Welcome to the Photonics Explorer web portal.
The Photonics Explorer program will equip science teachers at Europe's secondary schools free-of-charge with up-to-date educational material to really engage, excite and educate students about the fascination of working with light.
Take a cup of tea or coffee, make it yourself comfortable and explore the information this site offers to you. If there is anything you would like to tell or ask us, please do not hesitate to send us an email.
Your Photonics Explorer team.
Europe wide field testing
16.01.2012 - The Photonics Explorer successfully tested in 7 countries with over 1500 students!
The Photonics Explorer kit was extensively tested in secondary schools across Europe from September - December 2011. Over 1500 students participated in the field tests that took place in 7 EU countries – Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Poland, Spain and UK. In each country the kit was tested in the local language. The developer team and evaluation team from IPN visited several classrooms to interact with the students and teachers and watch the kit in action!
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EYESTvzw – Excite Youth for Engineering Science and Technology
A non-profit organisation has been established to ensure the sustainability of the Photonics Explorer kit and mass distribution throughout Europe.
The EU funded EXPEKT project supported the development and testing of the Photonics Explorer kit in its scope. The Photonics Explorer team, with support from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, have now established a non-profit organisation, EYESTvzw, to ensure the sustainability of the kit beyond the EU funded phase. EYESTvzw, is dedicated to raising the interest of young people in science, technology and engineering. The organisation will achieve its goals through the creation and dissemination of educational programs to schools which will always be distributed free of charge. EYEST is responsible for the exclusive distribution of the Photonics Explorer throughout and beyond Europe.
Photonics Explorer now being field tested!
The pilot field tests of the Photonics Explorer kits commence in seven countries across Europe
After a successful workshop held at the DESY in Hamburg on 30th August 2011, the pilot field tests of the Photonics Explorer kit have now begun. The kit is being tested in seven European countries; Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Poland, Spain and the United Kingdom with the didactic material translated into the corresponding seven languages.
Workshop at DESY, Hamburg, Germany on August 30, 2011
We kindly invite you to the Photonics Explorer workshop at the Deutsches Elektron-Synchrotron in Hamburg, Germany
The EXPEKT team invites you to the first Workshop of the Photonics Explorer kit. The Photonics Explorer is now completed with 8 Educational Modules spanning upper and lower secondary age groups. The kit is now ready to be tested in 7 European countries.
The first prototypes of the Photonics Explorer are the result of over 12 months of development and the valuable input of several volunteers from the field, who have contributed their time and efforts. These prototypes will be presented at the workshop.
The full programme and the registration form can be found under the read more link. Please note that attendance is free of charge but registration is required.
Fast Answers
What is it all about?
The Photonics Explorer program will equip Europe’s secondary schools with up-to-date educational material on topics related to light and its technical use. The Photonics Explorer provides teachers with a class-set of components for hands-on experiments together with an inquiry-based didactic framework. It will be distributed free-of-charge and support teachers to engage, excite and educate students about the fascination of working with light.
What is photonics?
Photonics is the art of making light work for you. Just as electronics has changed the world by turning electrons into our every-day workhorses, photonics has changed our way of living by harnessing photons, small energy-units of light. We use them to carry information around the globe (e.g. for the internet), to generate electric energy, to detect diseases and heal, to cut and weld metal, to measure without touching or simply to read when it's dark outside. From the generation and shaping of light, to the transportation to its destination and its exactly controlled impact, photonics encompasses all aspects of handling electromagnetic radiation.
Why is it needed?
As more as teenagers like to possess and use the latest technological gadgets, as less they seem to be interested in what actually happens behind the user interface. At the same time, our society and everyone individually becomes increasingly dependent on science and technological progress. This raises the questions: Who is going to work on the scientific answers to the challenges we face as a society? How can we motivate young people to engage in the informed discussion about steering the efforts of scientists and the responsible use of technology?
The best place to raise young people’s interest in sciences is at school. Teachers play a key role in encouraging the next generation of scientists and engineers. The Photonics Explorer program therefore aims to support teachers in their efforts to make science an exciting and fun subject, while giving students a clear understanding of physical concepts and showing their relevance to the student’s every-day life.
For whom?
The work in this program is done for school kids. To make them experience the fascination of working with light first-hand, the Photonics Explorer will equip teachers for more engaging and exciting science lessons.
Who are we?
The Photonics Explorer program is teaming up teachers, scientists in pedagogy and experts in photonics to design an intra-curricula educational kit for secondary schools. More than 30 educators from 10 countries volunteer their time and expertise to ensure a high educational value and an easy integration of the material into the regular teaching.
This educational program is actively supported by sponsoring companies from several European countries.
The program is coordinated at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (Belgium) and scientifically evaluated by the Leibniz Institute for Science and Mathematics Education in Kiel (Germany).
How can I get involved?
The Photonics Explorer program builds on the enthusiasm of many volunteers that donate their time and expertise to improve science education in Europe. There are several ways you too can get involved, and each support is appreciated:
- Get informed and spread the word
- Share your ideas with us
- Apply as a pilot teacher to test the Photonics Explorer*
- Sponsor the program or donate in kind
- Contribute photos to illustrate the educational material
*Currently only possible in Bulgaria, Belgium, France, Germany, Poland, Spain and the UK.
Our sponsors
Our partners
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