Outreach, educational activities and communication of the ALICE collaboration

TL;DR

The ALICE collaboration actively engages the public and students through diverse outreach activities, including masterclasses, visits, exhibitions, and social media, to share the excitement of high-energy physics and foster education.

Contribution

This paper documents the variety and growth of ALICE's outreach and educational initiatives, highlighting new online activities and social media engagement strategies.

Findings

Increasing participation in masterclasses and visits

Growing social media presence and outreach impact

Enhanced public understanding of quark-gluon plasma

Abstract

Outreach and communication with the public is an integral part of our work as researchers. A wide range of activities and platforms allow ALICE members to share, especially with the young generation, the excitement of our field. ALICE Masterclasses for high-school students, both in-person and online, are expanding, reaching a higher number of students every year. Visits to the experiment site, especially to the underground installations when the LHC schedule allows, are very popular; the large demand also serves to motivate ALICE members to get involved as guides. The surface exhibition offers a glimpse to both the physics and the variety of detectors of ALICE. Virtual visits are also popular, and the growing use of social media platforms like Instagram brings the excitement of the physics of the quark-gluon plasma to new audiences of different ages and interests.