“Adventure in Space”: Children in Germany, Chile, and Colombia celebrated “Little Scientists Day”
On June 13, the “Little Scientists Day” action day took place in Germany. The day of action has been organized annually by the Stiftung Kinder forschen (Little Scientists Foundation) since 2009. This year, children and their teachers, as well as guests from the worlds of politics and business, conducted research on the topic of “The Adventure of Space – Come along!
In Germany, nationwide activities took place in kindergartens and daycare centers. In Berlin, about 90 children and their pedagogical staff came together on the grounds of the Archenhold Observatory. Together with the patron and Federal Minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger, the children gained an insight into how astronauts conduct research in space at various interactive research stations. The highlight was the review of the flight of the research rocket of the German Aerospace Institute (DLR), which flew into space on May 22 with mission logos that the children had made themselves.
In Germany, the day of action was supported by Siemens Stiftung, among other organizations, and made possible by Siemens AG’s Cents4Sense program.
In addition, the day of action was also being implemented in Latin America by the Red STEM Latin America network to develop fascination for the mysterious world of the universe in the region. Like Germany, the cooperation partners invited children from across Latin America on a journey into space. The focus was not only on the findings and achievements of space travel, but also on the great role of our planet. In this way, children were made aware of the protection and preservation of the Earth’s ecosystem and climate at an early age.
In Chile, the STEM and Early Childhood Education Working Table called on educational professionals from different parts of the country to develop questions about the phenomena in the universe together with the children. These were answered by astrophysicists, astronauts, scientists and science communicators in short video messages. The day of action was the perfect opportunity for Worktable coordinator María Fernanda Montoya to celebrate the children and their interest in the topic.
In Colombia, children and young people at schools in Bogotá traveled through the universe over the course of an entire week. They crafted the solar system, researched self-imposed questions about the universe and learned more about the properties of planets and other celestial bodies.
The Little Scientists’ Day in Germany was supported by the German Aerospace Industries Association, the Carl Zeiss Foundation, the German Aerospace Center, the Wilhelm and Else Heraeus Foundation, and the Science Year 2023 – Our Universe together with Siemens Stiftung.