Charity launches global Digital Science Festival to boost STEM for all

• Techfest, a Scottish charity, is set to launch a worldwide Digital Science Festival to promote STEM access to everyone.
• Scotland’s Digital Science Festival (SDSF) is an exciting, virtual event that aims to bring science straight into homes through expert talks, interactive workshops, and an online escape room.
• The festival will feature a range of speakers including TV Doctor, Tharaka Gunarthne, YouTuber, Dr Tom Crawford, and BBC Blue Planet’s, Doug Allan.
• SDSF is designed to make STEM accessible and inclusive for all ages.  
• Sarah Chew, Managing Director of Techfest, said: “Scotland’s Digital Science Festival is an opportunity for people of all generations to discover the excitement and possibilities that STEM can offer in today’s digital world. By making these fields more accessible and engaging, we hope to spark a lifelong curiosity that leads to innovation and empowerment.”

Scottish Charity, TechFest, has organised a free Digital Science Festival to take place on the 1-8th November to encourage engagement in STEM for all ages.

The week-long festival will be hosted entirely online including workshops, presentations and interactive sessions, led by professionals across STEM.

The festival will feature a variety of speakers who aim to demonstrate the relevance of STEM subjects in everyday life. One of the speakers, Dr Tom Crawford, also known as Tom Rocks Maths on YouTube, will be combining his passion for mathematics and Pokémon.

Additionally, Doug Allan from BBC’s Blue Planet will be attending the festival to discuss “An Eye Below Zero, a Long-Term Look at the Poles.”

Other speakers at the festival include Scottish Influencer of the Year 2024 and climate activist Laura Young, and Dr Vivienne Ming, a visionary neuroscientist and AI expert who works towards unlocking the human potential.

The festival will close with the unique ‘Universilly Challenged’ pub-style quiz experience, hosted by the one-of-a-kind science troubadour Jonny Berliner and renowned biologist Simon Watt.

TechFest is a charity focused on making STEM more engaging and inclusive for everyone throughout the country and beyond whilst helping to connect STEM to various sectors.

Scotland’s Digital Science Festival has been developed to address the accessibility barriers for rural communities and provide a global platform for participants to join from anywhere in the world.

Sarah Chew, Managing Director of TechFest, said: “I’m incredibly proud to launch Scotland’s Digital Science Festival, powered by TechFest, in our efforts to bring fun and engaging STEM discussions to people across the globe.

“It is vital that we have more initiatives like this to inspire the next generation of talent and encourage people of all ages to engage with and rediscover their love for STEM.

“We want to challenge outdated perceptions that STEM subjects aren’t ‘cool’, are male-dominated, or too difficult by showing their relevance to exciting career paths demonstrated by our speakers.

“The power of connectivity allows us to bring these incredible speakers and activities directly into homes around the world free of charge.”