Reg. Charity No. 1168330
The Palaeontological Association aims to raise awareness of palaeontology and associated sciences via public outreach events and by awarding outreach grants. The Association is a major sponsor of the two main Fossil Festivals held annually in the UK, at Lyme Regis and in Yorkshire, and has a strong presence at both festivals, providing displays and activities for school groups and the general public. Palaeontological Association outreach grants are awarded annually, in order to facilitate innovative projects to engage the public with fossils and inspire the next generation of professional palaeontologists.
If you wish to contact the Palaeontological Association about outreach and education please use our contact form and select the Outreach and Education Officers: Contact Us Form
The PalAss is on YouTube! We have developed a new PalAss YouTube channel as part of our response to the results of the 2018 PalAss diversity study, in order to reach out to a broader and more diverse audience. The first two videos on fossil fish (presented by Dr Tom Challands of the University of Edinburgh) and on fossil trilobites (presented by Dr Lucy McCobb of the National Museum of Wales) are already available. Four additional videos will be launched over the next few months.
Are you interested in contributing? If you want to share your passion for fossils or to share insights into careers in palaeontology, consider submitting a contribution to the channel to publicity@palass.org or education@palass.org. Potential topics include (but are not limited to):
Videos should be no more than 5 min long (see our contributor guidelines).
Awards are made to encourage educational outreach, public engagement, and related initiatives in palaeontological themes.
The Palaeontological Association outreach team regularly delivers a range of fun hands-on activities at the Lyme Regis Fossil Festival which runs in May of each year. Our current exhibit focuses on ‘Animal Adaptations’.
Get hands-on with some amazing fossils and discover how their unique features adapted them to different environments and lifestyles. Design your own prehistoric creepy-crawly – decide how to spend your points to arm your creature with body parts and special powers. Then spin our ‘Wheel of Misfortune’ to see whether your animal can survive a meteorite impact, climate change or the arrival of a new predator. Plus our favourite palaeoartist James McKay will be on hand to bring the public’s fantasy fossils to life.
The Palaeontological Association outreach team regularly delivers a range of fun hands-on activities at the Yorkshire Fossil Festival which runs in September of each year.
Our current exhibit focuses on ‘Animal Adaptations’. Get hands-on with some amazing fossils and discover how their unique features adapted them to different environments and lifestyles. Design your own prehistoric creepy-crawly – decide how to spend your points to arm your creature with body parts and special powers. Then spin our ‘Wheel of Misfortune’ to see whether your animal can survive a meteorite impact, climate change or the arrival of a new predator. Plus our favourite palaeoartist James McKay will be on hand to bring the public’s fantasy fossils to life.