First Permanent Newton Room for STEM education opens in the Netherlands

Hoogerheide, 19 September 2024 — FIRST Scandinavia, the Aircraft Maintenance & Training School (AM&TS) and Boeing celebrated the official opening of the Netherlands’ first permanent Newton Room in Noord-Brabant. The Newton Room provides children aged 10-15 with a stimulating learning experience to spark their interest in STEM. 

King’s Commissioner Ina Adema spoke at the opening and participated in a ribbon-cutting ceremony with the three project partners.

Measuring a total of 180 square meters, the classroom is equipped with three flight simulators and offers two learning modules. Students completing the learning module Up in the Air with Numbers calculate a flight plan for a rescue mission they later execute in the simulators. The second module, Robots and Circumference presents a similar connection between theory and practice. Students first reflect on geometrical laws before programming a mobile robot to cover a specific distance. At a later stage, a third module on Sustainable Aviation Biofuels will be added.

The newly established classroom builds on previous successes of the Newton Concept in the Netherlands. In 2021, a total of 300 high-school students completed the learning experience at a temporary Newton Room brought to Hoogerheide by Boeing, FIRST Scandinavia and AM&TS. Three years earlier, in 2018, the first temporary Newton Room in the Netherlands was established at Delft University of Technology.

With the Hoogerheide Newton Room, Boeing and FIRST Scandinavia celebrate the 12^th permanent room established worldwide (7 Newton Rooms and 5 Newton Flight Academies). Since 2003, more than 430.000 children have visited a Newton Room globally. 

“We are proud to welcome Noord-Brabant to our international network. Newton Noord-Brabant is the first permanent Newton Room in the Netherlands, and it is dedicated to hands-on learning in science and technology. Students will engage in exciting STEM activities, gaining practical skills and a deeper understanding of the world. We look forward to seeing how this room will strengthen practical learning and foster a love for science among young people.” commented Per-Arild Konradsen, CEO FIRST Scandinavia and Newton Concept Owner.

Wim Blinkhof, Managing Director of The Aircraft Maintenance & Training School explained the importance of attracting more students to STEM careers: “We believe that the playful way of teaching STEM principles, contributes to a higher level of interest for technical subjects at school. Ultimately, all companies with a shortage of technical personnel will benefit from this, not only the aviation sector. Students who are enthusiastic about STEM at a young age are often those that become the best innovators and technicians in the future.’’

Aircraft Maintenance & Training School – As a dedicated training organization in the aviation industry, AM&TS offers curriculum development, training capabilities and aviation training under EASA Part 66 & 147. This way, new and existing staff are qualified according to the latest industry standards. AM&TS is MRO’s partner when it comes to keeping their most valuable asset, technical staff, as competent and motivated as they can be.

About FIRST Scandinavia and Newton
The Newton Concept is developed and administered by the Norwegian non-profit foundation FIRST Scandinavia in collaboration with teachers, academic institutions, and corporations. A Newton Room is a well-equipped, inspiring STEM classroom focusing on high-quality education. The purpose is to provide as many children as possible with good experience and mastery of STEM subjects. The education is varied and focuses on practical activities. The concept has been introduced internationally through the partnership with Boeing. 57 Permanent Newton Rooms have been established in 14 countries, including Norway, Germany, and France.