Jonah Lehrer said “Every brilliant experiment, like every great work of art, starts with an act of imagination.” In 2017 Dr. Sarah McAnulty was in school studying for her PhD in squid biology. Being active on social media she was aware of the inaccurate information being shared about scientists and was looking for ways to communicate to others the work, information, and value that scientists do to make the world a better place. Combined with imagination and knowledge she founded Skype a Scientist which “began as an informal program to enable scientists to video conference with students in classrooms.” Currently thousands of scientists are volunteering, connecting and sharing their expertise with thousands of people along with Skype a Scientist providing additional science learning initiatives. Dr. McAnulty was generous in sharing some of her time to talk about this amazing organization.
“Skype a Scientist has a database of thousands of scientists and helps them connect with classrooms, families, libraries, scout troops, and more all over the globe! We give students the opportunity to get to know a real scientist and get answers to their questions straight from the source.”
In 2017 there was “intentional scientific misinformation and a lack of diversity in scientific disciplines, a lack of trust in experts and science in general.” Skype a Scientist began to cultivate relationships, share factual scientific information, and broaden the understanding about all things science with classrooms and other organizations one scientist at a time. The demand and interest was great. During COVID over 11,000 classrooms (yes – 11,000 classrooms) learned with Skype a Scientist. Last year over 5000 classrooms spent time connecting and learning from scientists who volunteer their time with Skype a Scientist. Science professionals are invested in the work they do and passionate about sharing the information. They want to share their knowledge with others and increase understanding.
“The mission of Skype a Scientist is simple, yet impactful: to make science accessible and fun through personal connections with scientists and public art.”
The Skype a Scientist initiatives are filled with knowledge and fun. Classroom teachers, organizations and clubs can sign up for a scientist learning session. There are Q&A YouTube live streams where a scientist answers questions. Skype a Scientist is based out of Philadelphia. In 2018 Sarah used art to turn a car into a “Squidmobile” including a squid facts hotline where anyone could call and learn squid facts along with handing out squid stickers with the hotline number in the Philadelphia area. Two grants funded two projects in Philadelphia that combine science and art. “Our Aquatic Neighbors” was a collaboration with Fishtown Neighbors Association and the Kensington High School for the Creative and Performing Arts where artist Sean Martorana created a mural that reflected the biodiversity of animals living in Philadelphia. The second project titled “Fishtowns River Critters” was a neighborhood project that involved members from the Fishtown Neighbors Association and artist Carissa Hugo to help plan, choose which critters were included, and paint the mural. On the day the mural was painted 130 community members showed up to paint using a “paint by number” system to complete the mural. The name of each person who participated is on the side of the wall. Six artists from Philadelphia created the comic book “Philly Biodiversity Zine” available for purchase about how to protect Philadelphia’s wildlife. Climate change crafting nights have provided information on important actions to take in regards to climate change. The 2023 “Learn More About The Shore” Bar Coaster Project involved artists creating bar coster’s that weaved science into daily living with Jersey Shore animal fun facts and a hotline to call if you wanted to learn more. The Native Plant Poster Project has a QR code to scan to go to a website that provides information on how to plant native plants in the Philadelphia area. Because Skype a Scientist is a non-profit, fundraising is important as it keeps scientists serving classrooms and communities. Their yearly science advent calendar is the biggest seller each year. Money raised from the science based Poster Project helps to raise funds for scientists to get projects up and running. For any scientist wanting to volunteer there is an easy sign up that happens twice a year. For schools or organizations wanting to connect with a scientist the website provides a simple form to fill out.
“Science knows no country, because knowledge belongs to humanity, and is the torch which illuminates the world.” Louis Pasteur
Dr. McAnulty knows that little actions can do a lot. Skype a Scientist is utilizing molecules of information, expert scientific knowledge of the many natural and physical sciences, art and joy so students and communities can get to know “a real scientist and get the answers to their questions straight from the source.” We thank you for being you and bringing your awesomeness to the world.
For more information or to support Skype a Scientist here is their information:
Website: https://www.skypeascientist.com/
X (formerly Twitter): @skypescientist https://x.com/SkypeScientist
Instagram: @skypeascientist https://www.instagram.com/skypeascientist/
Facebook: @SkypeaScientist https://www.facebook.com/skypeascientist
YouTube: @SkypeaScientist https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8ACFFu-SAvWxoYZebXof7Q
