The future of technology-oriented societies depends to a considerable extent on their skills in the MINT subjects (MINT = mathematics, engineering, natural sciences, technology). This is the reason for many initiatives to get involved in early education. Children?s interest in natural sciences, technology and mathematics is aroused and encouraged in daycare centers and primary schools.
curiosity
Children are naturally curious and questioning - why? - researcher. Success in daycare centers and elementary schools can only be achieved if the educators can transfer their personal enthusiasm for scientific issues to the children.
Cooperation of educators
Numerous employees in daycare centers and primary schools do not dare to actively participate in early education because their knowledge is insufficient and the experimental material and often the premises are not available.
In such cases, a senior with professional and life experience - as a "godfather" - can make a significant contribution to closing the knowledge gaps and also provide assistance in setting up a research box or a research laboratory.
The joint experimentation of educators, children and seniors is predominantly crowned with success for all involved. The interest and enthusiasm of the children are the reward for their work for the senior and godparents. There are no more grateful ?employees?!
Started
Everything a sponsor needs to get started (documents, literature and experimental material) can be obtained easily and inexpensively. The "House of Little Scientists" ((Link)), for example, gives you all the help you need to start as a kindergarten sponsor.
The following are some exemplary keywords for Internet research that give a good overview of the environment associated with early intervention in the natural sciences.
- Early scientific support in day-care centers and initiatives in the chemical industry
- VDI and early science education
- BASF and early science education
- Bayer and early science education
- Young Spirit - Evonik Industries AG
There is no magic formula for starting an initiative at a daycare center. The future sponsor first chooses a daycare center whose management is interested in early intervention and enthusiastically agrees to the proposal to introduce experimental, scientific early intervention in the daycare center. The day-care center and sponsor develop a concept tailored to the infrastructure of the day-care center and then the educator, children and sponsor begin to carry out simple experiments. Then nothing stands in the way of further development of the cooperation up to certification by the House of Little Researchers.
It works, and the author of this text has seen it several times. Of course, getting started is easier if you have a sponsor. In my case, it was and is Degussa and Evonik Industries AG. Heinz Delle
