BASF Kids’ Lab 2018 brings chemistry to the young and needy

Schoolkids enjoying fun hands-on experiments during the eighth annual BASF Kids’ Lab

Participants included primary school students from Nhat Tao and Truong Cong Dinh Primary Schools in District 6, Binh Hung and Cau Xang Primary Schools in Binh Chanh district, as well as An Lac 3 and Binh Tri 2 Primary Schools from Binh Tan district.

The programme is also offered to children of BASF employees and customers, as well as needy children from Lucky House Social Welfare Center, Binh Tan district.

Since 2011, BASF has been bringing its global interactive education programme BASF Kids’ Lab to Vietnam on an annual basis in partnership with the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training. A total of approximately 4,000 primary school children have participated in order to learn about the fascinating world of chemistry and improving the quality of life and conserve natural resources.

Guided by BASF employees and university student volunteers, the children conducted two fun experiments to understand how vitamin C helps improve human health.

“BASF continuously supports the local community through a variety of programmes which focus on science education. BASF Kids’ Lab aims to spark interest in the natural sciences among the children from an early age,” said Tanachart Ralsiripong, managing director of BASF Vietnam.

“Thanks to the great support from our long-standing partner, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training, this programme has reached more than 4,000 primary students in Vietnam, helping the country to nurture future scientists. We would like to roll out this programme to many other places in the future, letting more students enjoy these unique and fun activities.”

In the “Vitamin C Champion” experiment, the schoolchildren will work together to measure and compare vitamin C content and other substances in a variety of fruit and vegetables. This will allow them to have a good understanding of the benefits of having colourful vegetables and fruits in their diet. In the experiment called “Colourful Butterfly – Fly!” schoolchildren will use everyday materials like red cabbage, lemon, and baking soda, and apply simple scientific theories to turn a piece of white paper into a vivid, decorated butterfly flying on their fingertips.

On this occasion, KizCiti Edutainment Center invited 50 needy children from Lucky House Social Welfare Center, Binh Tan district to enjoy the facilities and learn about various careers in real life, including pilots or firefighters. This will help ignite children’s passion for learning and prepare them for future success. BASF has also launched the Virtual Lab, an online platform that offers children a variety of interactive chemistry experiments in Vietnamese. The first two virtual experiments are “Water Purification” and “Red Stain Devil.”

The “Water Purification” experiment simulates the water recycling process using simple lab materials, while the “Red Stain Devil” experiment shows how dye particles leach out of red cloth, and the working principles of colour-care detergent. BASF will launch two more experiments by the end of this year and five more in 2019. This will enable children to experience the joy of chemistry anytime, anywhere, with ease and fun.

Little chemists at the eighth annual BASF Kids’ Lab

This week, BASF will also break ground on a renovation project for a kindergarten in a remote area of Dong Nai province.

Under the project, co-sponsored by BASF and 10 customers from Vietnam and Thailand, two new classrooms with a total area of over 170 square metres will be built for Song Ray kindergarten. Facilitated by Saigon Children’s Charity CIO, the construction project will be completed in 2019, coinciding with the 25th anniversary of the establishment of BASF Vietnam.

The two classrooms, currently accommodating 70 children aged two and three, were built five years ago as temporary structures with all-metal walls and ceilings, an uncomfortable environment during high temperatures and in rainy weather.

After renovation, the kindergarten will be equipped with brand new facilities, including hygiene amenities and a storeroom. The kindergarten is located in Cam My district, approximately 120km from Ho Chi Minh City.

A total of approximately $43,000 (VND1 billion), in both money and materials was donated by BASF and customers in Vietnam and Thailand to renovate the school.