BASF to catalyse passion for science amongst primary school children in Western Australia with two BASF Kids’ Lab events

• Popular BASF Kids’ Lab program heads to Curtin University’s Bentley Campus and WA School of Mines in Kalgoorlie
• Over 900 students from local primary schools to enjoy being scientists for a day with fun but safe, hands-on experiments at both locations

Perth, Western Australia – 27 June 2022 – BASF, the world’s leading chemical company will once again partner with Curtin University to ignite interest in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) subjects amongst primary school students from Year 4 – 6 from WA with the latest edition of the popular BASF Kids’ Lab program.

To be held at two Curtin University locations, namely the Bentley Campus from 27 June – 1 July and then at their WA School of Mines at Kalgoorlie from 7 – 9 September, this program will see a total of about 900 students from schools in the region get the opportunity to experience being scientists for a day. With the help of university supervisors, participating kids are led on a series of simple and interactive science experiments, all of which have a connection to things that they see, feel and smell in their everyday lives.

“Our Kids’ Lab program challenges children to experience how fun and engaging science topics can be. It is our hope to foster curiosity and interest for science, that may even lead to a rewarding career in a scientific discipline,” said David Hawkins, Chairman and Managing Director, BASF Australia and New Zealand. “I am especially pleased that we are maintaining this fruitful partnership with Curtin University, even expanding to two locations, so that we can continue to positively shape the viewpoint of science amongst tomorrow’s chemists, engineers, researchers and inventors”

Curtin’s Kalgoorlie Campus Director Sabina Shugg said the BASF Kid’s Lab was a great opportunity for kids to get a taste for science, especially those living in regional and rural areas. “Whether or not they want to pursue a career in science, the program exposes them to the foundations in a fun and safe way. Last year’s event had such a positive impact on everyone involved. I’m looking forward to delivering it again this year,” Mrs Shugg said.

Participating children at both BASF Kids’ Lab events will get the chance to conduct three easy and safe experiments under the watchful eyes of qualified BASF employees and university mentors that will encourage the cultivation of their interest in STEM topics. The three experiments that will be conducted for this year’s BASF Kids’ Lab are:

Heat sensitive worms: In this fun experiment, children will introduce an alginate gel to a calcium solution that causes it to go from liquid to solid form, making a ‘worm’. After that, they will also find out how a 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. 

About BASF in Australia and New Zealand

BASF serves key industries in the agriculture, coatings, manufacturing and mining sectors, and posted sales of about €415 million in Australia and New Zealand in 2021. As of the end of 2021, the company had 380 employees and operated 6 production sites across Agricultural Solutions, performance products and functional materials and solutions. BASF has been active in Australia for 100 years, and about 60 years in New Zealand. Further information is available on 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. Around 111,000 employees in the BASF Group contribute to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio comprises six segments: Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions, Surface Technologies, Nutrition & Care and Agricultural Solutions. BASF generated sales of €78.6 billion in 2021. 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 close to 60,000 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 over 120 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 and has achieved a QS Five Stars Plus rating, the highest available for a tertiary institution, and one of only five to do so in Australia.

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.