The science education programme partnering with people in prison

When Phil Heron returned home to the north-east of England after completing a PhD in Canada, he knew that he wanted to share his love for geoscience with new audiences. Heron – now an assistant professor in environmental geophysics back at his doctoral alma mater, the University of Toronto – had been awarded a Marie Skłodowska-Curie postdoctoral fellowship at Durham University that included a remit to demonstrate impact through public engagement.

‘I really like to work in my local community,’ explains Heron. ‘As I looked at Durham, I was like, okay, there’s a lot of coffee shops and one massive cathedral, but there’s also four prisons in the nearby areas; three in the town then one a little bit further out.’