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Aalto University Junior reached 28 000 children and young people in 2022
Thousands of lines of code, hundreds of metres of hot glue and innumerous questions! Aalto University Junior has insprired children and young people to question and explore for five years now.
Aalto University Junior, which has been running for five years now, reached a record number of people in 2022, as an incredible 28 000 children and young people from all around Finland took part in its activities. Compared to Junior’s early years, the annual number of participants has increased by over 780%. Reaching this record-breaking number was possible through offering, in addition to traditional on-site visits, virtual visits that were available anywhere in Finland. Aalto University Junior organises activities for children and young people on themes covering all Aalto University fields: science and technology meet art and business also at Aalto University Junior.
Aalto Junior’s workshops make use of Aalto University’s latest research
The Aalto University Junior teaching facilities on the Otaniemi campus host several groups of pupils daily with the total weekly number of visitors adding up to about 300. The pupils represent different levels of education ranging from primary to upper secondary school. A visit to the Aalto Junior teaching facilities inspires the children and young people to learn about current topics, and offers a sneak peak to the world of higher education. Aalto Junior study visits give pupils the chance to, for instance, make Ioncell fibre, build moving sculptures and ponder on sustainable future cities. Junior’s workshops make use of Aalto University’s cutting-edge resesarch as well as methods that inspire children and young people. Teachers can select a suitable class for their pupils from the Junior’s teaching offering, which represents all Aalto University fields of education.
Besides study visits, Junior also offers events, camps, clubs, lectures and other contents for children, young, teachers and anyone with a curious mind. In the past few years, for example, Junior has been involved in organising Europe's biggest business and entrepreneurship event, TAT Takeoff, and has inspired children to think about the importance of pollinators at the World Village Festival.
Junior’s activities have developed and grown exponentially in the past few years regardless of the shutdown of facilities during the coronavirus pandemic. The Junior Lab teaching spaces were reopened after a two-year hiatus last spring and have attracted over 4 000 visitors in 2022. The virtual opportunities developed during the shutdown have remained popular ever since and have allowed Aalto University Junior to reach a large number of children and young people around Finland. In the past few years, the Junior activities have attracted children and young people from about 200 cities or towns in Finland, which covers about two thirds of the Finnish municipalities.
Bringing the university closer to children and young people
Inspiring children and young people, particularly girls and non-binary persons, from different backgrounds to pursue studies in technology and the natural sciences may help us to tackle the emerging skills shortage in Europe in the future. Even though Junior’s activities cannot solve the problem on their own, they may serve to lower the threshold and increase diversity among those applying to study these fields. In an effort to reach children and young people from diverse backgrounds, Aalto University Junior has collaborated with various organisations, such as SOS-Lapsikylä, the regional culture centres, and Tyttöjen Talo.
Aalto University students play a key role in Junior’s activities. In addition to hosting workshops as experts of their field of study, they are role models for the pupils and help to dispel misconceptions concerning their fields of study. During the study visits, pupils have time to ask about university studies and the everyday life of students. This can help to reduce such misconceptions about disciplines that influence career choices. Ideally, a successful visit will give the pupils new dreams and ideas for potential future careers. The primary goal of the Junior activities is to give children and young increased confidence in their own abilities and skills and to inspire them to maintain an explorative and creative mindset.
As a donor, you can help enable our free services
By donating to Aalto University Junior, you help to create a world where children and young people are aware of their potential and full of hope and have the courage to deal with the challenges of tomorrow. When you support Junior, you help us to offer school visits, workshops, and training for teachers, as well as other services that simplify and enrich schoolwork. 'At school, we do not have enough chemistry equipment, so it was nice to visit Aalto Junior', said one teacher’s feedback. At Junior, we want to invest in a wide range of equipment that is not available at schools. Donations help us to keep our activities free of charge to our visitors.
Get to know Aalto University Junior
Aalto University Junior
Aalto University Junior is art, science, technology and entrepreneurship for children, young people and teachers - to support teaching, personal joy and a source of enthusiasm.
Study visit to Aalto University Junior
We organise free-of-charge action-oriented study visits to all school groups from primary school through to upper secondary school. On this page, you will find our workshops for different educational levels and can book a study visit directly through our online booking system.
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