How are colors created? What is spherification? Is it possible to protect the Earth from being overwhelmed by plastic waste? Answers to these and many other questions await young explorers in the laboratories of Łukasiewicz – PORT. A new program of activities offered by the PORT Technology Education Center – Gardens of Experience has been launched. Reservations for free workshops for school and preschool groups are now open.
The classes offered by the PORT Technology Education Center – Gardens of Experience cover topics in chemistry, physics, biology, natural sciences, and ecology. They take place in the educational laboratories of the Wrocław-based institute, which are equipped with professional instruments, reagents, and specimens. Young researchers tackle scientific problems by independently conducting experiments and hands-on investigations.
The new program includes workshops designed for different age groups. In total, five different workshop formats are available for preschool children (from the age of 5), primary school pupils, and secondary school students.
The youngest participants will learn about the principles of color mixing, the properties of liquids, the structure of the Earth, and volcanic phenomena. They will also build their own volcanoes and trigger eruptions. Older primary school pupils will, among other activities, explore the scientific secrets of molecular gastronomy and the unconventional food-processing techniques used in this field. Secondary school students will confront the problem of plastic pollution and produce bioplastics. They will also face the challenge of solving a “chemical crossword,” identifying various substances in test tubes through chemical reactions. Descriptions of individual workshops can be found here.
Online registration for workshops scheduled from January to March 2023 is now available. Organized school and preschool groups may apply; depending on the workshop topic, group sizes range from 15 to 30 participants. During the first quarter of 2023, as part of a pilot edition, participation in the workshops is free of charge. Workshops may be conducted in Polish, English, or Ukrainian. There are also plans to launch activities for individual participants.
The workshops offered by the PORT Technology Education Center – Gardens of Experience are implemented as part of the “Entry into the World of Science” program, co-financed by the Ministry of Education and Science.
At the same time, another edition of the partner program “Light in Science” is underway, implemented by Łukasiewicz – PORT in cooperation with the Foundation of the Polish Center for Technology Development and OSRAM. These workshops are intended for secondary school students and focus on photonics and materials chemistry.
