Opening Ceremony of the Academic Year at the Children’s University

On Saturday, March 4, the Children’s University at UJW held a ceremonial kickoff for the academic year. More than 120 children – first- and second-year students in the “Explorers” module – took part in the event. The module’s classes are designed for children in grades 2–5 at Polkowice elementary schools; the largest group consists of the youngest students – second and third graders – though there are also a dozen or so slightly older children among the young students.

During this year’s Inauguration, a lecture on aerostatics and aerodynamics titled “About Something and Nothing, or Things That Fly Away and Things That Suck in Air” was delivered by Michał Szydłowski, also known as Mr. Korek, who was honored by the Minister in 2014 with the title of Science Popularizer and, as he likes to call himself, a Mad Scientist. The lecture was combined with spectacular and engaging scientific experiments involving air, in which the Polkowice Explorers participated as assistants. Together with the scientists, the children explored the physical basis of popular idioms such as “treating someone like air” or “feel the wind in your hair.” They learned how much air weighs, how much air healthy human lungs can hold, what the composition of Earth’s atmosphere is, and discovered many interesting phenomena occurring in nature, such as the Coanda effect. Classes in the “Explorers” module will run through December 2023. During weekend sessions, participants will take part in hands-on workshops covering various scientific disciplines. The first Saturday session is scheduled for March 25. During the classes, children will gain specialized knowledge in chemistry – that is, they will learn about polymers and dry ice – develop their musical skills, look “up at the sky” in a mobile planetarium, construct a model of the human digestive system using materials found in every home, and explore the habits and secrets of owls. The Children’s University is a program of the Mayor of Polkowice and is funded by the Municipality of Polkowice.