IES helps Wonderhouse kids broaden their horizons

On June 17 IES was delighted to host 30 enthusiastic new researchers and cultivate their interest in science through practical excercises. The event was part of a camp organised by the "WonderHouse" society and gathered children aged 7 to 12 years old.

IES's researchers and specialists had prepared creative and practical activities for the curious visitors. One of the activities was prepared by IES's researcher Rūta Abaja, who demonstrated how to use GPS for geocaching activities. The children were rewarded for their careful listening by the ability to use GPS to search for sweets around IES airfield. Although they didn't find the Easter Bunny, they did learn that all is not how it appears to be. In another activity, their curious minds discovered how their bodies look through the lens of a thermal camera. Finally, an interactive presentation opened the children's imagination to a whole different world unperceived by human senses. Our young guests developed an understanding of human sensory limitations, when they saw how though the different senses other Earth inhabitants such as snakes and bees see the world in a very different way.

The little scientists showed inspiring curiosity in their efforts to find out more about the world around them and the environment they are living in. IES is always pleased to be part of such events, where we can share our knowledge and experience, display the latest generation of technologies and help break cognitive barriers to offer new insights into complex problems. The aim of such events is to broaden the mind of the audience and hopefully inspire the next generation of researchers.

The society "WonderHouse" organises two summer camps "Vides pētnieks" (Nature Researcher). The camps aim to combine fun activities with learning about the importance of the environment. The kids learn about a variety of environment-related issues visit local practicioners and take part in practical exercises. The camps are financially supported by Latvian Environment Protection Fund.

More about the education sector cooperation possibilities with IES.