The International Geological Congress offers unrivalled opportunities to get local people excited about geology and giving a big Glasgow welcome to the conference delegates. Our outreach activities will raise the profile of geoscience in local communities, highlighting the myriad ways in which geology contributes to our lives, and also promoting career opportunities for young people.
Scotland has a long track record in promoting geology as relevant and exciting for everyone, dating back to the display of in-situ Carboniferous fossilised trees at Glasgow’s Fossil Grove in 1887. Our outreach activities associated with the 38th IGC will create a buzz before, during and after the event.
Scottish Geology Festival
The Scottish Geology Trust and partners already run a vibrant and engaging annual “Scottish Geology Festival”, which each year has over 100 guided walks, hands-on activities and talks around the country, accompanied by online events that have attracted international audiences. The Festival in 2028 will be timed to start before the Congress, and run through the Congress week and into September, so that local interest generated by the Congress can be met by the provision of relevant local events. Our partners, including Scotland’s Geoparks and a network of museums and visitor centres will have linked exhibitions, displays and indoor events, along with tours and guided walks. This also gives opportunities for delegates to sample and contribute to events around the country, even in remote rural regions and the islands. These include “ask a geologist” drop-ins, for the public to have their rocks, minerals and fossils identified, along with their questions answered; we will invite delegates to volunteer to contribute.
Fossil Grove is only 2.5 miles from the Congress venue; the site will be open every day during the Congress, with educators on hand to welcome delegates, local people and school groups.
Engaging young people
Associated with the Conference there will be a programme of outreach activities for local schools and young people. The Glasgow Science Centre, just across the River Clyde from the Scottish Event Campus, will provide an ideal focus for a programme of educational activities to enhance student learning experiences. The Congress runs in school term-time – ideal for student engagement. Partners such as Geobus and Dynamic Earth have a track record in delivering engaging Earth and Environmental activities for schools. Trained facilitators will be available to visit local schools in the run up to the Congress: the surrounding area contains some of the most deprived areas in Scotland and the Congress is a great opportunity to support education locally.
There are many existing good quality education resources that support teachers and students in learning about the Earth. The Congress is a great opportunity to update, promote and share existing classroom resources, for local and global audiences. We will work with partners to develop new resources that are linked to the daily and cross-cutting themes of the Congress, to support science and geography learning. Our curation of existing resources and creation of new ones will make a strong contribution to the legacy of the event, and we will make sure that all resources are shared and maintained on a website managed by the Scottish Geology Trust after the Congress is over.
We will organise a Careers Day for local high school students during the Congress, at a nearby venue that will give young people an opportunity to experience some highlights of the Congress while also engaging with Earth and environmental science organisations and Congress delegates.
Volunteer ambassadors
“People Make Glasgow” is more than a slogan, for the city has a strong track record as an incredibly friendly and welcoming city. Large scale events such as the Commonwealth Games in 2014 and the UCI Cycling World Championships in 2023 have set the standard for recruiting volunteer ambassadors to welcome and support visitors. For IGC 2028 we will invite young people aged 16-25 to form the core of the volunteer ambassador team. These young people will be given training so that they can answer delegates’ questions – where to eat, what to visit and questions about Scotland’s geology and culture! We will support these ambassadors and give them opportunities to be involved in IGC, including field trips. We aim to develop a two-way dialogue between local young people and conference delegates; the delegates will learn about Glasgow and Scotland, and the volunteer ambassadors will gain an international perspective and meet interesting people with inspiring jobs! In recruiting volunteers, we will partner with existing UK organisations with a track record of engaging under-represented groups, such as ‘Girls into Geoscience’ and ‘Black in Geoscience’, and also offer opportunities for geology and geoscience undergraduates from Glasgow’s higher education institutions (Glasgow, Strathclyde and Glasgow Caledonian Universities; Glasgow School of Art; the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland) via the Glasgow Student Forum.
Geology and art
Alongside the Scottish Geology Festival, and building on the success of science and art activities delivered in Glasgow during the World Congress of Soil Science, we will work with communities, creatives and galleries across the country to promote geology and science-related art. This will help highlight key conference themes that are very relevant to local communities, as well as giving delegates the opportunity to take home unique pieces of art that interpret Scotland’s special geology and landscapes.Video competition and film festival
Video competition and film festival
We will run a video competition open to IGC delegates and colleagues – with two categories: one directed at presenting fundamental geological concepts and ideas; the other on how geology benefits society. Entries will be openly available and curated for ease of future use.
Virtual outcrops
Our outreach plans include sharing key geological outcrops, many of which feature in the menu of field excursions, through open-access virtual outcrops. These will be supported by video-based interpretation, recorded on location. These digital resources will form part of our legacy – providing resources for future generations.
Media
The Scottish Event Campus lies opposite BBC Scotland’s headquarters and studios, just across the River Clyde. The Congress media centre will maximise engagement, including access to plenary sessions and media tours to key localities. The plenaries and associated activities will be recorded and broadcast, providing platforms to showcase how debates founded on geology can inform policy.