Welcome - Schools (Mesh-Project)

Evaluating and Engaging: Using Participatory Video With Kenyan Secondary School Students to Explore Engagement With Health Research

This article explores the use of participatory video for evaluating engagement between researchers and school students in Kenya.  The method revealed several challenges and benefits to school engagement. Published online 2022 Mar 17. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.797290

Project Report: Women in STEM: A science mentorship program to inspire young women and girls in Malawi

In this project in Malawi, funded by the DELTAS Africa CPE Seed Fund, young women and girls were mentored by successful female scientists to encourage, support and inspire them to take careers in science.

Project Report: PowerPack of SuperScientists: Reframing gendered narratives to empower female scientists in South Africa

In this project from South Africa, funded by the DELTAS Africa CPE Seed Fund, SANTHE researchers were transformed into SuperScientists to empower female scientists and challenge gender narratives that block women’s career progression in science.

Project Report: Creative Arts and Social Inclusion: Engaging communities with substance misuse and HIV in Zimbabwe

Substance abuse and HIV are highly prevalent, complex and often misunderstood conditions among young people in Zimbabwe. Supported by the DELTAS Africa CPE Seed Fund, Clement Nhunzvi and his team in Zimbabwe used a creative arts competition to engage school children (13-20 years) in social inclusion and stigma reduction when confronting substance abuse and HIV in the community.

Project Report: Science-2-Society: Raising future leaders in high schools in South Africa

Immunologist Lerato Ndlovu shares her experience of using a play and career talks in a project, supported by the DELTAS Africa CPE Seed Fund, to engage high school pupils in rural South African communities with research and increase their scientific understanding of TB and its treatment.

Project Report: Gown and Town: Increasing retention of high school students to improve adolescent health in Nigeria

In this project, from the Institute of Child Health, University of Ibadan and funded by the DELTAS Africa CPE Seed Fund, viewpoints were shared by adolescents and teachers through a photo exhibition to understand reasons behind high school dropout rates. A stakeholder forum was held to give students an opportunity to voice their experiences and to catalyse better support for high school enrolment and retention, enabling adolescents to make better decisions to improve their health.

Project Report: The Sickle Cell Heroes Comic Book: the patient’s perspective in Kenya

Patients with sickle cell disease and their families often face challenges due to a lack of understanding and stigma related to the disease in their communities. In this project, funded by the DELTAS Africa CPE Seed Fund, a comic book of stories inspired by the experiences of children with SCD was made to raise awareness of SCD and the importance of research.

Project Report: The Sciback-skit programme: Engaging young people as malaria ambassadors in Kenya

In this project from the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology in Kenya and funded by the DELTAS Africa CPE Seed Fund, high school students were educated about malaria and scientific research, to inspire them to become ambassadors in their communities, and to go on to have careers in science.

Webinar: Engagement at a distance: Sharing lessons from experience

This interactive Mesh learning webinar held in September 2020 explored the possibilities for community engagement with health research when we cannot meet in person. Find the recording here

Report: The Explorer Series - Exposing young audiences to the excitement and value of Science in India

The report describes the DBT/Wellcome Trust India Alliance's The Explorer Series project, which was a touring speaker event designed to bring the excitement and value of science to school students. It also shares tools and tips for similar work

Report: Next Generation Biomedical Scientists (NGBS)

The NGBS was a nationwide programme in Zimbabwe engaging secondary school pupils in order to raise awareness on genomics technologies and careers in genomics technology. The project sought to inspire high school students to identify local health challenges, and through community engagement, originate research-based solutions.

Report: I'm a Scientist, Get me out of here!

I’m a Scientist, Get me out of here! is an online, student-led STEM engagement activity that has is run in the UK and internationally. Students log in, read six scientist’s profiles, ask them questions, take part in text based live chats and vote for the one they to win a cash prize. The project in Kenya is in partnership with the KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme.

Report: Lab_13 Ghana

Lab_13 is an in-school space dedicated entirely to investigation, innovation and creativity; a space managed by young people; a space where children learn to be scientists as well as learning science. The project has developed a family of laboratories based within primary and secondary schools, in both rural and urban environments, across the UK, London, Europe and Africa. 

Report: The SALUS Eastern Cape Project

The SALUS project is a school engagement project exploring HIV research and treatment using animation, storytelling and online content. The pilot was conducted in the Umtata Region of Eastern Cape, South Africa

Webinar: Why is it important for health researchers to engage school students?

This webinar from Dr Alun Davies from KEMRI | Wellcome Trust Research Programme in Kenya, outlines the goals, methods and outcomes of school engagement as a “win-win” engagement approach for both researchers and students

Literature: Planning for the social and economic impacts emerging from school-university engagement with research

In this article from the Journal of Science Communication (2015) the authors reflect on their work with teachers and students at a local school in Milton Keynes in the UK. They propose a flexible and adaptive metric to support all stakeholders with planning school engagement.

Literature: Who should decide about children’s and adolescents’ participation in health research?

This paper from BMC Medical Ethics explores how researchers and research centres can activtly involve children and young people in health research activities and in the development of research proposals. They used group discussions with community members and schools students in rural Kenya to explore views on the topic.

Report: KEMRI | Wellcome Trust Research Programme: School Engagement Programme

The KEMRI Wellcome Trust Research Programme's School Engagement Programme (SEP) aims at promoting an interest in science and science related careers amoung students as well as promoting mutual understanding between members of the community and researchers. 

Report: Superheroes Against Superbugs

Superheroes again Superbugs is a public engagement programme that aims to raise awareness on antimicrobial resistance and promote community action by engaging with students in India

Project Report: Z Factor: Using themed drama competitions to facilitate conversations on psychosis

An overview of a project in Zimbabwe engaging communities on mental health stigma and discrimination. It worked to help combat stigma and open up collaborative pathways between the traditional/faith based and medical models of mental health treatment

Project Report: Thailand’s first Three Minutes Thesis (3MT) competition

The 3MT competition aims to cultivate academic presentation and research communication skills, especially the crucial ability to effectively explain academic research to a non-specialist audience in a short amount of time. At the competition in Thailand, 9 doctoral candidates from MORU and OUCRU competed against the clock to present their thesis to an audience of secondary school students.

Project Report: Actors & Doctors: Staging Public Health Matters

This theatre project aimed to increase awareness of and engagement with complex public health concerns such as mental, environmental and sexual health. Implemented in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India, by the Darpana Academy of Performing Arts

Project Report: Hip Hop Health: Research, Rhyme, and Rhythm for Healthy Communities

The Hip Hop Health project facilitated the collaboration of young people with health researchers in South Africa to frame research questions, undertake investigations in their communities, and then write and perform hip hop music to share their findings

Science Communication evaluation methods at Malawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Trust (MLW)– the case of the Samala Moyo project

Health Exchange: Engaging the public in health research

A collection of easily accessible articles outlining community engagement with global health projects funded by the Wellcome Trust in 2010. 

Article: Community Engagement for the Rapid Elimination of Malaria: the Case of Kayin State, Myanmar

This article outlines Community Engagement efforts linked to a Targeted Malaria Elimination (TME) project in four Kayin State villages, in Myanmar where there is a real threat from the spread of drug resistant parasites. The Community Engagement programme was aimed at promoting population uptake and adherence to Mass drug administrations (MDA) in the region.

Project Report: mGenAfrica

mGenAfrica is an internet-based platform and mobile application designed to promote engagement between research staff in genomics and other health research fields with high school learners (16-19 year olds)

Project Report: Using Traditional Arts to Engage School Students on Environmental Health Issues in Delhi, India

Our Environment, Our Health was conceived to raise awareness among school students of India’s pressing environmental health challenges. The approach enabled students to learn, discuss and respond to environmental health issues through a process of creative inquiry and puppetry

Workshop Report: Genome Adventures and the use of Analogy

Guide: Hands-on Activity on Density

Alexander Adadevoh from Lab 13 Ghana demonstrates how creative hands-on activities can be used to stimulate investigation, curiosity, discussion and learning in science.

Guide: Cards Against Malaria - A Hands-on Activity

This article describes and provides the tools to use a card game developed to engage players with the genetics behind malaria susceptibility.

Guide/Project Report: A Question of Taste - Hands-on Demonstration of Genomics

This article introduces an activity designed to introduce people to key concepts in genomics.

Science Engagement in Schools: Panel Discussion from 2017 Wellcome Trust International Engagement Workshop

The benefits of running science engagement activities in schools, as well as some of the key challenges of doing so, were explored by a panel of school engagement experts from around the world in this discussion the Wellcome Trust International Engagement Workshop in 2017

Project Report: A puppet show to engage the community addressing antimicrobial resistance and research with children

Fishy Clouds, a puppet theatre show, was created to engage the community on issues of antimicrobial resistance and research with children in Thailand. Fishy Clouds ran for twelve shows during the months of November and December 2016 in schools, hospitals, theatres and health centres. The show was performed in Bangkok and in the greater Mae Sot area in the Tak district of Thailand.

Project Report: Samala Moyo

Samala Moyo is an interactive exhibition with an outreach component designed to open the Malawi–Liverpool– Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme (MLW) to the local community and creatively explore crucial topics in medical research. The project was developed from a small International Engagement Award-funded pilot project and subsequently received £188,000.

Project Report: PRIDE: engaging young people with mental health in India

This brief report provides you with an overview of PRIDE’s activities at the Durga Puja Festival in New Delhi, India, to raise awareness among young people about mental health.

Project Report: Village Drama against Malaria

Village Drama against Malaria used Cambodian drama, art, music workshops and village concerts to mobilise rural communities to eliminate malaria. This report reflects upon the operations, successes and challanges of the project,

Project Report: Genome Adventures: where science meets fun

Art is a powerful medium for communication and engagement with science. To create a collaborative project that melds art with research creative practitioners and scientists must be brought together, but these individuals may think differently, have different priorities and work in different ways. This account of Genome Adventures, gives a little insight into the process of bringing different disciplines together and the challanges and benefits that result. 

Project Report: Angkor Hospital for Children’s Young Persons Advisory Group

An introduction to the work of the Angkor Hospital for Children’s (AHC) Young Persons Advisory Group, a group of young Cambodians (aged 10 – 15 years) who meet monthly to discuss important operational and research issues arising from the AHC management. 

Project Report: The Vaidya’s Oath: Public Engagement with Microbial Resistance through Drama

A case study of The Vaidya’s Oath project which engaged audiences and school children with antimicrobial resistance.

Project Report: Chiedza’s Song: Growing up with HIV in Zimbabwe

Case study of a project run by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine which enabled adolescents in Zimbabwe to capture their stories and the stories of others living with HIV.