Youthful Circus Wins Longevity Award

30 July 2004

The Shell Questacon Science Circus is already a hit with regional Australia. Now it has been recognised by mainstream Australia as well.

Shell, Questacon and the Australian National University today received The Australian Financial Review Magazine 2004 Corporate Partnership Award in the Oustanding Long-Term Category for the Shell Questacon Science Circus. These Awards recognise the best corporate partnerships in Australia each year.

Shell, Questacon and the Australian National University’s long-term partnership was established in 1985 through the touring Science Circus. Recognised world- wide as one of Australia’s most extensive and well-respected national education outreach programs, the Circus model is used as a benchmark by many other leading science centres around the world.

The Shell Questacon Science Circus employs a unique brand of science communication to deliver scientific and technological concepts to young Australians all over rural and regional Australia.

Each year a new team of science graduates begin a Graduate Diploma in Science Communication at The National Centre for the Public Awareness of Science at the ANU. As part of the course, graduates staff the Circus, travelling with the mobile science centre and giving theatrical science performances to both schools and the wider community. The Circus travels all around regional Australia visiting schools, no matter how small. Shell assists with funding the graduates’ scholarships, and costs of the tours.

“Shell’s commitment to education – especially to the teaching and encouragement of science and technology – has been demonstrated by its long involvement with the Shell Questacon Science Circus,” said Shell’s Social Investment Manager Jenny Odgers.

“We all know science and technology are vital to the growth of our economy, the improved efficiency of the way we live and to the well-being of future generations.”

Since inception, the partnership that is the Shell Questacon Science Circus has:
o enabled over 1.6 million Australians to experience the Circus
o produced over 230 qualified science communicators
o held teaching development workshops for almost 3000 teachers
o reached over 100,000 students, teachers and their communities each year;
and
o covered hundreds of thousands of kilometres throughout regional, rural and remote Australia.

The Shell Questacon Science Circus is thrilled to have been recognised with this Award for its great work. But the Circus members are not resting on their laurels. The Shell Questacon Science Circus is about to leave on a Remote Indigenous Tour of the Kimberly in WA taking their uniquely accessible brand of science to even more young Australians in far flung locations.

"I am very proud of the unique Shell Questacon Science Circus touring program and the work they do taking science to regional and remote communities,” said Questacon Director Dr Graham Durant.

“I am pleased that this great track record has been recognised today with this Outstanding Long-term Community Partnership Award. The Shell Questacon Science Circus, a distinctive three way partnership between Shell, Questacon and the Australian National University is widely recognised as the world leader in its field and we want to keep it that way."