BASF Kids' Lab brings magic of chemistry to children in Victoria
- More than 100 local primary students conduct hands-on science experiments at Monash labs on 12-13 June, 2018
- Educational program helps children understand the role of chemistry in daily life
Melbourne, Australia – June 18, 2018 – Hundreds of students from primary schools across Victoria had a taste of what life could be like as a scientist last week, by participating in the annual BASF Kids’ Lab program at Monash University’s Clayton campus.
Locally organised in partnership with Monash University, BASF Kids’ Lab gave primary school children a hands-on experience by conducting safe, colourful chemistry experiments, under the supervision of a team of scientists from the university.
Set to spark the imagination of young students through a variety of simple, fun science experiments, BASF Kids’ Lab has been developed to encourage an interest in science from a young age.
“Engaging students in STEM (science, technology, education and mathematics) from a young age can act as an early catalyst for students to consider a career in science later in life,” said BASF Australia and New Zealand’s Chairman and Managing Director, David Hawkins. “We design the Kids’ Lab experience so children will start to see how chemistry plays an important role in our everyday lives and hopefully one day we see them working in a company like BASF,” added Hawkins.
Local primary schools (listed below) participated in the one-day program which included experiments such as:
Paper Chromatography – The chromatographic separation of different felt-tip pen colours.
Superabsorber – The use of super absorbent polymers to discover that some chemicals are able to hold several times their weight in water.
Insta Worms - Kids make instant “worms” and observe the relationship between heat and thermochromic dye, and how polymers are formed.
The schools who attended the session were:
- Derinya Primary School
- Moorabbin Primary School
- Balnarring Primary School
- Wesley College Glen Waverley
- Donburn Primary School
- Northside Christian College
- The Basin Primary School
- Clayton South Primary School
- Chelsea Primary School
- Balnarring Primary School
- St Peter's Primary School
Earlier this year, BASF announced the opening of a new laboratory and technical development centre for its dispersions and resins business at Monash University’s Clayton campus.
About BASF in Australia and New Zealand
BASF posted sales of about €464 million in Australia and New Zealand in 2017, serving key industries in the agriculture, coatings, construction, manufacturing and mining sectors. As of the end of 2017, the company had 501 employees and operated 12 production sites across manufacturing and agricultural solutions, performance products and functional materials and solutions. BASF has been active in Australia for more than 90 years, and for about 60 years in New Zealand. Further information is available on the Internet at www.basf.com/au.
About BASF
At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. The more than 115,000 employees in the BASF Group work on contributing to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio is organized into five segments: Chemicals, Performance Products, Functional Materials & Solutions, Agricultural Solutions and Oil & Gas. BASF generated sales of €64.5 billion in 2017. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchanges in Frankfurt (BAS), London (BFA) and Zurich (BAS). Further information at www.basf.com.
