Auckland kids to have their ‘ion’ science at BASF Kids’ Lab

• More than 450 Auckland primary students will become scientists for a day at University of Auckland from November 19 - 21
• Kids’ Lab program allows children to get hands-on with chemistry found in their daily life

Auckland, New Zealand – November 12, 2019 – Leading chemical company BASF will give hundreds of children the opportunity to become scientists for a day in the annual Kids’ Lab program.

Locally organised in partnership with University of Auckland, the program provides primary school aged children the opportunity to explore the wonders of chemistry in daily life.

Held over three days from November 19 - 21, the children, aged between 6 - 12 from primary schools across Auckland, will carry out hands-on, safe and colourful experiments under the supervision of scientists from the University.

“It’s great to talk to kids about science but it’s even better to allow them to experience the magic of chemistry for themselves,” said David Hawkins, Chairman and Managing Director, BASF Australia and New Zealand. “To attract young people to pursue a career in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) we need to show them how exciting science can be at a young age and expand the traditional view of what a scientist is.”

At Kids’ Lab children will experiment with:

Superabsorber – Kids experiment with super absorber polymers to discover that some chemicals are able to hold several times their weight in water.

Insta Worms – experimenting with instant thermochromic worms allows kids to observe the relationship between heat and thermochromic dye and how polymers are formed.

Recycling Dirty Water – different methods of separation are used to remove various impurities from waste water.

Colours in Nature –  Kids learn that colour from vegetables, fruits, or flowers can be extracted, and that this natural colour changes easily with variations in acidic or basic level.

The schools attending the session are:

·       Farm Cove Intermediate School

·       Massey Primary

·       Pakuranga Heights School

·       Te Atatu Penninsula

·       Stonefields School

·       Henderson Primary School

·       Kadimah School

About BASF in Australia and New Zealand

BASF serves key industries in the agriculture, coatings, construction, manufacturing and mining sectors, and posted sales of about €432 million in Australia and New Zealand in 2018. As of the end of 2018, the company had 552 employees and operated 12 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. The approximately 122,000 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 six segments: Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions, Surface Technologies, Nutrition & Care and Agricultural Solutions. BASF generated sales of around €63 billion in 2018. 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.