BASF Kids’ Lab makes chemistry cool for young scientists in Western Australia

• BASF Kids’ Lab program returns to Bentley Campus for milestone tenth year of collaboration with Curtin University
• More than 500 students from local primary schools to experience being scientists for a day with hands-on experiments from 26 – 30 June
• Press / photo opportunities available

Perth, Western Australia – 28 June 2023 – BASF, one of the world’s leading chemical companies has again partnered with Curtin University to spark interest in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) subjects amongst local primary school students aged from Year 4 – 6, with the milestone tenth edition of the popular BASF Kids’ Lab program.

Held at Curtin University’s Bentley Campus from 26 – 30 June, approximately 500 participating students from 12 primary schools in Western Australia will be involved in nine two-hour interactive sessions, where they will get to experience being scientists for a day. With the help of university supervisors, participating students will embark on a series of simple and interactive science experiments, specially selected to instil the joy of research and discovery.

“Our Kids’ Lab program was designed to encourage children’s curiosity for scientific exploration and discovery from a young age. Through this series of experiments, our hope is that they will discover the joys of science and as a result, perhaps consider pursuing an enjoyable and innovative career in a relevant STEM discipline,” said David Hawkins, Chair and Managing Director, BASF Australia and New Zealand. “With this year’s iteration of BASF Kids’ Lab, we are delighted to reach this milestone tenth year of collaboration with Curtin University to bring our program to Western Australia, and we look to continue this fruitful and enduring partnership in the years to come.”

Curtin University Faculty of Science and Engineering Pro Vice-Chancellor Professor Mark Ogden said the program was invaluable for inspiring the minds of Australia’s future scientists.

“Students get to engage hands-on in these working laboratories and to explore the wonders of science under the supervision of scientists from Curtin. These experiences can spark in students an enduring fascination for science and lead to a career in one of many important fields of scientific endeavour.” Professor Ogden said.

From 26 – 30 June, participating children will get the chance to conduct three easy, engaging, and safe experiments under the tutelage of qualified BASF employees and university mentors that will encourage the cultivation of their interest in STEM topics.

The three experiments are:

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.

DIY lava lamps: For this exercise, children get to explore how the interactions of water and oil lead to a visually stimulating experiment that they can also take home as a memento of their BASF Kids’ Lab experience.

Sunset in a bag: By understanding the role of each chemical involved, children will cause a controlled chemical reaction in a zip lock bag, checking out the by-products including the release of heat, the emission of gases and most interestingly, a drastic change of colour in the process.

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 more than 17 years.

The attending schools for this year’s BASF Kids’ Lab are as follows:

•   St Anthony’s School

•   Coolbellup Community School

•   Victoria Park Primary School

•   Australian Christian College

•   Marmion Primary School

•   Madeley Primary School

•   Joondalup Primary School

•   Moerlina School

•   Kalamunda Christian School

•   Hollywood Primary School

•   Guildford Grammar School

•   St Munchin’s Catholic School

BASF serves key industries in the agriculture, coatings, manufacturing and mining sectors, and posted sales of about €492 million in Australia and New Zealand in 2022. As of the end of 2022, the company had 374 employees and operated 6 production sites across Agricultural Solutions, performance products and functional materials and solutions. BASF has been active in Australia for over 100 years, and about 60 years in New Zealand. Further information is available on www.basf.com/au and www.basf.com/nz

About BASF

At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. More than 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 €87.3 billion in 2022. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchange in Frankfurt (BAS) and as American Depositary Receipts (BASFY) in the United States. 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) 2022 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.