PRESS RELEASE: From 8 April, the Mobile Newton Room is located outside the Norwegian Defence Museum at Akershus Fortress. Here, students from Oslo schools will explore mathematics through aviation and technology in a classroom unlike any other.
Over the course of three weeks, school classes will take part in the Newton module Up in the Air with Numbers. This is a hands-on learning experience in which mathematics, technology, and aviation come together in a realistic context. Among other activities, students will carry out an observation flight using flight simulators, applying mathematical calculations to plan and complete their mission.
At the ceremony on April 8, the following speakers were present: Anne Lindboe, Mayor of Oslo; Guri Melby, Member of the Norwegian Parliament and Leader of the Liberal Party; Per-Arild Konradsen, CEO and Founder of FIRST Scandinavia; Erling Kjærnes, Director of the Norwegian Armed Forces Museum; Liam Benham, Boeing Global President for EU, NATO and Government Affairs Europe; and Henrik Fjeld, COO of Norwegian.
Mayor of Oslo, Anne Lindboe, at the opeing ceremony in Fanehallen at Akershus Fortress in Oslo.
The Mobile Newton Room is a fully equipped, expandable classroom built into two specially designed containers. The concept is developed to bring high-quality STEM education directly to students, regardless of geography or local infrastructure.
Since its launch in Lugo, Spain, in 2019, the Mobile Newton Room has travelled across Europe, visiting countries such as France, Ireland, England, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium, inspiring thousands of students along the way.
The Newton Concept was developed by the Norwegian non-profit foundation FIRST Scandinavia. Since 2003, more than 600,000 children and young people in 19 countries have participated in various Newton programmes. Today, there are 56 Newton Rooms worldwide, 34 of which are in Norway.
The visit to Norway is the result of the collaboration between Boeing and FIRST Scandinavia. Boeing has been the foundation’s global STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) partner since 2018, helping to make the Newton Concept accessible to children and young people in multiple countries.
In Oslo, the project is carried out in close collaboration with the Norwegian Defence Museum, and the airline Norwegian as local partners.
CEO and Founder in FIRST Scandinavia, Per-Arild Konradsen.
“We are very pleased that our Mobile Newton Room can be located in central Oslo for three weeks. This gives us a unique opportunity to demonstrate what Newton is in practice. When students engage in exploratory STEM learning and experience a clear connection between theory and practice, we see a real impact, they become more engaged, more curious, and gain a sense of achievement. In the Mobile Newton Room, they have access to equipment that few schools can offer and solve meaningful, real-world tasks. This would not have been possible without the strong collaboration with our partners,” says Per-Arild Konradsen, CEO and founder of FIRST Scandinavia.
Liam Benham, Boeing Global President for EU, NATO and Government Affairs Europe
““Through the Mobile Newton Room, we’re partnering with our customer and community organisations in Norway to inspire the next generation of aerospace professionals,” said Liam Benham, President of Boeing in the Nordics. “With expected demand for more than 40,000 new airplanes over the next 20 years, this partnership is a powerful way to make science and engineering come alive and build the essential STEM skills our industry requires in the future.”
Erling Kjærnes, Director of the Norwegian Armed Forces Museum.
“The Norwegian Defence Museum considers it part of its social mission to inspire children and young people to develop knowledge and curiosity about technology, defence and peacekeeping—and to ensure equal access to learning opportunities. Located at the historic Akershus Fortress, where the Defence Museums’ own educational institutions are also based, the museum serves as a living link between past experience and the knowledge society of the future. Our vision is simple yet ambitious: understand more, discover new connections,” says Director Erling Kjærnes.
