What does a Masterclass Speaker do?
Ri Masterclasses workshops are lead by our Masterclass Speakers, inspiring workshop leaders who each share their enthusiasm and experience in a workshop based around their own favourite topic in mathematics or computer science.
In these workshops, Masterclass Speakers share their passion for their subject with young people, helping to inspire and engage the next generation. They help nurture curiosity and a sense of inquiry among Masterclass students, enabling them to explore ideas and applications of these far-reaching subjects.
Who can become a Masterclass Speaker?
Masterclass Speakers come from a wide variety of STEM backgrounds and all share a commitment to helping young people to explore subjects beyond what they would usually see in the classroom.
Each Masterclass Speaker shares their own insight and experiences to help the students gain an understanding of what the subject is outside of the classroom, exploring the topics creatively and engaging with its applications as they go.
We are keen to talk to potential Masterclass Speakers from a range of backgrounds and have opportunities for Speakers who would like to run face-to-face workshops and those who prefer to work online.
We particularly encourage those who are under represented in STEM fields across all dimensions of diversity. It’s crucial for Ri Masterclass students to meet a range of workshop leaders who bring different perspectives and experiences to the programme.
Why become a Masterclass Speaker?
By becoming a Masterclass Speaker you will:
- Have fun exploring your subject whilst doing something different from your day-to-day work
- Help young people be creative, discover their passion and realise their own potential
- Contribute to the Ri’s vision for a world where everyone is inspired to think more deeply about science and its place in our lives
- Have the opportunity to celebrate local and wider innovation and industry
- Share the human stories of your topic, bringing the science alive for the students
- Gain confidence in engaging with a range of different audiences
- Developing presentation, written and verbal communication and classroom engagement skills
- Develop a greater appreciation and knowledge of your own subject through creating engaging activities and being asked insightful questions by keen young people with a passion for what they are doing
Training and support
We offer a Speaker Development Programme to support for potential new speakers, and we provide resources with our 'off-the-shelf' Primary Masterclasses. We provide all you need to lead your own Ri Masterclass workshop, regardless of your level of experience, or time you can commit.
For support with Secondary Masterclass materials, please contact the Ri Masterclass team.
Get in touch
Please email our Ri Masterclass team at masterclasses@ri.a.cuk to find out more about opportunities to get involved with Masterclasses in your local area.
If you are based in London, our Volunteering at the Ri webpage has more information on how to get involved.
We do not have series in all subjects or age-groups in all areas, but our regional networks are continually expanding and new Masterclass series start each year.
We will support potential contributors to get involved in whatever way suits them and at their own pace.
Next steps
Our Ri Masterclass team will talk you through the next steps which usually include attending a Masterclass as a helper to see what goes on and signing up for our speaker development programme.
Upcoming Ri Masterclass training and events
Virtual social events
We run social events periodically for our contributors and volunteers to network with fellow Ri Masterclass folks, sharing experiences, ideas and resources.
Contact our Ri Masterclass team at masterclasses@ri.ac.uk for more information.
Speaker Development Programme
Our Speaker Development Programme is designed to support potential Masterclass Speakers in creating their own Ri Masterclass workshop and developing their skills in presenting, communication and working with young people from a variety of backgrounds.
We give tailored support and guidance to help you develop the tools and knowledge to design and lead your own workshop, where you can share your passion for your subject, inspire in-depth explorations of the topic, nurture the students’ curiosity and help them to reach their full potential.
The Speaker Development Programme is packed full of professional development opportunities. We’re confident that you will gain as much from becoming a Masterclass Speaker as the students will from having you involved.
The structured programme of training and support will be tailored to your experience and includes:
- Visits to local Ri Masterclass series to see existing speakers in action
- Access to our library of support resources, including sample Ri Masterclasses to give you a starting point for your ideas
- Training sessions in presentation and communication skills, content development, classroom engagement, unconscious bias and inclusive learning
- One-to-one support and feedback on your ideas, workshop content and delivery
- Opportunities to discuss your ideas with others on the programme and existing speakers
- Opportunities to deliver your workshop within our Ri Masterclass network
No Ri Masterclass is perfect on the first go, so we work with you to give feedback and help you make improvements.
We know that many people may not feel confident enough to jump straight in, so this programme is designed to support you to develop your skills and confidence at your own pace.
While our training sessions are run at set times and locations, we are able to work with potential Masterclass Speakers throughout the year on an individual basis.
Off-the-shelf Masterclasses
Off-the-shelf Masterclasses are great examples of how our Ri Masterclass workshops are structured. They can be used as a starting point for new speakers who aren't able to develop something completely from scratch.
Safeguarding and Ri Masterclasses
Safeguarding is extremely important to the Ri. We require everyone involved in running Ri activities to share our commitment to safeguarding children and adults at risk. Dependent on their role, we may request background checks for volunteers and other contributors.
For more information, please see our safeguarding policies and procedures, or get in touch with our Designated Safeguarding Officers at safeguarding@ri.ac.uk.