***Skype a Scientist has moved to SkypeAScientist.com***

Skype a Scientist matches scientists with classrooms around the world! Scientists will skype into the classroom for 30-60 minute Q and A sessions that can cover the scientist’s expertise or what it’s like to be a scientist. We want to give students the opportunity to get to know a “real scientist”, and this program allows us to reach students from all over the world without having to leave the lab! We have over 1500 scientists ready to chat, and teachers can choose the type of scientist that will fit their classroom. Let’s start a conversation!

Teachers

We are a group of 1500+ scientists who are available to video chat into your classroom and have an open discussion with your class! What we would talk about is dependent on what your students are interested in (e.g. what’s it like being a scientist, what do scientists do for fun, are GMOs safe, are vaccines safe, is global warming real, do squid fart, whatever). The goal of the program is to have students across the country have positive experiences with scientists and form a personal connection with someone working in a scientific field. If we can teach a little science in the process, that’s an added bonus!

You can request a type of scientist, choosing from 20 different categories. We can’t promise that you will get your top pick (there are more biologists than astronomers, for example), but we can almost certainly get a scientist matched with you within the main science categories (e.g. maybe not a marine biologist, but a biologist of some other kind).

Skype a Scientist is intended to be a conversation, not a lecture, so it’s essential that students prepare questions they’d like to have answered by a scientist ahead of time. Your scientist should provide you with some information about themselves and what they work on before your session so your students can prepare.

Skype sessions would be at least 30 minutes long but could also be tailored to your class length. Once you have filled out the form and been matched with a scientist it will be up to you and your assigned scientist to determine a time and date that works for your classroom along with any specifics you would like covered.

If you are interested in having your classroom Skype a Scientist please fill out this form!

Scientists

Skype a scientist gives you the opportunity to connect with students around the world without having to leave your lab!

We match scientists with k-12 classrooms, and once matched, you will video chat into the classroom for a 30-60 minute session (you don’t have to use skype). The format is Q and A style so that the kids feel they’ve had direct contact with scientists. We want to put a friendly face to science and lower the intimidation factor that surrounds science for some students. There are many lectures available on youtube by scientists, so don’t feel like you have to prepare a lecture, just have a conversation!

We recommend that you give your teacher an overview of what you do. It’s super helpful if you have something the teacher can share with his/her students, e.g. youtube videos, a ted talk, or blog posts related to your work. If you don’t have any of those things, just a laymen overview of your work is okay too!  Students will prepare questions ahead of time so that they’re ready with conversation starters when the you call in.

One of the awesome things about this program is that we can reach classrooms anywhere, especially areas of the country (and the world) where kids wouldn’t necessarily have access to science museums or naturally run into scientists in their every day life. You can sign up for as many or few classrooms as you think you’ll have time for this semester.

If you have any questions email SkypeAScientist@gmail.com