It was not easy, but the Technology Education Foundation has also found a place for a Techlab in Beilen. Suitable space has been found in the school building of the former cs Vincent van Gogh. In the coming years, pupils from primary and secondary schools will be introduced to metalworking, drones and 3D printers there.
“It was quite difficult, we actually wanted a neutral place, so not at a school or company,” says Pascal van der Aa of the Technology Education Foundation. The possibilities in Beilen were investigated together with the municipality of Midden-Drenthe, which also invests in technical education. “A space must meet a number of functionalities, you must have toilets and taps and there must be sufficient electricity available. It must also not be too expensive, because it is an educational place,” says Van der Aa.
In the end, a school building was chosen, the former Vincent van Gogh school can be used as long as the Beiler amalgamated school Volta also uses parts of the building. “The intention is that we can use the next school year immediately,” says Van der Aa.
Pupils from groups 5 to 8 of the primary schools in the region will visit a Techlab for at least 1 half-day per year. Pupils of class 1 and 2 of Volta will visit at least 2 half-days per year. But local residents, parents, institutions and companies can also use the spaces.
Techlabs are initiatives of the Technology Education Foundation, the Assen-Beilen region was awarded a three million euros subsidy in 2019 from the Ministry of Education for improving technical education. Within the Techlab, current themes related to technology are made visible, such as water management, care and technology and the energy transition. Materials for woodworking or metalworking, painting, virtual reality, 3D printing, drones and multimedia are available.