Cutlery made of milk, rotating painting, instrument for drawing perfect triangles, crochet paintings, composing on hook-and-loop fasteners and recycled water treatment plant – these were the works created by the winners of 2025 “Science for You” competition for elementary school students. Fifty-two elementary schools from all over Poland took part in the event.
The final gala of the project was held at the Copernicus Science Center. Prizes were presented to the young winners, finalists and teachers by Karolina Zioło-Pużuk, Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education, and Robert Firmhofer, Chief Executive Officer of the Copernicus Science Center.
The competition task was to invent, design and construct an original educational aid to help solve a specific problem or challenge that students face every day. This year’s projects were created in the spirit of “less,” that is, they were built from recycled materials. Ten projects made it to the finals, from which the jury selected the best five projects.
2025 “Science for you” competition winners:
Elementary School No. 5 in Gliwice for the project 3D educational projector and the master of geometry triangle. The first aid uses mirrors to show the principles of projecting objects, and the second enables the construction of triangles with given angles and sides.
The School and Kindergarten Complex in Pawłowice for the project Milk Plastic – making cutlery from casein – a protein extracted from milk through reaction with vinegar.
The St. Joseph Calasantius School Complex of the Piarist Order in Poznań for the project Centrifugal machine: a device combining creative play with physics – using centrifugal force, you can generate colorful mosaics from paint, and at the same time learn about the principles of circular motion.
Rosa Kolaczkowska Elementary School in Pliszczyn for the project Water purification plant – an interactive model of a water purification plant, using bottles, sand and stones.
John Paul II Primary School No. 3 in Myślenice for the project Sensorek – sensory teaching aids: from a “magic box” for learning language by touch, to crochet pictures and composing on hook-and-loop fasteners.
Implemented jointly by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education and the Copernicus Science Center, the “Science for You” program aims to popularize science among students and teachers. The competition, an integral part of the program, promotes creativity, design thinking and interest in construction and prototyping.
Teams made up of elementary school students and their teachers enter the competition, submitting their ideas for original science aids. The jury selects the 10 best teams from among the submissions and invites them to a two-day workshop at the Copernicus Science Center.
Each year, during the workshop, participants develop concepts, learn about new materials, and consult their ideas with experts. It’s a time of intense creative teamwork: working on the first prototypes and exchanging experiences. After the workshop, the teams return to schools, where they continue working on their educational aids. They present the final results in the form of a short film, which documents both the project itself and the process of its creation.
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The “Science for You” competition is organized and financed under a joint “Science for you” program of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education and the Copernicus Science Center. The program is funded by a grant from the Minister of Science and Higher Education under an agreement from October 23, 2023. No. MEiN/2023/DPI/3079.
