Children's Learning Adventure: “Kid's Park University” Opens Its Doors

2024年9月4日 14:26

WATSON CO., LTD, guided by its corporate philosophy of advancing natural sciences and achieving a richer life, is dedicated to connecting children with academics and research. On Sunday, August 4th, at the Summer Vacation Kid's Park University, the company sponsored a science art booth with the hope of allowing children to experience "real" scientific instruments.

The Scientific Education Exchange "Einstein," a non-profit organization, regularly hosts Kid's Park University, a "learning theme park for children" where they can feel closer to university-level academics and research. Unlike traditional school classes, a variety of hands-on booths transcending the boundaries of arts and sciences were available for the children to explore.

Hands-On Science: Inspiring Future Researchers

The Summer Vacation Kid's Park University, held at the Kyoto University Centennial Clock Tower Memorial Hall, kicked off with a slide presentation by Ms. Rina Shirai from Kwansei Gakuin University, titled "Curiosity-Driven Research: How Asking Questions Leads to Discovery."

"I'm not really fond of or particularly good at what is conventionally called 'studying,'" Ms. Shirai admitted. Upon hearing this, the children's faces lit up with relieved smiles. She explained that meeting and speaking directly with researchers at a certain event played a crucial role in shaping her current research path.

Exploring Academic Booths: A Learning Adventure

After Ms. Shirai's slide presentation concluded, she cheerfully called out to the children, "Have fun exploring!" Her energetic encouragement was the cue for the children to disperse to the booths that piqued their interest. The venue was filled with a wide variety of booths designed to spark children's curiosity, such as observing rare creatures, a discussion corner gathering children's "Why?" questions, and even a tasting of delicious coffee.

Genuine Lab Tools for Kids: Creating Science Art

The booth sponsored by WATSON CO., LTD, titled "Children's Department of Life Sciences," offered a science art experience using "genuine" micropipettes that researchers actually use. At first, the children who touched the real pipettes were puzzled, asking, "What is this?" and "How do we use it?" However, once they were taught the correct way to hold them, they listened intently with serious expressions.

After the explanation, the children finally attached tips to the pipettes and began drawing up colored water. They then practiced filling the pipettes accurately several times, honing their skills to precisely measure the liquid.

Once they had mastered the basic technique through practice, the children started working on their science art. Using a 96-well plate provided by WATSON as their canvas, they used pipettes to fill each of the 96 wells with colored water, creating art that resembled a pixelated image.

A young researcher, who was a staff member at the booth, explained, "If you dispense the same amount, you'll get uniform, beautiful dots. The pipette is a tool that allows you to draw up and dispense a precise amount of liquid." Hearing this, the children focused intently, carefully dispensing the colored water into each well to create the dots.

When changing colors, the children had to switch tips to prevent mixing the colors. Although they used many different colors to create their art, they were diligent about changing the tips each time.

One of the student staff members, Ms. Mashiba, was impressed and commented, "I'm amazed that despite so many kids using the equipment, there was no 'contami' at all!"

"Contami" is a term commonly used by Japanese scientists, short for "contamination." It refers to the unintended mixing of substances in experimental samples or equipment. Not changing the tip when drawing up different samples, or tilting the pipette upwards while it still contains a sample, allowing the sample to enter the pipette body, are major causes of contamination.

In real experiments, if contamination occurs, the results may not be accurate. For example, in genetic research, where very small amounts of material are handled, contamination of a sample could lead to completely different results.

The children seemed to take the staff's instructions about changing tips very seriously. There were a few minor mishaps, with phrases like "I spilled it!" and "I put it in the wrong place!" heard occasionally. However, whenever they switched colors, everyone made sure to change the tip, and not a single child fooled around by tilting the pipette upwards. Even though dozens of children participated in the activity, the original colored water never got mixed and remained beautiful until the very end.

Drawing and dispensing colored water 96 times is a task that requires patience, but the children worked diligently and quietly. Behind the children, the parents watched their kids engrossed in the activity with happy expressions on their faces. One parent mentioned, "My daughter is just starting her third year in elementary school, where she has begun learning science. She seems interested in science, so I'm glad she has the opportunity to use such authentic equipment."

For WATSON CO., LTD, seeing children develop an interest in research through hands-on experience with lab equipment was a source of great joy. The company felt there could be no greater reward than witnessing young minds become fascinated by science.

The children protected their completed art pieces with stickers and took them home as souvenirs. The variety of artworks they created was truly astonishing, including "frogs," "bunnies," "snakes," "night skies," and "flower fields," showcasing their incredible imagination. One child, a bit shy, said, "It's not really anything special..." while holding a beautiful gradient art piece resembling a rainbow.

Lab Coats On, Ready to Become Scientists!

At this Kid's Park University event, a special booth was set up for children to take commemorative photos in lab coats against a WATSON press conference-style backdrop after completing their art. Seeing the lab coats, the children's eyes lit up, asking, "Are these the real ones?" Some children commented, "It's hot!" after putting on the lab coats. Indeed, these original WATSON lab coats are made of sturdy cotton to withstand chemicals and fire. For the children, who were already excited and full of energy from all the fun booths, the lab coats might have felt a bit warm.

The multi-dispensing tool, "Peggy," also played a role as a prop during the photo sessions.

Peggy is a useful laboratory instrument that can draw up a large volume of liquid at once and dispense a specific amount multiple times, as indicated by its scale. After experiencing the "draw once, dispense once" process 96 times while making science art, the children could especially appreciate its functionality. There were excited reactions, with some exclaiming, "This is super convenient!"

Another special prop that made an appearance during the photo sessions was a calligraphy piece by Dr. Hideki Yukawa.

It was a touching sight to see parents looking on with pride, their eyes filled with hope, as their children held up the calligraphy piece by one of Japan's greatest scientists. You could almost see their thoughts: "Maybe one day, my child will become a researcher who makes a difference in the world."

Creating a Society Where Everyone Can Ask 'Why?'

The two and a half hours spent exploring the booths flew by, and the event moved toward its finale. The closing of the Kid's Park University was marked by a speech from Dr. Masako Bando, the chairperson of The Scientific Education Exchange "Einstein," a non-profit organization.

At this year's Summer Vacation Kid's Park University, children were free to voice their "Why?" questions at every booth, openly expressing their curiosity. This curiosity is the very foundation of all research.

WATSON CO., LTD aims to continue working hand-in-hand with universities and research institutions to nurture children's curiosity and their "Why?" questions. Our dream is to enrich lives through the power of science. To that end, we hope to inspire children to discover the excitement of various fields and broaden their future possibilities. Nothing would make us happier than to help nurture future scientists through enjoyable experiences like this one.

Finally, we would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to The Scientific Education Exchange "Einstein," the Kyoto Institute of Transcultural Studies for organizing and hosting this wonderful event, and to all the children and their parents who participated with such enthusiasm. WATSON CO., LTD is committed to advancing science and contributing to society, and we will continue to dedicate ourselves fully to these efforts.