STaR Program
Education systems need to adopt a framework and practices that enable young people to develop the right skills. By stimulating enthusiasm for science and chemistry at an early age, today's young and inquisitive minds will become tomorrow's leading scientists and innovators. Therefore, in 2017, Borealis and TGM, a higher technical education institute in Vienna, Austria, providing high quality education to students aged 14 and older in seven different engineering subjects, started a partnership that continues to last until today.
Sparking Enthusiasm for Science and Technology Among Children and Teens
The partnership between Borealis and TGM included a diploma program for graduates and a scholarship for students outside of Vienna to finance commuting costs. In 2017, the diploma program and scholarship were replaced with a new project, the STaR program. STaR stands for Science, Technology, and Research. The program is targeted at children and teens aged 11 to 14. Students have the opportunity to attend scientific workshops held in the open chemistry lab of the TGM. They are encouraged to explore on their own, through hands-on experiments in supervised environments. TGM develops workshops for many topics, such as the ones below. The exploratory and fun aspect of these exercises encourage children to consider careers in technology-related fields. Additionally the STaR program members also regularly take part in events and fairs.
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PolymMEER Plastics Recycling
Participants gain insights in how material recycling works and how plastics benefit society, through interactive experiments, like the creation of blue viscose fibers.
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Climate Change Workshop
Children can take part in an exciting workshop on global warming, greenhouse gases and learn about the the causes and consequences of climate change.
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Environmental Crime Workshop
Participants are on the trail to find an environmental offender and solve an exciting criminal case with scientific methods and chemical experiments.
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Borealis Innovation Award
Next to the STaR Program, every year Borealis awards the best diploma papers in the field of plastics and environmental technology at the TGM Vienna to promote young talents.
The diversity and innovation potential of the local industry is reflected in the award-winning diploma theses of the young engineers. Their submissions cover a wide range of topics, from water-retaining biopolymer films for the agricultural industry to plastic profiles for drywalls and the investigation of microbial growth in baby bottles.
Find out more about the 2023 winners and their innovative projects.
About the TGM
The School of Technology in Vienna has around 2,600 students and 330 teachers and is thus the largest Higher Technical School in Vienna and one of the oldest in Austria. The courses available include plastics and environmental engineering, biomedical and health engineering, and many more.
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