From May 6 until June 4, the Mobile Newton Room has welcomed 13 to 15 year-olds in Angers, France,
In this period nearly 400 middle and high school students, divided into groups of 15, and accompanied by their science teachers, have visited the rooms.
"The Newton Room is a wonderful tool for (re) inspiring a passion for science in adolescents and young people,” said Estelle Rossi, Director of Programs and Quality at the Léo Lagrange Federation.
In 2018 Boeing joined forces with FIRST Scandinavia for the European rollout of the Newton project.
Partners
In France, the Léo Lagrange Federation, a Boeing France partner since 2015, was chosen to oversee this initiative. An existing partnership between the Hauts de Saint Aubin Neighborhood House and Renoir High School led to the choice of Angers as the launch site for the Mobile Newton Room in France.
“Often at this age, students start to meet obstacles and turn away from scientific subjects. As an organization dedicated to popular education, we are committed to offering young people different, innovative and ambitious forms of learning, which can help them cultivate a different relationship with knowledge." said Estelle Rossi.
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Creating opportunities
In Angers, the aviation theme was chosen with a module entitled "Up in the air with numbers!".
Science mediators from the Newton-trained Terre des Sciences association, and specially-trained flight instructors will accompany them throughout the module.
"Boeing wants to get students interested in careers in the aerospace industry. By partnering with FIRST Scandinavia and Léo Lagrange, we are not only providing them with exciting ideas but also proactively addressing the skills shortage in STEM fields in France and around the world. For Boeing, this is about creating opportunities for all young people, especially young women, regardless of their profile or background," said Jean-Marc Fron, Managing Director of Boeing France. "This project is further evidence of our commitment in France to both diversity and to education."
For the first time, FIRST Scandinavia were able to execute all the necessary preparation of the Mobile Newton Room and training of the teachers and flight simulators 100% remotely.
On Wednesday afternoons, young people from the surrounding neighborhoods have been able to visit the Mobile Newton Room.
“This project has been an incredible experience. For the first time, we were able to execute all the necessary preparation of the Mobile Newton Room and training of the teachers and flight simulators 100% remotely. We could have never done this without the support of our partners in France,” said Alysia Tofflemire, Director of European Operations for Newton Room. “I am honoured and excited to see this project come to fruition in Angers.”
Students visiting, was taught in the Newton Module “Up in the Air with Numbers”, which has been translated into French.
Laurence Bretin, Deputy mayor for the Doutre/St Jacques/ Nazareth and Hauts de St Aubin districts, and Jean-Marc Fron, Managing Director of Boeing France were happy with the event in France.
