create the World's Great Drinks. Chapel Hill, N.C. :Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, 2013. Print.http://www.amystewart.com/books/drunkenbotanist/ Contact Fizzics Education Web: http://www.fizzicseducation.com.au/ Phone: +612 9674 2191 STEM Teaching support resources NEW Primary STEM teaching book! http://www.fizzicseducation.com.au/be+amazing+book.html >100 Free Science Experiments http://www.fizzicseducation.com.au/Free+experiments.html >100 Free Science Ideas and Tips http://www.fizzicseducation.com.au/Blog.html Know an educator who'd love this episode? Share it! If something grabbed your attention in this STEM podcast please leave your thoughts below.