Bangs, smoke and pear-flavoured ice lollies: how students make science cool
Playing with nitrogen and fire to show school pupils how exciting science can be – that’s what the student volunteers of Stichting Rino do alongside their studies. ‘If there’s even one child who gets interested in science, that’s what it’s all for.’
Stichting Rino brings science to life with spectacular shows for children. Students perform experiments with fire, liquid nitrogen and magnets to demonstrate just how thrilling science can be. Board members Veron Ambaum and Noëmi Huisman explain why taking part is so worthwhile.
For decades, Stichting Rino has been touring schools across the Netherlands – and beyond. With smoke, bangs and frozen pear-flavoured ice lollies, the students make science tangible. ‘We want children to experience how much fun science is – and above all really explain what’s happening,’ says Noëmi. ‘It’s not just about the wow factor; it’s about teaching them something.’
‘It was special to meet others who are just as passionate about science shows and to hear their experiences,’
Putting your hand “on fire”
The shows are built around intuitive experiments: magnets sliding slowly through tubes, children putting their hand “on fire” and demonstrations with liquid nitrogen. ‘We freeze a lot of pencils and erasers,’ Noëmi laughs. The show ends with a secret experiment: pear-flavoured ice lollies made with nitrogen. ‘Some children come up afterwards to ask questions. That’s why you do it,’ says Veron.
They also perform at university events and earlier this year organised WetenschapsWonders (Science Wonders) for primary schools. ‘That was a real highlight,’ says Noëmi. Last summer the board travelled to the EuroScienceFun conference in Bulgaria. ‘It was special to meet others who are just as passionate about science shows and to hear their experiences,’ she adds.
Volunteers with a passion
‘I’ve learned to present, improvise and feel comfortable in front of a group’
Most Rino volunteers study physics or astronomy, but anyone with a STEM background is welcome. The key is enjoying explaining things. ‘If you can explain your degree to your family, you can involve children in an experiment too,’ says Noëmi.
Volunteering at Rino takes time – preparing and performing a show easily takes a day – but you get a lot in return. ‘I’ve learned to present, improvise and feel comfortable in front of a group,’ says Veron. ‘And it’s a really fun group of people.’
Showing how cool science is
For some, Rino is a stepping stone towards a teaching career. Others discover they enjoy presenting more than they thought, or simply love working with liquid nitrogen. ‘I think it’s amazing to show kids how cool science is,’ says Noëmi.
Want to join?
The demand for shows is growing. ‘Requests keep pouring in – often more than we can handle,’ says Veron. ‘That’s why we need new volunteers.’ So: are you Dutch-speaking, do you enjoy talking about science and don’t mind playing with nitrogen or fire now and then? ‘Just come along and have a look,’ says Noëmi. ‘You’re more than welcome.’
Dutch-speaking students can join Rino. Sign up for one of the training days via www.stichtingrino.nl/word-shower.