The Science Adventure initiative: challenges and solutions in community engagement with developmental science

Community engagement is a vital but often overlooked aspect of developmental science. Integrating it into research practices can drive meaningful progress within the field, offering both societal benefits and enriching academic experiences. This call-to-action advocates for the integration of community-driven events, such as Science Adventures – a data collection and outreach event held at Newcastle University, UK - to bridge the gap between researchers and the public. Science Adventures (SA), one of a handful of such programmes in the UK, serves as an exemplary model, bringing primary school aged children and their families in the UK to university campuses during school holidays to participate in interactive, science-focused educational activities, whilst simultaneously contributing to live research studies. Here we provide a review of the current obstacles of carrying out developmental science and how initiative like SA can help mitigate the issues faced. This includes the practicalities of organising such events to building long-term reciprocal relationships with the community. By investing in community engagement, developmental science can benefit from richer, more diverse data. For the general public, it can improve the public perception of science and create invaluable learning experiences