The theme of the festival was Professor Nova Next's journey: she travelled from the future back to 2023 to ask the young festival visitors for help. The kids could help her change things so that she and all people and animals can live on a more beautiful planet. 

One of the students who attended, Julia van Duijn (Bachelor's degree Biology) about the festival and outreach activities in general: 

"I participated in Expedition NEXT because I really enjoy sharing my enthusiasm about science. My role was to guide children through life-size river crossing. A children's game that requires much more logical thinking and insight than you might initially think.  

Besides activities for primary school children such as robotics and DNA isolation, I have also taught a forensic investigation practical in secondary schools.   

It takes great adaptability, because you have to be able to respond to the different learning needs of students. Because of course, every school, class or pupil is different, which makes it varied. You also visit many different places across the country and learn different types of science communication."

Are you a Dutch-speaking student at the Faculty of Science and would you also like to participate in these kinds of activities? Visit this page for more info or send an email to outreach-science@uva.nlExternal link.