What we offer
This webpage outlines what the Community Learning team at Glasgow Science Centre offer for adults, families, community development and young people.
Jump to activities for: Adult Learning | Family Workshop/Community Development | Youth Work
Adult Learning
Learning doesn’t end with formal education! We know how important lifelong learning is for mental wellbeing, personal and professional development, career opportunities and more. Our adult learning workshops encourage discussion, creativity, teamwork, and practical engagement with STEM topics in a relaxed and supportive environment.
Lego® Land Yachts
It turns out you are never too old to play with Lego® ! This very popular hands-on Lego building workshop encourages teamwork and practical problem-solving that appeals to people of all ages. Especially ESOL adults, often providing opportunity to improve their language and presenting skills.
Duration: 1 hour
Strawberry DNA
This hands-on session is one of our most popular; participants extract DNA from strawberries and examine it under a microscope in a laboratory-style experiment. It’s a fantastic opportunity to experience science in action while exploring what makes us human.
Duration: 1 hour
Choice Theory and Quality World
This creative and reflective session encourages participants to think about their lives, goals, and wellbeing. Through discussion and a personal mood board activity, learners explore what matters most to them in a supportive and positive group setting.
Duration: 1 hour
The Science of Skin Colour
This discussion-based workshop introduces learners to why humans have different skin colours and skin tones. It demonstrates that science does not support racism.
Duration: 45 minutes
Upstream Battle Litter Pick
An opportunity to get outdoors, make a difference to the local area, and become a Citizen Scientist. This active workshop combines environmental discussion with a community litter pick, where participants collect and upload data to the Keep Scotland Beautiful survey, Upstream Battle, to prevent ‘source to sea’ litter.
Duration: 1.5 hours
Outdoor Learning @ The Wee Forest
Enjoy the benefits of an outdoor classroom with a visit to the Wee Forest in the heart of Govan. Through activities such as tree identification and pollinator surveys, participants connect with nature while learning more about biodiversity and wellbeing.
Duration: 1.5 hours
Castle CSI
Everyone is fascinated by forensic science, and this immersive CSI activity provides lots of investigating and problem-solving opportunities as the participants delve into a real life historical Scottish mystery using forensic archaeology skills.
Duration: 1 hour
Family Workshops/Community Development
Our community room, The Bothy, is a warm and welcoming space where families can explore STEM together through fun, practical workshops. The sessions encourage curiosity, creativity, communication, and teamwork, while helping families develop confidence in discussing science and continuing their learning at home. Activities are informal, inclusive, and designed to support different ages, abilities, and levels of experience, so everyone can take part and enjoy learning together.
Lego® Land Yachts
It turns out you are never too old to play with Lego® ! This very popular hands-on Lego building workshop encourages teamwork and practical problem-solving that appeals to people of all ages. Especially ESOL adults, often providing opportunity to improve their language and presenting skills.
Duration: 1 hour
K’nex Tower Build Challenge
Another hands-on activity with some engineering discussion inspired by the Glasgow Tower at Glasgow Science Centre. We take a trip to the base of the Tower to understand the engineering concepts and each team has 20 minutes to build the tallest tower!
Duration: 1 hour
Upstream Battle Litter Pick
An opportunity to get outdoors, make a difference to the local area, and become a Citizen Scientist. This active workshop combines environmental discussion with a community litter pick, where participants collect and upload data to the Keep Scotland Beautiful survey, Upstream Battle, to prevent ‘source to sea’ litter.
Duration: 1.5 hours
Outdoor Learning @ The Wee Forest
Enjoy the benefits of an outdoor classroom with a visit to the Wee Forest in the heart of Govan. Through activities such as tree identification and pollinator surveys, participants connect with nature while learning more about biodiversity and wellbeing.
Duration: 1.5 hours
Castle CSI
Everyone is fascinated by forensic science, and this immersive CSI activity provides lots of investigating and problem-solving opportunities as the participants delve into a real life historical Scottish mystery using forensic archaeology skills.
Duration: 1 hour
Pond Dipping
Explore local biodiversity and discover the fascinating creatures living in the wetlands surrounding the Science Centre. Participants will carefully collect and observe a variety of aquatic insects and invertebrates, examine them under a microscope, and identify as many species as possible. All animals will be handled with care and safely returned to their natural habitat after observation.
Duration: 1.5 hours
Youth Work
We deliver a variety of STEM-based programmes for young people aged 11-25 years old. These sessions can be delivered individually to support the curriculum or as part of a bespoke short course. Utilising our one-of-a-kind exhibits and the expertise of our staff, we bring science to life in our exciting workshops:
Climate Justice & Fair trade
A discussion-led session exploring the links between climate change, supply chains and global fairness. Young people are encouraged to share opinions, debate ideas, and think critically about how climate issues affect different communities around the world. Delivered in an informal and supportive environment, this workshop helps participants build confidence in expressing themselves and understanding social issues that connect directly to their future.
Duration: 1.5 hours
Lego® Land Yachts
A relaxed yet highly engaging engineering challenge where young people work in teams to design, build, and race Lego wind-powered land yachts. Through testing, iteration, and problem-solving, participants explore the principles of forces and motion while developing teamwork skills. This fun, supportive, and pressure-free activity encourages creativity, confidence, and innovation.
Duration: 1 hour
Climate and Food
This session explores how food choices connect to climate change, sustainability, and wellbeing. Through interactive activities and discussion, young people learn about food systems, waste, healthy eating, and environmental impact in a way that feels relevant to everyday life.
Duration: 1 hour
Upstream Battle Litter Pick
An opportunity to get outdoors, make a difference to the local area, and become a Citizen Scientist. This active workshop combines environmental discussion with a community litter pick, where participants collect and upload data to the Keep Scotland Beautiful survey, Upstream Battle, to prevent ‘source to sea’ litter.
Duration: 1.5 hours
Outdoor Learning @ The Wee Forest
Enjoy the benefits of an outdoor classroom with a visit to the Wee Forest in the heart of Govan. Through activities such as tree identification and pollinator surveys, participants connect with nature while learning more about biodiversity and wellbeing. These sessions are particularly beneficial for neurodivergent young people and those who find calm and confidence in outdoor environments away from traditional classroom pressures.
Duration: 1.5 hours
K’nex Tower Building Challenge
Inspired by the Glasgow Tower, this practical engineering challenge encourages teamwork, creativity, and resilience as groups compete to build the tallest and strongest tower. Young people learn through trial and error, discussion, and collaboration in a relaxed setting where mistakes are part of the learning process.
Duration: 1 hour
Alginate Worms
A fun, hands-on chemistry workshop where participants create colourful “worms” using sodium alginate and calcium chloride while learning about polymers, reactions, and materials science. The playful nature of the activity helps reduce anxiety around science and encourages participation from young people who may not usually engage in STEM learning.
Duration: 1 hour
Castle CSI
Everyone is fascinated by forensic science, and this immersive CSI activity provides lots of investigating and problem-solving opportunities as the participants delve into a real life historical Scottish mystery using forensic archaeology skills.
Duration: 1 hour
Strawberry DNA
Far less intimidating than a science lab, this hands-on DNA extraction workshop, in our community room, allows for discussion and some development in practical lab skills. The young people will learn about the building blocks of what makes us human in an engaging yet informal way.
Duration: 1 hour
Pond Dipping
Young people investigate samples from our local wetlands and discover the hidden biodiversity living beneath the water’s surface. Using microscopes and identification tools, participants connect with nature, develop observation skills, and learn about ecosystems and environmental protection through outdoor exploration.
Duration: 1 hour
If you would like to enquire about a community group visit, please get in touch: [email protected]
Your donations make a real difference!
As a registered Scottish charity, our mission is to engage and inspire people of all ages and backgrounds to discover and enjoy science. Your generosity will allow us to continue to provide fun and informative outreach programmes for young people and to work with communities from the local area and across Scotland, making a real difference to people's lives. We appreciate your support.
Science Passport
Get unlimited access to the Science Mall for a year when you become a member of our Science Passport scheme.
Price
£44.25 per adult | £39.45 per concession | £34.50 per child | Under 3s go free!
Buying a Science Passport
The best way to purchase is online as you will be able to manage your Science Passport and renew through your online account in future and we will keep you up to date when your year is nearly up.