For the last seven years, the charitable BUTTING Academy has been committed to supporting the “Tiny Tots Science Corner” initiative. It manages the project on behalf of the local network of the country-wide Foundation and is supported by a number of companies in the Gifhorn district: IAV GmbH, Continental Teves AG & Co. oHG, Volksbank BraWo Foundation, the district association of the German Red Cross, the Gifhorn-Wolfsburg Savings Bank and the municipal youth assistance office in Gifhorn. Tanja Dreyer from the BUTTING Academy reported with pride: “The contribution of the network partners has in years past amounted to the considerable sum of around EUR 150 000. Up to now, more than 500 pre-school teachers from 81 day nurseries have taken advantage of the Foundation’s diverse training offerings in the fields of science, mathematics and technology, and support the children in their institutions in their daily research.
In their words of welcome, district administrator Dr. Andreas Ebel and Ingrid Pahlmann, a member of the Bundestag, emphasised the importance and value of the country-wide educational initiative. The particularly successful implementation in Gifhorn district is the result of excellent cooperation between the network partners on the one hand, and the enthusiasm and impressive work of the pre-school teachers on the other.
The approximately 65 participants were provided with an entertaining and exciting programme which at the same time gave a valuable boost to everyday work in the day nurseries. Thus educational adviser Hermann Städtler’s talk “Movement is life” produced not only a lot of movement and fun among the public. He also argued for more places and opportunities for exercise in day nurseries and junior schools. In the process, he communicated impressively the importance of exercise for learning and research.
In the subsequent show “Who’s afraid of science?” the renowned science editor of Westdeutscher Rundfunk (West German Radio), Joachim Hecker, produced many oohs and aahs among his audience. Hecker’s experiments communicated basic scientific information in a playful manner, and there were plenty of bangs, smoke and hissing noises, much to the pleasure of participants.
Exchange workshops with a presenter then allowed the pre-school teachers to work on questions concerning everyday research work in the day nurseries. Thus on the one hand, networking and mutual support among the institutions was supported, and on the other, the day nurseries’ needs and wants could be made clear to the network and the Foundation.
The event, which was also supported financially by the Foundation and the “Tiny Tots Science Corner” association in Berlin, met with great enthusiasm and approval from all the participants. “It’s nice that the value of our work in the day nurseries is obviously recognised and valued, and a special festival has been organised for us,” said one pre-school teacher happily.
BUTTING – Progress by Tradition