BASF Kids’ Lab sparks passion for science in Kalgoorlie kids

• Popular BASF Kids’ Lab program heads into the outback with first-ever event at Curtin University’s WA School of Mines in Kalgoorlie.
• 180 students from local primary schools to experience being scientists for a day with hands-on experiments from 8 – 10 September

Kalgoorlie, Western Australia – 8 September 2021 – BASF, the world’s leading chemical company is giving Kalgoorlie primary school students from Year 4 – 6 the opportunity to be scientists for a day with the latest edition of the popular BASF Kids’ Lab program. Held over three days in partnership with Curtin University, about 180 students from eight local primary schools will be participating in a total of nine, two-hour interactive sessions at Curtin’s Kalgoorlie Campus, which is also home to the world-renowned WA School of Mines.

“Our Kids’ Lab program was always intended as a brilliant way to spark curiosity in children at a young age. Through these carefully selected experiments, our hope is that they will discover their passion and perhaps consider pursuing an enjoyable and innovative career in a scientific discipline,” said David Hawkins, Chairman and Managing Director, BASF Australia and New Zealand. “With this year’s iteration of BASF Kids’ Lab, we are very happy to work with Curtin University to bring our program out of urban areas to more rural and underserved locales such as Kalgoorlie, where I personally believe that we will have a profound impact on participating students.”

Curtin’s Kalgoorlie Campus Director Sabina Shugg said the Kids’ Lab program was being held in Kalgoorlie for the first time, offering an exciting chance for local students to have a hands-on experience of being a scientist for a day.

“It is incredibly important for children in regional and rural areas to have the same opportunities as their city counterparts to get a real taste for science,” Ms Shugg said.

“The Kids’ Lab program immerses primary students in science by allowing them to conduct fun and educational hands-on experiments in a safe environment.

“These experiences can spark in students an enduring fascination for science and lead to a career in one of many important fields of scientific endeavour.

“Inspiring future generations of scientists to tackle the many challenges facing the world has never been more important and we are thrilled to be joining forces with BASF to do this.”

From 8 - 10 September, participating children will get the chance to conduct three easy, engaging, and safe experiments under the tutelage of qualified BASF employees and university mentors that will encourage the cultivation of their interest in STEM topics. The three experiments are:

Heat sensitive worms: In a fun experiment, children will introduce an alginate gel to a calcium solution that causes it to go from liquid to solid form, making the eponymous ‘worm’. After that, they will also find out how a component thermochromic dye allows the ‘worm’ to change colours in response to temperature.

Paper chromatography: Using simple lab equipment and safe chemicals, children will observe the components of different colours and experience what happens when they are separated using a chromatographic process.

Natural toothpaste: By understanding the role each ingredient plays, children will find out how to make their own effective, safe, and homemade natural toothpaste, reinforcing not just the importance of dental hygiene but also sustainability.

BASF Kids’ Lab is a free and interactive chemistry education program designed for children to discover the world of chemistry through simple and safe hands-on experiments and help them understand the ubiquity of chemistry in our daily lives. Since its launch in 1997, the program has been brought to more than 30 countries and regions across the globe. This program has been running in Australia for over 15 years.

The attending schools for this year’s BASF Kids’ Lab are as follows:

•   North Kalgoorlie Primary School

•   CAPS Kurrawang

•   Kalgoorlie Primary School

•   Hannans Primary School

•   East Kalgoorlie Primary School

•   Christian Aboriginal Parent-directed School (CAPS) Coolgardie

•   South Kalgoorlie Primary School

•   Boulder Primary

About BASF in Australia and New Zealand

BASF serves key industries in the agriculture, coatings, manufacturing and mining sectors, and posted sales of about €348 million in Australia and New Zealand in 2020. As of the end of 2020, the company had 394 employees and operated 6 production sites across 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. More than 110,000 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 organised into six segments: Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions, Surface Technologies, Nutrition & Care and Agricultural Solutions. BASF generated sales of €59 billion in 2020. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchange in Frankfurt (BAS) and as American Depositary Receipts (BASFY) in the U.S. Further information at www.basf.com/

About Curtin University

Curtin University is Western Australia’s largest university, with more than 59,000 students. In addition to the University’s main campus in Perth, Curtin also has a major regional campus in Kalgoorlie, and a campus in Midland, as well as four global campuses in Malaysia, Singapore, Dubai and Mauritius. Curtin staff and students come from Australia and 100 other countries around the world, with half our international students studying at Curtin’s offshore campuses.

Curtin is ranked in the top one per cent of universities worldwide, with the University placed 9th in Australia according to the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) 2021

The University has built a reputation around innovation and an entrepreneurial spirit, being at the forefront of many high-profile research projects in astronomy, biosciences, economics, mining and information technology. It is also recognised globally for its strong connections with industry, and for its commitment to preparing students for the jobs of the future.

For further information, visit curtin.edu.au