Baylab in the UK
Bayer opened its first Baylab in the UK back in March 2017. Based in the beautiful waterside setting of Green Park, Reading, this free laboratory for schools offers state of the art equipment, intriguing experiments, and the chance to use innovative ideas to solve tasks and develop solutions. Covering key stages 2-5, it complements what the students learn at school and enables them to make their own unique discoveries.
The lab itself is one of 15 Baylabs around the world, more information on our other labs can be found here www.baylab.bayer.com
Why do we need Baylabs?
Sound scientific expertise is essential for meeting the challenges of the future. That is why Bayer is passionate about wakening an interest in science among young people at an early age and encouraging their development. Having spoken to hundreds of teachers in the UK, they all say that they would like more time and facilities available to spend on practical science to allow them to take science away from the ‘too difficult’ category and boost the confidence of pupils through real hands-on experience.
The Baylab Manager: Emma Schierbaum
Emma set up and launched the Baylab back in March 2017. She previously worked as the head of science at the Queen Elizabeth Grammar Junior School in Wakefield and in the wider secondary sector teaching science and chemistry to A level students. A biochemistry graduate from the University of York, she has also worked for multinational chemical company, Croda Chemicals, in Doncaster.
Baylab and the Royal Institution
Bayer is proud to acknowledge and would like to openly express their gratitude to the Royal Institution (Ri) for their support in ensuring the UK Baylab met the needs of school and young people in and around the South East from 2016 to 2021.
The RI is an independent charity with a mission to inspire everyone to think more deeply about science and its place in their lives and for over 10 years, it has run an extremely successful L’Oreal Young Scientist Centre (YSC) laboratory at its home in London.
The Ri played a key role in ensuring the Baylab launched within a short time as Bayer Plc moved its offices from Newbury to Reading in February 2017. With the help of other Bayer labs and the Royal Institution our Reading Baylab was able to launch successfully in March 2017 with a wide portfolio of projects and workshops, all aligned to the National Curriculum and tailored to various age groups from 7-18. These workshops included Bees and Honey and Enzymes from our Leverkusen site.
For further information on their lab please go to
www.rigb.org/education/loreal-young-scientist-centre
Supporting Teachers
Baylab experiments have been developed to support teachers with delivering the national curriculum and fill the ‘hands-on’ science gap that many teachers experience due to time and cost constraints. Baylab’s professional scientists guide young minds through state-of-the-art experiments which will see them get hands-on to extract their own DNA for a truly one-of-a-kind piece of jewellery and even try their hand as a formulation scientist. There are also plans to help teachers with their continuing professional development through workshops and resources.
Feedback
Why not take a look at some of our feedback from teachers and pupils who have attended so far:
Quotes from students