How I’m a Scientist works

I’m a Scientist is a student-led STEM enrichment activity, which connects students with working scientists online.

In the activity, students can:

Read profiles of scientists in different careers

Chat with scientists in 40-minute, text-only live chats which you can book for your classes

Ask the scientists questions about everything and anything

Vote for their favourite scientist to win £500 to do more science engagement

For students of all abilities

The activity is student-led (students ask the questions they want to) so different age groups, ability levels, and backgrounds all get something out of it.

It’s suitable for:

Year 5/P6 to Year 13/S6
Primary, secondary, and sixth form students
Special schools, pupil referral units, and other non-mainstream educational settings

“The enthusiasm of the scientists involved is contagious and the children get very excited when questions are answered.” – Teacher, June 2019

Perfect for blended learning

Everything happens online. It’s text-only – no audio or video needed!

Students can take part from school or home – all they need is a device with internet access.

Secure experience

No personal details are shared on the site. Only students given access by their teacher can log in. Teachers can also moderate live chats.

All interactions are moderated by our DBS-checked moderation team.

“It helps [to see] students in a different light. Some who are normally very quiet in school became very active in the chat.” – Teacher, May 2020

New activities every month

Register to take part and we’ll give you access each month to our available activities in I’m a Scientist, I’m an Engineer, and our other projects.

Drop-in and take part whenever you want.

View upcoming activities ❯

Fits into your timetable

I’m a Scientist is a flexible online activity.

Book live chats for the dates and times that suit you. Students can log in at any point to read profiles and ask questions.

“Incredibly easy to set up and run” – STEM Coordinator, April 2020

Free for state-maintained, UK schools

We work with a range of funders to offer this activity free to UK state-maintained schools and colleges.

Non-state-maintained schools, and schools outside of the UK may be asked to pay a fee to take part. More information ❯

Teachers: Register to take part ❯

Find out more:

Teachers homepage ❯
Benefits for your students ❯
A short, sharable guide to student privacy and safeguarding [PDF] ❯

Questions? contact support@imascientist.org.uk

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What people tweet

We use Twitter to keep our scientists, teachers, funders, and friends in the loop. For the latest updates, daily summaries, and winner announcements, follow our account; you might just get some terrible science puns to boot.

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