Among the participants are 2000 students from the periphery
About 5000 people: children, teenagers and their families participated in the "Licensed for Science" fair that took place over two days at Bar-Ilan University. A host of scientific attractions awaited the children and they gladly accepted them: robots, archeological excavations, maze games, demonstrations and experiments, creativity, building structures, fire stunts, and more.
"The purpose of the science fair is to bring children and youth closer to science. This is our answer to the decreasing number of students in the exact sciences - to find the talented youth from an early age and expose them to science. Here, in Bar-Ilan, it is not uncommon to find 14-year-old high school students studying for a degree First," says Bar-Ilan University Rector, Prof. Yosef Manis.
"The importance of the fair is also in the fact that we believe that the university should be made accessible to the community; therefore, for two days from 9:00 a.m. to 15:00 p.m. the fair was closed especially for the benefit of 2000 students from the periphery, who arrived in special transportation to participate in experiments, demonstrations, lectures and all the interesting activities." Prof. Manis says. As well as the Fair Complex, which was buzzing in the morning with 2000 high school students who came from all over the country: Tirat HaCarmel, Bat Yam, Kiryat Malachi, Kiryat Gat, Ofakim, Yeruhem, Kiryat Shmona, Migdal Hamek, Pardes Hana, Karmiel, Ma'alot, Nesher, Hadera, Sderot, Nativot and Beer- seven. From 16:00 the fair opened to the general public, which responded enthusiastically. The fair lasted until 21:00 in the evening, and even after this hour, young children could still be seen walking around the campus, a rare and charming sight....
The new northern campus of the university became for two whole days a huge complex of diverse activities in the sciences: science booths where young doctoral students presented demonstrations of experiments in physics, chemistry, nanotechnology, biotechnology, robotics, zoology, engineering and more.
The "Young Scientist" certificate was awarded to the youth who successfully conducted experiments in physics, chemistry, nanotechnology and biotechnology. A variety of scientific activities: mazes and enjoy maze games of all kinds; At the wheel exhibition, installations dealing with the speed of rotation, transmission of circular motion in different transmissions, transition from linear motion to circular motion and back, various centrifuges and more were placed. In the creative workshops held on the lawn, they will deal with ancient technologies from the time of the Bible. Special exhibition: (sponsored by the Science Museum in Jerusalem) Why don't buildings fall?
At the exhibition, they experienced models of buildings, their construction, assembly and examination of their durability. In the large and spacious lobby complex of an engineering school there were representatives in robotics, archaeology, computational chemistry, face erasure and zoology. In an Israeli archaeological experience, the children had a special and one-time experience and took part in an excavation in an archaeological mound at Bar-Ilan University to discover ancient finds and treasures. Demonstrations and activities of various universities took place in the licensed-partner complex.
"The massive participation of the children and their families in the fair proves the importance of bringing the youth, especially youth from the periphery, to science. The "Youth Activities Unit" at the university works on such activities throughout the year: classes, a science camp for youth and scientific activities in collaboration with the schools," says Ms. Hadassah Speizman, director of the "Unit for Youth Actions" at the university, initiated and produced the fair.
