‘Wetenschapswonders’ brings science to life for primary school pupils in Leiden
SHOW
On 17 June, primary school pupils in Leiden will get the chance to explore science in an interactive and engaging way. The exciting new show ‘Wetenschapswonders’ is the initiative of master’s students Boele Visser and Ilse Hordijk, from the Rino Foundation. ‘I’m happy to help build a bridge between young people and science,’ says Visser.
The idea for the science show, aimed at primary school children, originally came from Belgium. Hordijk explains: ‘I’ve had this idea in my head for four years. Every time I saw a show in Belgium, I thought: we need this in Leiden… but how?’
Usually, the students from Rino take their science show to secondary schools, but this time they’ve created a special edition for Year 6 pupils from primary schools in Leiden. ‘To be honest, it’s just a lot easier to bring the children to us,’ Visser says. ‘So that’s what we’re doing. The show will be held in a lecture theatre and will last two hours. In that time, we’ll introduce the children to science in a fun, relatable way.’
Experiments and interaction are key parts of the show
‘Put simply,’ says Hordijk, ‘we tell a story set in a world the children partly recognise, but we add new twists to it. Of course, there will be experiments – and an interactive element too. We want to get the kids thinking. For example, we want them to go home, take a paracetamol, and realise: this is science – it’s made up of tiny molecules.’
The original concept comes from Belgium, where scientist Sus Dams leads the initiative Wauw! Wetenschap (‘Wow! Science’). Visser and Hordijk were captivated by the energy of the Belgian show, and Dams repeatedly encouraged them to focus on 11- and 12-year-olds. ‘What’s great about this age group,’ says Hordijk, ‘is that they’re much easier to excite than 15- and 16-year-olds. With older students, you really have to work hard to grab their attention. But ask this younger group for a volunteer and thirty hands shoot up – and they don’t even know what they’re volunteering for yet!’
Planting the seed of curiosity
The two students are excited – and a little nervous – about bringing 'Wetenschapswonders' to Leiden. ‘There’s a lot to organise,’ says Visser, ‘but mostly we’re just really looking forward to it. We hope every child leaves the Gorlaeus Building with a big smile, and that we’ve planted a little seed of curiosity about science in their minds. For me, it’s also about the social impact – trying to connect young people with science. I’m more than happy to contribute to that.’
‘For me, this is a real bucket list thing,’ Hordijk adds. ‘It’s my final year of university and my last year with Rino, so I thought: I’m going out with a bang.’
What is the Rino Foundation?
The Rino Foundation was founded within the Faculty of Science at Leiden University and is fully run by students. Both the board and the volunteers who deliver the shows are students.
Rino’s mission is to inspire the public – especially school pupils – to get excited about science. Until now, their shows have mostly targeted secondary schools. On 17 June, they will host their first large-scale event for primary school pupils: Wetenschapswonders.