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BASF Kids’ Lab celebrates 10th anniversary in Taiwan
- Over 10,000 children have explored “WOW” secrets of science in Taiwan since 2007
- New Virtual Kids’ Lab goes live with experiment simulations
Taipei, Taiwan – July 2, 2016 – For the tenth consecutive year, leading chemical company BASF is bringing fun experiments to school children in Taiwan to help them explore how chemistry is used in daily life. In partnership with National Taiwan Science Education Center in Taipei and National Science and Technology Museum in Kaohsiung, BASF Kids’ Lab will take place on July 2-4 in Taipei and July 12-13 in Kaohsiung. On the occasion of the BASF Kids’ Lab 10th anniversary in Taiwan, BASF is launching Virtual Kids’ Lab, which is an online platform that allows more children to learn the basics of chemistry with interactive, online experiments.
First established in Germany in 1997, BASF Kids’ Lab is a free, interactive education program for kids aged 6-12 to discover the world of chemistry through simple and safe experiments, which can spark curiosity and interest in science. The program has been held annually in Taiwan in 2007, benefitting more than 10,000 children.
“Science education is part of BASF’s social commitment. With Kids’ Lab, we are inspiring younger generations to discover the wonder of chemistry in everyday life and understand how it can improve the quality of life and tackle challenges in environmental protection,” said Engleong Goh, Managing Director of BASF Taiwan.
At BASF Kids’ Lab, children will conduct two experiments:
The “Sunscreen Protection” experiment is designed to raise kids’ awareness of the potential skin damage caused by UV light and the importance of sun protection. Children will make their own sunscreen lotion by mixing various ingredients and learn how the finished mixture filters UV light penetration by using a UV detector.
The “Colorful Butterfly” experiment will show children how to identify pH value of common substances, such as lemon juice and baking soda, in their daily lives through pH indicator and purple cabbage. By observing the color change due to different pH value of substances, children can learn the concept of pH value and indicator. Then, children will coat the white paper “Butterfly” with purple cabbage juice and draw patterns with different pH value substances.
Followed by the Kids’ Lab, children will have the chance to participate in BASF Kids’ Farm, which was initiated by BASF Taiwan in 2010. The employees of BASF AgSolution Farm Pingtung will guide children as they observe plant diseases, insects, and weeds that farmers have to tackle with when growing rice and fruit. Kids’ Farm gives children a great opportunity to understand the hard work of farmers and the value of food resources, and to cherish the food on their table.
To mark its 10th anniversary, for the first time in Taiwan BASF Kids’ Lab will also include parents’ sessions, where parents can experience the magic of chemistry together with their kids.
In addition, BASF is launching Virtual Kids’ Lab, an online portal simulating interactive experiments, to help kids explore the chemistry world without the boundaries of time and place. The virtual lab provides a good platform for kids to experience the fun world of chemistry and learn how chemicals work under the guidance of Dr. Bubbles, the mascot of BASF Kids’ Lab.
Same as the previous years, charity sessions will be arranged at BASF Kids’ Lab in both Taipei and Kaohsiung for kids from social welfare organizations. BASF Taiwan will also once again extend the BASF Kids’ Lab program to certain remote schools, where education resources are relatively limited, especially for science subjects.
About BASF Greater China
BASF has been a committed partner to Greater China since 1885. With major investments in Shanghai, Nanjing and Chongqing, BASF is the largest foreign investor in China’s chemical industry and maintains the BASF Asia Pacific Innovation Campus (Shanghai) as a global and regional research and development hub. BASF posted sales of over €5.7 billion in 2015 to customers in Greater China and employed approximately 8,400 people as of the end of that year. For further information, please visit www.basf.com.
About BASF
At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. The approximately 112,000 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 five segments: Chemicals, Performance Products, Functional Materials & Solutions, Agricultural Solutions and Oil & Gas. BASF generated sales of more than €70 billion in 2015. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchanges in Frankfurt (BAS), London (BFA) and Zurich (AN). Further information at www.basf.com.
