Spectacular chemistry experiments were presented to upper-grade primary school children at the Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of Debrecen on Tuesday. The program, titled “It’s Never Too Early to Start,” aims to encourage more young people to turn toward the natural sciences.
What happens to a flower, a banana, or a rubber tube when dipped into steaming, chilled liquid nitrogen? How does a balloon transform into a pufferfish when inflated using sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) and acetic acid (vinegar)? The Faculty of Pharmacy (GYTK) at the University of Debrecen (DE) welcomed nearly 400 seventh- and eighth-grade students from nine nearby primary schools with 14 such spectacular and similarly engaging chemistry experiments.
“We invited students at an age where they are already learning chemistry, so they are more likely to understand what’s happening. This program is especially beneficial for schools that don’t have the kind of lab equipment we have. We’re trying to identify those who could become dedicated to the natural sciences,” explained István Lekli, Deputy Dean for Education at DE GYTK.
Due to high interest, the program was repeated three times in a row, with nearly 130 students participating in each session.
“We aimed to present experiments that require simple materials and can even be done with household chemicals. For example, we made an indicator solution from red cabbage. These kinds of activities, we hope, bring chemistry closer to the students,” said Ágnes Homolya, Assistant Lecturer at DE GYTK.
Erika Hevesi-Mező, also an Assistant Lecturer at DE GYTK, added that the program also touched on how often we use chemistry in everyday life—often without even realizing it. So many aspects of life are based on chemistry: how substances interact and affect each other. According to the organizers, without such programs, many children wouldn’t even consider careers requiring knowledge of natural sciences.
István Lekli emphasized that the Faculty of Pharmacy at DE is strongly committed to nurturing future generations. They organize science-themed drawing competitions for the youngest students, chemistry demonstrations for primary schoolers, and scientific competitions for high school students. The next of these will be held on Thursday, April 17.
(unideb.hu)
