Glasgow Science Centre to host free interactive pop-up at St Enoch Centre

What’s happening: Following a successful event in 2021, the Science Centre will return to the shopping centre, taking over the former Disney store unit on the ground floor with fun interactive mobile exhibits, exploring renewable energies.

What to expect: Suitable for all ages, families are welcomed to discover how electricity and fuels are created and how to be smarter about energy consumption, with dynamic games and puzzle exhibitions.

Discover ‘what's behind the socket’ or decide your own perfect energy mix with their mobile exhibit, Energy Island. Participants can also make their own wind turbine, all for free.

The event is part of GSC’s Our World, Our Impact campaign, the Science Centre’s COP26 legacy programming, reaching communities across Scotland with important conversations about climate change and a dedicated programme of climate activity.

The St Enoch pop-up presents a unique opportunity for GSC to reach huge numbers of people who wouldn’t usually visit the Science Centre or have access to climate change education programmes. From over 2,500 people who visited the pop-up in 2021, a third of visitors had never visited the Science Centre before.

Supported by the Scottish Government as part of the Let’s Do Net Zero Campaign, Our World, Our Impact was created by Glasgow Science Centre in anticipation of COP26.

Having already engaged over 3 million people with a mixture of digital resources, online and face-to-face events ahead of and during the Glasgow Climate Conference, the Science Centre expect to reach another million Scots with the programme in 2022, furthering the legacy of COP in engaging local communities with STEM learning to foster a change in cultural awareness and attitudes to the environment.

Learning Labs: The legacy programming from GSC Learning Labs will offer 5,000 pupils from the most deprived and remote areas in Scotland access to online learning programmes facilitated by GSC staff and includes a free visit to explore the exhibitions at the Science Centre. In addition, 14,000 copies of the Science Centre’s community magazine ‘The Spark’ will be distributed in care packages to communities throughout Scotland, reaching those with no digital access, and enabling important conversations around climate.

Glasgow Science Centre’s Our World Our Impact project has also benefitted from the repurposing of IKEA furniture used during COP26, in a project which has seen the conference furniture rehomed to charities supporting sustainability across Glasgow.

When is it on? Glasgow Science Centre’s St Enoch Centre pop-up is free to enter, Sat Feb 12 – Wed Feb 16, 10am-4pm in the former Disney story unit, on the ground floor.

Visit the Glasgow Science Centre website to discover more about Our World, Our Impact and Glasgow Science Centre.

Stephen Breslin, CEO of the Glasgow Science Centre said: “We’re excited to be back at the St Enoch Centre this February over the school holidays and welcoming people to have fun while learning about climate change and the environment. Our World, Our Impact aims to narrow the climate change awareness gap by making environmental education accessible for everyone. 100 days after the start of COP26, we’re proud to be able to carry the flag forward as advocates for climate change education in Scotland, thanks to support from the Scottish Government”

Environment Minister, Mairi McAllan added: "COP26 coming to Glasgow was a great opportunity to engage everyone in the fight against climate change, including children and young people. We all have a role to play in Scotland's journey to becoming a net zero nation. The work that Glasgow Science Centre is delivering will help keep the spirit of COP alive and support a continued legacy of climate action in the city and beyond."

For more information on the Scottish Government’s Net Zero Nation Campaign visit the website.