13 April 2023: This year, the ATB once again opened its doors to the children of the institute's employees and invited them to "Children's Day". 44 children were given the opportunity to take a closer look at their parents' workplace and see what is being worked on and researched at a scientific institute.
Parents and staff from the various departments gave the children aged 3 to 13 insights into their work and workplaces. Different places at the institute could be visited and various experiments invited the children to participate and try out for themselves at four different stations.
After a joint breakfast, the families first had time to look at and present their own workplaces. Afterwards, they could visit various hands-on stations.
The younger visitors learned what potato beetles and their larvae look like. In a competition against a computer, the young researchers looked for the larvae on a poster and tagged them. A comparison showed that the computer is good, but not always right. And the children also learned a lot about cows and pigs in a quiz and by milking at a rubber udder. Of course, everyone wanted to try it out once.
The other half of the young visitors got the chance to breathe some real laboratory air. In their experiments, they isolated DNA from fruit and were able to take a look through the microscope. They also learned a lot about keeping fruit fresh and how important it is to monitor the oxygen content for storage.
The information programme ended for everyone together in front of the large turbine in the wind tunnel. With tousled hair, a lot of blowing and loud roaring, the wind speed was determined here. Then it was time for lunch, and those who wanted could end the day with a tractor ride.
The Children's Day is an initiative of the "berufundfamilie" (work and family) audit working group at the ATB, with the aim of giving the children of employees the opportunity to get to know their parents' working environment and at the same time to get a taste of the topics of science and research at the ATB.
Contact: Dr. Ulrike Praeger