Launching Lab_13 Koli
We are delighted to announce that we are setting up a new Lab_13 in Koli, Finland! The Lab_13 will be a community resource working across both the local school and the national park visitors’ centre.
The project will begin at the end of August, when the inaugural Scientist in Residence, Joe Burton, will be heading out to Koli to set up the Lab_13. Joe previously spent six months as a Scientist in Residence at Lab_13 Ghana, extending the reach and scope of the project in the Bosomtwe district, and now works for the Royal Institution. Joe said, ‘I truly believe in Lab_13 as a way for young people to naturally and eagerly develop a scientific understanding of the world around them. I hope that we can build something great for Lab_13 Koli’.
This latest Lab_13 has been inspired and supported by the village cultural committee, who have run Koli’s established Artist in Residence programme for the past 15 years. The aim of the Lab_13 is to establish the principle that science is part of the cultural life of the community, both for local people and tourist visitors. The Lab_13 will give pupils and the community the opportunity to raise the lines of inquiry and investigation that matter to them, using their own curiosity and imagination to find out the answers.
We look forward to learning from the Finnish children what investigations they wish to pursue. We hope to establish Lab_13 Koli as an opportunity for science communicators, educators and STEM practitioners to become guest Scientists in Residence. Keep an eye on the Ignite! twitter and website, as well as the Lab_13 blog for updates.
Top: Lake Pielinen
Left: Joe Burton as Scientist in Residence at Lab_13 Ghana
Right: Pupils at Koli School launching air gliders