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TEKNIKENS HUS IN
LULEÅ - A center for education in science and technology
History
The idea of
creating a permanent science center for children, a house of technology,
was originated at the Lulea University as early as 1979. The needs
for activities that could emphasize science and technology at
an early stage in the school system was clearly demonstrated by
teachers and children who visited the new university. Planning
activities went on for several years within the university. In
1986, financing of the project was eventually obtained. Construction
was started in 1987 and in May of 1988, Teknikens Hus was opened.
Exhibits
and workshops
Part
of the technical and industrial environment that children see
and know around them has been recreated in Teknikens Hus. The
exhibition is built with our region Norrbotten as the base and
put in a true context to explain complex processes.
The total exhibition area is roughly 2 200 sq meters. Many of
the exhibits are full scale, some are models. Main themes are
geology and prospecting, mining technology, energy and electricity,
steel production technology, mechanics and industrial technology,
forestry, wood and paper technology, water and water technology,
air and aerodynamics, household technology and communications.
All exhibits are participatory and ”hands on”. Practical
experience from the model process of for example steel making
makes understanding easier. The holistic concept of the exhibitions
at Teknikens Hus will help children and adults put pieces of complicated
processes together.
Stars and northern lights are presented at a daily show for the
public in the small planetarium at Teknikens Hus. A portable planetarium
is available for the schools in the region, and guides are trained
to use it in the communities.
The exhibit hall also has facilities for travelling exhibitions,
related to science and technology.
The house is opened for visitors 42 hours a week. The staff of
Teknikens Hus interacts with the public in the exhibitions or
welcomes groups from school or daycare centers who come for scheduled
visits.
In connection with the exhibitions are the workshops and laboratories,
all closely linked to everyday reality. In these workshops, guided
by educators of Teknikens Hus, children in smaller groups learn
the practical skills of technology in the everyday setting –
the kitchen, the bathroom and the garage.
Teachers
education
An important part of the activity at Teknikens Hus is teachers
training. The educators at Teknikens Hus collaborate with collegues
at the Luleå university of technology to find ways for teacher
students to use the science center in their studies. Workshops
and exhibitions are always open for the teacher students to use
and educators of Teknikens Hus teach particular courses of the
curriculum.
Teknikens Hus has become a special resource in science and tech-nology
education for teachers in elementary school. A variety of courses
are offered to educators in the region every year, custom made
as well as open. Special grants from the government are given
to Teknikens Hus for development of teachers training in the field
of science and technology.
Organization
Teknikens Hus is an independent, non profit foundation. Responsible
for the activities are the founders: Luleå University of
technology, the communities of Norrbotten, the community of Luleå
and three of the biggest benefactors LKAB mining company, SSAB
steel producer and Vattenfall, water power producer.
Financing
At the time of the opening in 1988, more than 26 million SEK had
been raised, either as donations of money or as materials, both
from companies and private donors. This sum has since increased
by another xx million SEK. No government subsidies were granted
for the investments.
The communities of the region have committed themselves to supporting
the activities of Teknikens Hus by paying fees in advance for
their school children to go to Teknikens Hus for scheduled visits.
A capital fund, created from various donations, is an important
reserve. The interest from the fund is an important income.
University grants, project money, revenue from sales in the shop
and various other sources of income form a total to cover the
annual cost of operations. Total cost of running Teknikens Hus
was 12 million SEK in 2000.
Results
of activitiesIn the original plans for Teknikens Hus, attendance
was estimated at about 50 000 visitors a year. Even this seemed
to be optimistic, regarding a total of only 70 000 people in the
community of Luleå and 260 000 in the region. But interest
in the new house of technology proved to be highly underestimated
– 175 000 visitors came during the first year. Yearly attendance
has stabilized at around 170 000 people. Since the start, 2 000
000 people have visited Teknikens Hus.
Close to 70 % of our visitors are children between the ages of
5 and 15. About 10 000 school children come for scheduled visits
every year. In smaller groups, they take part in a science or
technology lesson guided by one of the teachers at Teknikens Hus.
Free time in the exhibitions is always included and instructors
are there to help and guide the children, aswell as all other
visitors at Teknikens Hus.
Experiences
and future role
Teknikens Hus has become a regional centre for education and further
education in the field of technology and science. We present a
chance to study complete processes of industrial technology, indeed
in a smaller scale but with the possibility for our visitors to
experiment and try things out.
Teachers can
motivate their students by making the school work more concrete.
Children and youth can discover the connections between theory
and real life by visiting Teknikens Hus and taking part in lessons
here. Activities at Teknikens Hus place facts into context and
increase understanding. This holistic viewpoint is especially
important for children and female teachers in elementary school.
Activities
at Teknikens Hus have always stressed the importance of putting
theoretical knowledge of industrial technology into practice,
as a supplement to school´s teaching. This method for understanding
and learning has also met the need for further education of teachers
in elementary- and preschool in untraditional ways.
Teknikens
Hus was a local initiative. It has it´s own, unique profile:
the holistic approach to science and technology and the startingpoint
in everyday reality. This organization has attracted national
attention and served as a model for education and further education
on a national level. It has also proved that it is possible to
start a large project and keep up extensive activities on donations
and on a limited budget.
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