As part of our SKOLA+ project, which we have successfully implemented in several schools across Ukraine, an idea for an expansion has emerged. We call it ‘The Mobile Mini-STEM Lab.’ Recognizing the limited resources and opportunities in many Ukrainian schools, especially in rural areas, we aim to launch a pilot project. This initiative will support STEM education through a series of thematic, easy-to-implement experiments.
The concept revolves around designing experiments in STEM subjects for students of various grade levels, allowing them to ‘experiment on the go.’ The experiments are designed to be compact, easy to unpack, conduct, and repack into a box. This approach minimizes the need for space and makes the kits portable, allowing them to be shared among schools and transported to different locations for other educational events.
The first set of such experiments was developed by members of the Kepler-Seminar e.V. student lab and the Senior Science Club, under the guidance of their managing director, Bernhard Horlacher. These physics experiments focus on the topics of air and pressure. The financial support for this idea came from the generous donations collected during the celebration of Mr. Horlacher's 70th birthday.
Staying true to the ‘box’ concept, 14 experiment kits are currently on their way to Ukraine – a special surprise just in time for Christmas!
We extend our heartfelt thanks to the developers of these experiments for their invaluable support and creativity. We hope to continue working together to further advance this project and bring inspiring STEM opportunities to even more schools in the future!