I like cool names. Which means I love Fist Bump For Science, even before I realise just what a great concept it is. They take science kit into schools and colleges and get the kids using it. Inspirational, educational, Director Tom Warrender tells the rest.
Where did the name Fist Bump For Science come from?
Me and my daughter make little videos together at home with mini science experiments or info for teachers and she loves to get involved. We had recently seen the Disney film Big Hero 6 and the main two characters do a fist bump, so we started doing it too! We added the phrase fist bump for science as a ad lib when filming and it stuck!
Who do you visit, is it schools? What ages?
We visit schools, college, Universities and events all over the UK seeing children from the ages of 7 all the way through to 18 and beyond! We have even run workshops for 5 & 6 years olds.
How many different schools do you go to?
Last year we visited over 350 schools and events, with 120 of those coming in the final 7 weeks of the term! We have been working in schools in Hull, Manchester, Liverpool, London, Essex, Peterborough, Lincoln, Bournemouth and even the Isle of Wight!
What’s the best bit of kit you’ve got?
That is a tough one! On the medical side it is a toss up between the infra-red vein scanner that scans your skin and projects a real time video of your blood vessels onto your skin OR the ultrasound that lets you see inside your body. I love looking at my carotid artery in my neck, but the kids love finding out if they are going to grow taller, by looking at the growth plates in their bones!
How do the kids generally react?
They love it! We see all types of student from high ability, to students who might struggle to get 5 GCSEs. The beauty of what we do is that it is hands on, which is a real leveler when it comes to learning. All abilities can use the kit and there are loads of little tricks and demos you can do depending on the audience. They are amazed at how all the kit works and what they actually get to do. I love to imagine what parents faces are like when their kids tell them they have taken blood or seen their own heart on a screen today at school!
What has it taught you? Loads I imagine, give us one answer!
I've learnt loads about medical kit and how the body works, even if I am physiologist myself. The way technology has moved on to be hand held and portable is just mind blowing at times. In terms of entrepreneurship and running a business, I have learnt that it is your team that make your business a success, so looking after them is paramount. It is great to give opportunities to eager and enthusiastic graduates that want to make difference to the world. I have also learnt to have a plan and stick to it. With out a plan you wonder aimlessly and never achieve anything. Being yourself is also important, especially in marketing. It helps you stand out from the boring approach most business take!
Where would you like to see the business going? / Tell me some of your targets? Inspire, train, protect… explain please!
At the moment we are working toward our two new hubs, before testing some after school clubs and medical themed birthday parties. If these are a success it opens up other revenue streams for us for when our kit isn't being used! Then we are looking to make an even bigger impact in schools, by not only inspiring kids, but training them with first aid and protecting them, by fitting a defibrillator into every school we visit. We call it the Inspire Train and Protect Programme and we would be looking for business to help sponsor a school and help run the programme.
After that, what we do is transferable to other countries! The only barrier is language which is easily overcome. The business is so scalable we can easily reach other countries over the coming years. With the hubs, we could even look at franchising or licensing parts of the country, but that needs further investigation to see if it is the right route to take.
Tom, Thank you for sharing, FBFS is fantastic, it's a really valuable service you're providing. Keep up the awesomeness.
People, get involved :) https://www.rebuildingsociety.com/applications/fist-bump-for-science-limited/
Bird Lovegod