Second edition of Umicore's educational program 'Batteries recharge our everyday life' launched
Umicore, a leading supplier of catalysts and cathode materials, has launched for the second time an educational project aimed at primary school children. This year's edition of 'Batteries Charge Our Daily Life' was launched on 7th February with the aim of educating young people about innovative technologies and sustainability. This time, the initiative will involve three schools from Nysa and the surrounding area.
As announced by Umicore, this year's edition has been extended and will reach a total of 3 schools from the region. Pupils in grades 6-8 from the Primary School No. 1 in Nysa, the Primary School No. 10 in Nysa and the School and Kindergarten Complex in Goświnowice have been invited to take part in the project. Umicore is the initiator of the project and the financier of the educational materials, while the State University of Applied Sciences is the content partner.
The inauguration ceremony during which educational materials were handed over to the participating teachers, took place at Umicore plant in Nysa on 7th February 2024. The event was attended by the principals of the participating schools, university authorities, representatives of the Municipal Board of Education and Umicore.
"We are delighted to see the development of the 'Batteries Recharge Our Everyday Life' educational program, and pleased seeing those young people of our municipality to have the opportunity to expand their knowledge under the guidance of high-caliber scientists and specialists. We believe that such initiatives will make young people even more motivated to choose STEM education" says Adam Fujarczuk, Director at the Nysa Municipal Board of Education.
The educational initiative 'Batteries charge our daily life' pursues Umicore's objectives of raising awareness of electromobility, renewable energy, as well as respect for the environment.
"As Umicore, we want to be a good neighbor for the inhabitants of Nysa and the surrounding area and this time our activity is for young people. We want to take care of the pupils' education and arouse their interest in innovative technologies, electromobility and recycling. This is not only an investment in the development of young people, but also a gradual building of a more sustainable world for all of us."
Alicja Stafford, Communication Manager at Umicore Battery Materials Poland and project coordinator
The classes will start in February and last until June. In total, the program will cover 10-12 of lesson hours and will be conducted based on a lesson plan developed by a multidisciplinary team of professors and experts.
"We are committed to making the lessons interesting and accessible to students. Our aim is to convince students that learning science does not have to be boring at all, let alone difficult", says Piotr Chwastyk Vice-rector for cooperation and development at the State Academy of Applied Sciences in Nysa.
The educational program consists of a textbook for the teacher, an exercise book for the students and a set with practical experiments. The workbook is divided into seven chapters - battery chemistry, raw materials, battery applications, electromobility, recycling and the closed-loop model for metals, according to which Umicore operates worldwide. As part of the final, seventh section, students will visit Umicore's plant to see the production of cathode materials in practice.
