"Small meets big" SimplyNano as a guest at Stadler Rail
The first of four SimplyNano 2 training courses for secondary school teachers in Thurgau was held on the large premises of Stadler Rail AG in Bussnang. Exciting contrasts in dimensions were palpable. After the participants had been given im-pressions of the oversized dimensions of train construction on a tour, they were then immersed in the tiny world of nanomaterials. Through practical tips and in-dependent experimentation, the teachers were able to prepare themselves for the use of the SimplyNano 2 experimentation kits in STEM / NT lessons. From spring 2023, a total of 400 "SimplyNano 2" experiment kits will be made available free of charge to all secondary schools in the canton of Thurgau.
Promoting enthusiasm for MINT subjects
The SimplyNano 2 project has set itself the goal of promoting enthusiasm for STEM subjects among young people in the upper school. The project also aims to build a bridge between school and professional practice. For this reason, the introductory courses for teachers take place at interesting company locations. Stadler offered an extremely exciting setting for the further education course on 03 May 2023.
Exciting apprenticeships at Stadler
Lorenz Klopfstein, Head of Vocational Training at Stadler, provided information about the various apprenticeships. At the Bussnang site, around 40 new young people are trained in 10 different professions every year. In the newly created workshop, the apprentices are offered a perfect environment in which to expand their theoretical knowledge and practical skills in parallel. With a retention rate of around 80% of apprentices and constant growth prospects, Stadler is an attractive employer in the region. The teachers present accepted the offer of factory visits and school visits with interest.
Nano - experiments with everyday relevance
The SimplyNano 2 experiment kit contains 37 different experiments on nanotechnology with an exciting everyday relevance. Because of their special properties, nanomaterials are found in many everyday products such as cosmetics and textiles or in technological applications. With the harmless and amazing experiments, the pupils discover, among other things, how baby nappies with "superabsorbers" absorb extremely large amounts of liquid, how the "memory effect" works with metals, for example in braces, or why geckos with nano-structures on their feet can climb up walls. "SimplyNano 2" is a tried and tested learning medium that is very popular with teachers because, in addition to all the materials and chemicals, the case also contains all the documents ready for use in the classroom.
Successful start of the "Simply Nano 2" project in the canton of Thurgau
As part of the "Project Thurgau", all secondary schools in the Canton of Thurgau are being equipped with class sets of a total of 400 SimplyNano 2 experiment kits. The project is financed by the Lottery Fund and a broad sponsorship of Thurgau companies, associations and foundations.
The continuing education course was the first of a total of four courses in the canton of Thurgau. The remaining three course dates have also met with broad interest, but there are still free places available for interested teachers.
Source: Innovationsgesellschaft
Source of images: Innovationsgesellschaft