Science Outreach with Microblitz Interns

 The Barry Marshall MicroBlitz Interns held an outreach event for visiting school students to demonstrate science in the world around them.

Students from Byford Secondary College attended UWA in partnership with Aspire to take part in activities developed by the Microblitz Interns showcasing bacteria and the importance of contact tracing.

The Microblitz Interns were able to put into practice many of the skills they had recently learnt while completing the two week intensive portion of their program in the UWA MicroBlitz and Helicobacter Research Laboratories.

“We hoped to inspire the students and show them a side of study they may not have previously been exposed to or had the opportunity to explore, in hopes of encouraging the next generations of scientists” said MicroBlitz intern Morgan Brown.

“The Internship Community Engagement program also takes science out to rural schools and allows them to experience a fraction of what we do throughout a science-based university degree and what potential jobs in the science field are available after university” she said.

Intern Tammara Olds valued the opportunity to improve her skills.  “The skills to communicate comfortably don’t always come naturally, but this opportunity allowed us to work within our comfort zone to fine tune some critical skills in organisation, delivery and reflection” she said.

“As with all community engagement, the ultimate aim is to have passed on a small piece of valuable information that you have learned yourself and to hopefully inspire someone else to seek to learn more too.”

The Barry Marshall MicroBlitz Internship is funded by UWA with contribution from The McCusker Foundation.