'Educational' is in the Progress Educational Trust (PET)'s name, and education is at the heart of what we do.
We have a long history of improving awareness and understanding of scientific, ethical, legal and social developments in assisted conception, genomics and embryo/stem cell research. We do this for a wide range of people of different ages and backgrounds.
We improve public and professional understanding though our events and through BioNews. These are attended and read by students and academics ranging from secondary school level to postdoctoral researchers and practitioners, as well as members of the wider lay public.
PET Events
Every year we hold a number of public events, most of which are free to attend. These events usually take the form of panel discussions, and have covered a vast range of topics and taken place around the UK.
At all of our events, substantial time is dedicated to inviting questions and comments from the audience. This enables audience members to request information and clarification from leading experts.
Feedback from attendees at our events in 2018-2019 indicates that 89% of attendees thought they were better informed as a result of attending.
BioNews
Since we first launched BioNews more than 20 years ago, it has been completely free to read and subscribe to.
BioNews incorporates a Glossary, so that readers with different levels of understanding can easily find definitions of key terms. And BioNews articles contain links to source material and other related material, so that the engaged reader can find out more.
BioNews also has a rich archive dating back to 1999. This can be explored in a number of different ways, including by topic and via our newsletter archive.
Writing Scheme
For more than 10 years, we have been training postgraduate students in the art of science writing. Many of those who have completed our Writing Scheme have gone on to find jobs in science- and medicine-related policy, publishing and communication.
Media
We work with the media to provide expert, independent comment on headline news stories. Our strong print, broadcast, online and social media presence works to dispel common myths about infertility and genetic conditions, and to bring clarity and context to often contentious and complex issues.
We also alert the media about developing or breaking news stories, and highlight future topics of interest, via our Press Office and via press releases and statements about our events. Our media appearances are documented in the Engagement section of this website.
External Events and Initiatives
In addition to our own events and initiatives, we frequently engage in education and outreach through involvement in the work of others. Some examples are provided below. If you would like to get us involved in your educational work, please contact us.
This is a popular event for people who want information and advice on fertility. Concerned at the potential for misinformation or confusion to arise from this event, we exhibit every year, offering accurate information and trustworthy resources to those who attend.
Our representatives, including our Director Sarah Norcross and our Trustee Professor Allan Pacey often give presentations and chair discussions at this event.
Health Education England's Genomics Education Programme delivers and advises on learning and development opportunities, to prepare current and future NHS professionals to make the best use of genomics in their practice.
PET's Jen Willows writes educational articles for the programme's blog.
We exhibit regularly at the British Society for Gene and Cell Therapy's Public Engagement Day, which is attended by hundreds of school pupils.
Those who visit PET's exhibition stand are encouraged to do quizzes, enter comPETitions and complete an applied ethics exercise on genome editing. We have also given presentations at the event, on topics including genome editing and how genetic research is presented in the media.
We engage with people who work in the fertility sector, and with academics and researchers, by exhibiting regularly at the UK's largest fertility conference (organised jointly by the sector's main professional societies).
We give presentations to people who work at fertility clinics, to keep them up-to-date with developments surrounding their field. Lately, we have given presentations at the Assisted Conception Unit at Guy's Hospital and at the Wolfson Fertility Centre at Hammersmith Hospital. If you are interested in having one of our team giving a presentation at your clinic, please contact us.
We have worked with the British Fertility Society to hold public events aimed at school pupils, and we helped initiate and launch that organisation's Fertility Education Initiative (our Director Sarah Norcross is a member of the taskforce that steers the initiative). We have also taken part in and spoken at Fertility Fest.
We regularly exhibit at conferences held by Growing Families, where our Director Sarah Norcross is a facilitator. These events provide information for people who are considering using surrogacy to have a family, and we seek to cut through the uncertainty and misinformation that often surrounds surrogacy.
We often speak at universities and schools. Our Director Sarah Norcross has lectured at universities across the UK, while our Deputy Director Sandy Starr has been a judge for the Debating Matters sixth-form debating competition for more than 10 years.
