MINT

The MINT program (Mathematics, Computer Science, Science and Technology) has set itself the goal of providing all pupils with a first access to science regardless of their professional future. It should enable everyone to deal with scientific topics and gain new insights. For this reason, we are already working with children from the primary school age, but also with high school students, sometimes with their teachers directly. The program is being implemented by employees of the Chemistry Institute of the University of Fribourg and the Adolphe Merkle Institute. It is co-financed by the Swiss Academy of Arts and Sciences.

 

MINT consists of several branches:

 

  • KidsUni

    KidsUni is an association founded in early 2014 by two professors from the Department of Chemistry of the University of Fribourg and the Adolph Merkle Institute. The idea is to bring chemistry and the scientific method to children from 9-11 years old through interesting and quality workshops. Over the time, more professors in different scientific fields have joined to the association. Today we can offer the following workshops once a year:

     

    1. Chemistry: Light and Color with Prof. Alke Fink and Prof. Marco Lattuada.

    2. Material Science: Polymers with Dr. Stephen Schrettl from the Adolphe Merkle Institute.

    3. Industrial Chemistry: Batteries and Energy with Prof. Jean-Pascal Bourgeois, Prof. Olivier Nicolet and Prof. Véronique Breguet Mercier from the Engineering School of Fribourg.

    4. Informatics: The Robot Thymio with Prof. Jacques Supcik from the Engineering School of Fribourg.

    5. Geoscience: Climate Change with Dr. Martina Barandun and Mountains Formation with Dr. Jon Mosar, both from the Department of Geosciences.

    6. Biologie: The Best Vermifuge for your Cat with Dr. Chantal Wicky, The Genomics of Cheese with Dr. Laurent Falquet and The Lipids with Prof. Stefano Vanni, all from the Department of Biology.

    7. Mathematics: Mathematics & Play with Prof. Christoph Leuenberger and Polyhedra with Prof. Emanuele Delucchi, both from the Department of Mathematics.

    8. Physics: The Properties of Gas with Dr. Baptiste Hildebrand from the Department of Physics.

    9. Microscopy: Analysis of Pollen with Dr. Dimitri Vanhecke from the Adolphe Merkle Institute.

     

    For more info: https://events.unifr.ch/kidsuni/fr/

    https://www.facebook.com/kidsuni.ch/

     

  • WINS

    WINS (Women in Science and Technology) is a program that gives girls between the ages of 15 and 16 the opportunity to get into the department to slip into the skin of a scientist.

     

    This internship is organized by the Faculty of Science and Medicine and the Department of Egality of the University of Fribourg.

     

    The internship consists of two full days of experiments at two different departments of the Faculty of Science and Medicine (one per day). 

     

    For more information: http://www.unifr.ch/wins/fr/

     

  • Swiss Young Researcher

    Swiss Young Researcher (Schweizer Jugend Forscht) is a foundation that is intended to arouse interest among young Swiss in the fields of innovation, science and technology. Their goal is to provide a platform for young people of secondary level I and II (high school, vocational training), where they can get an initial insight into the scientific work.

     

    The foundation offers study weeks in various scientific fields, especially in our department every two years. The young people will have the opportunity to develop their project in our laboratories in a research group.

     

    For more information: http://sjf.ch/?lang=fr

     

  • Schools/ High Schools

    We offer support to the primary, secondary and high school teachers through many ways such as counseling or experts in final exams. We also offer possibility of visiting schools upon request or schools can visit our laboratories where students can do some experiments related to their teaching program. In that way, the students have  better understanding. 

     

    Matura Arbeit/Travail de Maturité

    We offer students  who are interested in Chemistry the opportunity to be supported during their Matura papers. Whereas the number of seats is limited. For detailed information about Matura Arbeit/Travail de Maturité, please check the documents below:

     

    Matura Arbeiten Support Info

    Travaux Maturité Support Info

     

    For further information please contact:  Prof. Christian Bochet

     

  • Other Collaborations
    • Hôpital des Nounours:  We strongly support medicine students in their workshops with kids for their sensivity against doctors. We offer them support in the fabrication of the "magic cream".

          http://www.h-fr.ch/hfr/fr/pub/metanav/hopitaldesnounours.htm

    • HEIA-FR: Three professors of the HEIA-FR support KidsUni with a workshop in batteries.https://www.facebook.com/heiafr

    • Journal Migros: We support the family section of Migros journal with experiments for kids that can be done easily at home. https://www.migrosmagazine.ch/suche?s.filterType=1&s.text=le%20coin%20des%20enfants&head=true

    • Swiss Brain Team: Founded by a group of kids, we support this organization with workshops and experiments related to their interests 
      https://www.swiss-brainteam.org/ 

    • Future en tous genres/Zukunftstag: Once a year. kids from 10-11 years oldare able to visit the university to discover the professions in order to help them to choose their future profession

      http://www.unifr.ch/egalite/de/activites/futur

    • Musée de Histoire Naturel de Fribourg: In the frame of bio-inspired materials exhibition that takes place at the Natural History Museum of Fribourg, we offer some workshops and scientific discussions.     
      kultur-und-tourismus/museen/inspiration-nature
    • Goûters Scientifiques: Kids of 8-12 years old can participate in the activities organized by the goûters scientifiques, where they have the opportunity to discover the different departments at the University.

    • Passport Vacances: During the summer holidays, Chemistry Department offers kids the possibility to visit our research laboratories and do some experiments by themselves. We offer this kind of workshops for Passeport Vacances Fribourg and Payerne.  https://www.pvfr.ch/
    • FriTime Schmitten: As we do with Passport Vacances, we offer kids from Schmitten the possibility to visit our laboratories and do some experiments by themselves  http://www.schmitten.ch/de/vereine/ferienpassfritime/

 Photo Gallery 

For more information:

KidsUni

WINS

Swiss Young Researcher