NNU organizes a series of public welfare activities on campus for the promotion of science education

The third public holiday in September each year marks China's "National Science Popularization Day." In 2024, from September 21st to 22nd, a series of public welfare activities promoting science education was held on campus aimed at the children of faculty and staff. These activities were sponsored by the NNU Labor Union and the Research Institute of Science and Technology at NNU and co-hosted by seven schools: the School of Physics and Technology, School of Chemistry and Material Science, School of Geography, School of Life Science, School of Electrical and Automation Engineering, School of Computer and Electronic Information, and School of Food Science and Pharmaceutical Engineering. The theme of the science education popularization day activities at NNU was “empowering the ‘new’ force with science popularization, nurturing emerging talents with enlightenment.” Various hosting units organized six educational activities that were rich in content, diverse in forms, distinctly professional, and highly interactive. Huang He, the Vice President and Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, and representatives from the NNU Labor Union, the Research Institute, and other hosting units participated in the activities.

The activity was met with a positive response from the faculty and staff, who showed their concern and emphasis on their children's education and the promotion of science. Once the notice was issued, registration for each special activity filled up quickly, indicating their eagerness and support. Their active participation was crucial to the success of the event. To successfully organize this event, the hosting schools carefully prepared everything from program design and content selection to venue decoration, volunteer recruitment and training, as well as creating the right atmosphere, and preparing materials. 

The “Science Caravan” is a public welfare science popularization initiative organized by the Party Committee of the School of Physics and Technology that it has been developing over the years. It won the 2019 Jiangsu Province Outstanding Youth Volunteer Service Project award, which was reported on by Xinhua News Agency, Learning Powers, our Jiangsu, and the like. On the morning of September 21st, the science education campus tour was officially launched with the “Science Caravan” at the Geshu Building on the Xianlin Campus, and the popularization of science education activity started with experiments such as “fire in the hand,” “non-Newtonian fluids,” “dry ice sublimation,” “skillful balancing,” and “water droplets swimming upstream,” showcasing the magical and attractive world of physics to the children. The experiential interactions in Laboratory 107 in the Gewu Building, including the Maglev Train, the Lightning Scepter, and the Abyssal Mirror, elicited cheers from the children. The children marveled at the amazing experimental phenomena and were captivated by the interesting physical principles behind them. The volunteers explained the principles behind these experiments, providing the children with a more precise and deeper understanding of physics and igniting their interest in exploring science.

The School of Computer and Electronic Information has been promoting science popularization education by planning and designing projects in various directions, including programming, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence. The activity focused on “intelligent education” and “empowering education with science and technology,” delving into and demonstrating the latest achievements of AI technology and its innovative applications in education. Through engaging in the intelligent generation of circuit diagrams, students could experience the fascinating AI project firsthand. During the activity, a creative discussion session was organized to encourage students to incorporate AI computational thinking into their daily lives and to brainstorm practical application concepts. The activity not only enriched students' knowledge and understanding of science and technology but also greatly ignited their passion for scientific and technological innovation, inspiring their strong desire to explore the unknown and pursue excellence.

 The School of Chemistry and Material Science hosted a special activity on the afternoon of September 21 with the theme “Chemistry in Life,” The goal was to promote an understanding of the role of chemistry in everyday life and to enhance children's scientific literacy and hands-on skills. The activities included the production of “Water Sprites,” the “Five Ring Colorless Chemistry Experiment,” and the “Acid Rain Experiment,” all of which were designed to integrate scientific principles into real-life examples. By observing experimental phenomena, participating in experimental operations, experiencing the experimental process, and taking part in DIY activities, children could see how chemical knowledge is applied in daily life. This activity aimed to spark children's curiosity for observation, critical thinking, and hands-on experimentation while also cultivating and improving their scientific awareness, scientific literacy, and scientific ability.

On the morning of September 22, the School of Computer and Electronic Information and the School of Food Science and Pharmaceutical Engineering held a special activity for Science Education promotion in the Tiangong Building. Song Ping, head of the School of Food Science and Pharmaceutical Engineering, introduced the children to microorganisms and synthetic biology and then led them to visit the Science Gallery of the School. After the introduction, the children were divided into four groups and started engaging in hands-on crafts and observational experiments under the guidance of the volunteers. They made popping beads, lactic acid beverages, and mung bean paste mooncakes. They also learned about emulsifiers and made personalized hand cream. During the observation and experiment session, children also learned to use a microscope, observed protein changes in milk under acidic conditions and learned about acidity and alkalinity. They also gained an understanding of the principles and processes of three-dimensional printing and assembled toy gyroscopes.

On the afternoon of September 22, the School of Life Science and the School of Geography collaborated to organize a unique bio-geographical exploration tour for young people. Over 70 children and their parents, along with a lecturer, first visited the “Museum of Rare Animals and Plants of Nanjing Normal University” to learn about the stories of scientists and their dedication behind the specimens. They learned about Mr. Chen Bangjie's contribution to Chinese bryology and Mr. Zhou Kaiya's efforts in protecting the Yangtze River dolphin (baiji). The lecturers shared the spirit of rigor, seriousness, and selfless dedication of their predecessors with the children through the exhibits and the stories behind them. They aimed to instill in the children the importance of “protecting biodiversity and caring for the environment.”

In the School of Geography, children and their parents were introduced by volunteers to the school’s development history and the story of the famous geographer Li Xudan, who served the country with science. They visited the Ore Specimen Museum and experienced “traveling around the world without leaving home” in the holographic map display laboratory at the Jiangsu Provincial Science Popularization Base. In the CAVE immersive virtual reality system experience area, everyone felt the magic and shock of immersing themselves in “Along the River during the Tomb-sweeping Festival.” The combination of science, technology, and geography allowed the participants to fully appreciate the charm of science through visualizing dry knowledge. Zhang Zhenqiu gave a lecture titled “Talking Stones,” introducing the story of water and karst to the children from the shallow to the deep, enabling them to comprehend the impact of climate change on human society.

During the event, Huang He visited to interact with children and their faculty parents. He commended the organization of the series of activities and emphasized the need to further enhance science education outreach. He suggested several key points. Firstly, we should systematically organize the school science outreach resources, strengthen the integration of resources, and foster a collaborative effort in science popularization education. At the same time, we should explore new opportunities to promote science education. Secondly, we should closely integrate cutting-edge science and technology with current trends, pay close attention to technological developments, systematically plan and design the content of science popularization education, and cultivate young people's curiosity and desire for knowledge and exploration. This will help enhance their core scientific literacy. Thirdly, we should combine science outreach activities with students' development, allowing them to apply their skills in practical activities. Fourthly, we should leverage universities to serve society. While providing good services to the staff, we should also conduct practical science education activities for primary and secondary schools in cooperation with our university for the community and broader society to showcase the university’s strengths and unique characteristics.

The two-day activities came to a successful end. According to the statistics, nearly 300 children of our faculty and staff participated in the series of activities. This activity is part of the “Benefit the Faculty and Warm Their Heart Project” organized by the NNU Labor Union, a series of NNU Joyful + Joyful Growth activities. The purpose of this series of activities is to support the growth and development of the faculty and staff, especially the young faculty and staff, as well as their children and families. Additionally, this Science Popularization Education Campus Tour implements our university's efforts to adhere to the "Notice on Organizing the 2024 National Science Popularization Day" issued by the Chinese Association for Science and Technology. It also represents a proactive exploration and endeavor by the NNU labor union and the Institute of Science and Technology to fully utilize NNU's science popularization educational resources and further deepen science education initiatives.