3mE researchers give children from The Hague's Escamp district a sneak peek
Scientists Just Herder, Paul Breedveld, Tim Horeman-Franse and Bart van Straten again demonstrated a fine example of science communication for a very specific target group. They received a group of elementary school pupils from groups 6, 7 and 8 from the Escamp district in The Hague. In their curriculum the pupils are working on the theme 'biomedical design' of the Science Exchange TU Delft. In the lesson they will work, for example, on inventing a solution for peeling an apple when you can only use one arm.
The kids got to see prototypes and prostheses and of course could ask all kinds of questions to the researchers. In addition, they went into the lab with Tim and Bart to practice with 'keyhole surgery' & equipment. The researchers loved it and would do it again. This kind of initiative is worth its weight in gold and you get the nicest questions", said one of the researchers.
I have rarely seen children with such great interest and drive!
Paul Breedveld
Escamp University
Escamp University is a Saturday school for primary school pupils in groups 6, 7, and 8 from the disadvantaged neighbourhood of Escamp in The Hague. The pupils attend classes every Saturday morning, with the exception of school holidays. The goal is to broaden the horizon of these children. In cooperation with WIJStad, they took part in a special visit to the Faculty of Mechanical, Maritime and Materials Engineering (3mE) on Saturday 18 June. During these lectures, the children were allowed to view very expensive prototypes, and they were stimulated to think about prostheses and orthoses. In addition, they were given the opportunity to see the inside of the MISIT lab. There, they were allowed to practise using minimally invasive surgical equipment. The children were extremely interested; perhaps they will end up with engineering degrees (BSc/MSc) in the future. WIJStad focuses on connecting students and researchers with residents of Delft and the surrounding area.