Education Little Scientists’ House
Sparking curiosity in technology Little Scientists’ House inspires children by bringing science and technology education into preschools, day care centers, and elementary schools.
Little Scientists’ House, which includes Siemens Stiftung among its co-founders, is Germany’s largest early-childhood education initiative, which is set to cover 80 percent of all day care centers in the country by 2015. The program continuously integrates the latest research developments into its educational materials and guidelines.
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The main goal of the educational program when it launched in 2006 sounded ambitious: »Every day care center in Germany should become a Little Scientists’ House.« To that end, the non-profit foundation Little Scientists’ House supports educators by encouraging and guiding the inquisitive minds of preschool and elementary schoolaged girls and boys. The project has since become the largest early childhood education initiative in Germany, now implemented in more than 27,000 preschools, day care centers, and elementary schools. Siemens Stiftung is both a co-founder of the program and active partner in its strategic development through a seat on the Board of Trustees, among other commitments. The initiative recognizes that in a technologically-oriented society, the importance of science and technology education continues to grow. This is true for early childhood education as well. The
foundation Little Scientists’ House sustainably anchors children’s everyday encounter with science, mathematics, and technology in preschools, day care centers, and elementary schools. Their enthusiasm in scientific phenomena and technological issues is boosted in a playful manner, contributing at the same time to improved educational opportunities for girls and boys alike. At the core of the initiative is continuous training for educators, supported by local networks in each region for interested parties. Preschools, day care centers, and elementary schools receive instruction materials from the Little Scientists’ House aligned to the curricula of each state on subjects ranging from water, air, and energy to light, colors, and vision. The foundation Little Scientists’ House is a learning organization that continously develops itself and its materials according