Dad finds a fun way to open science up to kids
AFATHER of two is capturing the imagination of children and adults with his events showcasing the marvels of science.
Mohammed Attaur Rahman, 41, is the founding director of the Rochdale Science Initiative.
The organisation holds science events outdoors, in community centres and local schools to make science fun and attainable for adults and children.
Events take place in different areas of Rochdale and they are free of charge.
The father of two said: “When I was at school I hated science and it wasn’t until I had a son that I was curious and began visiting many museums and science festivals with him.
“At the age of five he was asking really challenging questions about life and the world that I didn’t know the answers to.
“I emailed professors with my son’s questions and I was being sucked in the world of science again because I wanted to feed my son’s curiosity.
“He asked me why we only saw a handful of Asian families at museums and science festivals and requested to do something to get the community involved.
“It was because of him that the Rochdale Science Initiative started.”
The organisation spotlights under-represented communities in science.
Last year in March 300 families attended the organisation’s women in science-themed event in conjunction with British Science Week.
Hasina Begum, acoustic engineer, used an acoustic device to demonstrate how ultra sound frequencies can emit images of the heart.
The company’s faith and science themed event aimed to make local Muslim youths feel proud of their own Scientific Technological Engineering and Mathematical (STEM) heritage.
People are given the opportunity to network with professionals in STEM, including bioscientists, audiologists, researchers in bio-mechanics and engineering scholars.
Other events have ben held at Wardleworth Community Centre and the Kashmir Youth Project.
Mr Rahman was born in Bangladesh and migrated to the UK in 1984. He moved to Rochdale in 1986
He has one son Labib, 15, and one daughter Labibah, eight. He has been married for 16 years.
Mr Rahman, from Wardleworth, noticed several barriers young people have to get into science and sought to address this gap.
The 41-year-old said: “In Rochdale we have many people who are at a socioeconomic disadvantage and living on tight budget.
“There are no science museums in Rochdale and if families want to visit one it’s an extra cost for travel.
“Also, many parents don’t understand things they see in the museum like the Large Hadron Collider and Higgs boson because it’s complex to understand or it’s not culturally relevant to them.
“If no one in your family has a science background, conversations about science at home hardly occur, especially if you’re from deprived area.
“We hope that our events get families talking about science.
“Our events are for everyone and we want to show that science is not exclusive and we can bring everyone into science.
“One boy’s dream was to become a doctor but he didn’t think he was clever enough, but after attending our events he began to believe in himself.”
Mr Rahman is currently working for the Department for Work and Pensions at their helpdesk and comes from a textile design background.
In 2017, Rochdale had its first family Science Extravaganza event.
Approximately 500 families attended to see exotic animals, including snakes and experienced an immersive planetarium.
The British Science Association contacted Mr Rahman to learn more about how to create science engagement opportunities.
He said: “I think they were really interested how someone like me, who didn’t like science before and doesn’t come from a science background, is inspiring people to participate in the subject.
“We can interpret science in a way that is relevant to communities to get them engaged in the subject and academics are resonating with this.”
In 2019, Rochdale Science Initiative turned into a community interest company with five directors and an ever-growing network.
Mr Rahman works with several institutions; The Institution of Engineering and Technology, The Royal Society of Chemistry and Imperial College London.
The British Science Association and the Institute of Physics provides grants to fund the events.
The company offer a wide range of activities from slime making and colourful potion labs to theatrical science shows like outdoor ‘Mentos geyser explosions’.
Dewan Choudhury, 44, from Wardleworth has attended every event organised by the institute with his five-year-old son, nephews and nieces.
“Science is all my son ever talks about now and he comes home with questions and is really inquisitive. The children see the science ambassadors as superheroes and they start to believe if they can do it, I can too.
“They are exploring science in an exciting way outside of a classroom environment and it is great for my son’s future. I didn’t have these things as child so it’s wonderful to see children in the community have these opportunities.”
Families at Heybrook Primary School had the opportunity to engage with an array of gadgets and physics-based activities such as lemon volcanoes and colourful milk explosions.
Geraldine works with
Cox, who scientists at
Imperial College London, did an online workshop with the Rochdale Science Initiative.
Stephanie Yardley, a postdoctoral research fellow in space weather, also joined in the workshop.
Mr Yardley said: “It was one of the best workshops we’ve done. The children were constantly asking insightful questions about astronomy and space.”
Participants made pies and cakes resembling the sun, created sun paintings and made art from magnets and iron fillings.
Ms Cox said: “I thought Mohammed’s work was marvellous and it really caught my imagination and I felt compelled to help.
“What he is doing for his son, he is doing for the whole community.
“He has inspired me to reach out to communities and through our collaboration I discovered things I didn’t know about science and saw things in a new light.
“Most of the students were Muslim so we researched the Islamic Golden Age and the contributions of Muslim scientists to reflect their cultural history. The company are really committed, well liked, passionate and kind.”
The fun-filled days are not only educational for children but also for parents and carers.
Helen Seymour, previous education officer for Dippy said: “Mohammed doesn’t just get children engaged in science but also helps parents to understand that the careers available in science are plentiful.
“Science is in everything. You bake a cake, you use science. If you are a hair dresser, you use science.”
The Rochdale Science Initiative are planning to work with The Institute of Physics to host an over 18s social early next year.
Adults will have the opportunity to meet physicists and ask them questions and visit a science lab.
Katherine Platt, the North West Regional Manager at the Institute of Physics said: “Working with the Rochdale Science Initiative is the perfect collaboration for the Institute of Physics.
“We share the same aims of building a thriving, diverse physics community and addressing the STEM skills shortage by ensuring that everyone has access to physics education and training.
“They are the people of Rochdale and they created it for the people of Rochdale.
“We aren’t experts on what people in Rochdale want and need but they are.
“We could see that by supporting them we would be helping them reach an audience we may not have gotten to.
“Physics has a reputation for being hard and exclusive and the company really break down those barriers and show that science is fun and relevant.”