Young people’s perceptions of space

In 2023 and 2024, we collaborated with students at City Academy on two projects exploring ideas around the space sector.  How much should we prioritise space exploration in a world facing many difficulties?  How do we decide which areas of science are worth funding? 

These projects developed our understanding of youth perspective on the space sector and our inclusive engagement methods.  You can read more about these topics in the report and guidebook below. 

The above projects were run by the Association for Science and Discovery Centres (ASDC) with funding from the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). 

Report 

The report, ‘Opportunities for engaging young people with the space sector’, covers young people’s perceptions of the space sector.  Perspectives shared by young people involved in the project clustered under the main themes of 

/ Climate change 

/ Social justice 

/ Curiosity 

The report explores these themes, drawing on direct quotes from students.  It also offers recommendations on how to engage young people with space topics, while recognising their substantial concerns with the sector. 

This report has been funded by STFC and the UK Space Agency. 

Guidebook

Throughout the above projects, we  used an ‘authority sharing’ approach.  Authority sharing is an engagement method which focuses on equal partnership and listening to underrepresented voices.  Authority sharing methods can present a change in working practices, but also deliver different and valuable results in engagement work. 

This guidebook gives an introduction to authority sharing and offers practical advice on how to implement authority sharing methods. 

This guidebook has been funded by ASDC in partnership with STFC, part of UKRI.