For Thomas Kleppe, giving young people real experiences with technology is key to inspiring them to pursue STEM education and careers. Meet our Newton Teacher of the Month from Newton Noord-Brabant.
Name: Thomas Kleppe
Age: 36
My Newton Room: Newton Noord-Brabant
Location: Hoogerheide in the Netherlands
Has been part of Newton since: September 2024, when the Newton Room opened.
Professional background: I have been a chemistry and physics teacher in secondary school, and after that, I ended up at the school for aeroplane mechanics.
Life outside of work: I am married and have 8-year-old twin boys. We go out on the lake together on our 16-foot catamaran during the summer. When there is no wind, I like to BBQ or cook on an open fire. I enjoy gaming and exploring the possibilities of AI for teachers.
Thomas Kleppe believes hands-on experiences are key to inspiring curiosity and future STEM pathways. Photo credit: Newton Noord-Brabant.
What sparked your interest in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) in the first place?
“As a kid, I would take apart my toys and use the components to design futuristic airplanes and machines. Later on, when I learned about chemistry and physics, I would undertake experiments on those subjects at home (cola and Mentos, anyone?). I was on track to a technical education, but when I became a sailing instructor, I discovered that teaching students things they never could / knew before is the best thing there is. I was the most proficient in chemistry at school, so that was the subject I would teach. During my career, I found it hard to bear that the beauty of STEM subjects was mostly lost on kids in school, so when the Newton Room crossed my path, I did not have to think long and took the job.”
What do you love most about working in a Newton Room?
“Every week is different, with different schools, ages, and backgrounds. I get to share my love of STEM with all these different kids. The modules are a work of art, so that makes it a joy to be a STEM teacher here!”
What’s your favourite topic or module to teach, and why?
“I think it would be the Up in the Air module. The subject can be pretty tough to grasp; some students struggle during the theory part of the module, but in the end, they always succeed. We end the day of Up in the Air with a visit to the hangar, where we take a seat in the cockpit of a real airplane. The students see all the dials and knobs, but when they realise they can understand what some of the instruments are for with the skills they learned during the module, that is always the moment when it clicks in their brains. Very satisfying.”
Thomas loves that every day in the Newton Room is different.
What do you hope students and teachers take away from their visit to your Newton Room?
“When there are no tests, you can learn without the burden of having to understand specific bits. In the modules, you can find your own path through the subject matter. Discovery is a very valuable aspect of STEM learning. I hope that the students take this bit of wonder home and start asking more questions like “How does a speed dial in a car work?”, and that teachers will try to enrich their curriculum with a bit of wonder.”
Can you share a fun or inspiring story that happened in your Newton Room?
“I did not have any experience in special education. In our Newton Room, sometimes we get special ed schools. For these kids, it’s more like a day out than a day of school. It amazes me every time that these kids are the most well-behaved and truly eager to learn. On these days, I get the most out-of-the-box questions (many of them inspired by the decals in the Room – “Why do clouds have names?”) that even make me think. That is what I mean when I say that teaching all these different backgrounds is truly inspiring.”
How can we best inspire children and young people to pursue STEM education and careers?
“50 years ago, you could tag along with your parents or neighbour to see their workplace. These days, technology is hidden from view (try changing the lightbulb of a modern car), which makes it hard to really appreciate the meaning technology plays in our society. Any experience that you can give kids where they discover the applications of STEM subjects is worth the effort.”
If you could meet one famous scientist, past or present, who would it be and why?
“In school, I really enjoyed the history of natural sciences. I am still amazed that a person like Newton was able to contribute to all these different fields. Naming Newton would be a bit boring, so I’ll take his Dutch counterpart, Christiaan Huygens (1629-1695). Huygens invented the pendulum clock, which allowed seafarers to navigate the globe. He made contributions to mathematics, optics and also perfected the design of the telescope! Isaac Newton partly based his laws of motion on the work of Huygens. A true polymath!”
What are three things on your bucket list?
A visit to CERN
Making a film
Driving coast to coast in the US with my family in a huge RV.
Newton Noord-Brabant
Opened in November 2024, in collaboration between Aircraft Maintenance & Training School (AM&TS), FIRST Scandinavia and Boeing. Newton Noord-Brabant currently offers the modules Up in the Air with Numbers and Robots and Circumference. They aim to add a new module in 2026 to inspire even more students.
Newton Noord-Brabant is located in the southwest of the Netherlands, at the airfield where, for example, the Royal Dutch Air Force and Fokker Services Group run their operations. They share the building with the school for aeroplane mechanics, which adds extra flavour to the Up in the Air module. The flight instructors who help students, along with the flight simulators, are (former) general aviation pilots and young Air Force personnel. For younger students, they offer the Robots and Circumference module.
The future direction of Newton Noord-Brabant is shaped in close collaboration with local governments, schools and industry partners. To secure its long-term impact and continued growth, they are currently welcoming new sponsors to join their mission. Several companies have already committed, and together we’re confident we can build a lasting and inspiring STEM experience for all.
