"ViteMeir on wheels" will be continued

Jan Petter Vadheim, Head of Corporate Marketing at Sparebanken Sogn og Fjordane, handed over the gift of NOK 750,000 to ViteMeir on wheels. Agents Sandra, Iselin, Eskil and ViteVero are delighted with the gift. 

More than 3,500 pupils have been able to experience science shows or learning programs through "ViteMeir on wheels" during the autumn of 2023. "Of course we have to keep doing this when we get feedback like 'This is the best science lesson in the world'," says Åse Neraas, Head of Communication at ViteMeir . 

ViteMeir is located at Kaupanger in Sogndal municipality, but is the science center for the whole of Sogn og Fjordane. The distances in Sogn og Fjordane create challenges in terms of time when both travel and arrangements have to be made during a school day.  

- The distance doesn't make it sensible for everything to happen here at Kaupanger. The experience you get when you visit us at ViteMeir cannot be fully replaced by traveling, but by going on tour with "ViteMeir on wheels", far more pupils will benefit from our offer. ViteMeir will still be the science center for the whole of Sogn og Fjordane, so we are therefore investing in further developing "ViteMeir on wheels", says Neraas.  

"This is the best science lesson ever!"

From the end of August to the beginning of November, more than 3,500 pupils from the municipalities of Sunnfjord, Stad, Kinn, Høyanger, Hyllestad, Gloppen and Stryn visited ViteMeir and were able to complete learning programs or experience science shows. With the exception of Sunnfjord, these are municipalities that do not have a permanent user agreement with ViteMeir.  

- "Many of these pupils would probably not otherwise have received an offer from us. So it's extra rewarding to get feedback like the one we received from a pupil from Eid who exclaimed "This is the best science lesson in the world!"," says Neraas.  

Project funding has made it possible 

In order to carry out such tours, ViteMeir is dependent on special funding, either by the municipalities paying for the offer or by other players providing the funding. In 2023, a pilot project was first carried out at the end of February, where facilitators conducted learning programs for nine school classes during two intensive days at Campus Verftet in Førde. The experience was positive and the feedback from pupils and teachers was that this was something they wanted more of. Sunnfjord municipality has now signed a new user agreement with ViteMeir. From now on, the agreement will include both visits to ViteMeir and ViteMeir coming to Sunnfjord to hold learning programs.  

Funding from the Research Council of Norway financed the tour's activities in Stad. Here, the activities were linked to the Research Days, which this year had energy as its theme. In addition, donations from Tekna have funded the "ViteMeir on wheels" tour activities in Kinn, Høyanger, Hyllestad, Gloppen and Stryn. The tour has reached over 1,700 pupils.  

Øyvind Heimset Larsen of Tekna Sogn og Fjordane is concerned about preparedness and recruitment. 

- We work for good education, Sustainable Development Goal 4, by recruiting to the sciences with active support for ViteMeir, Reodor initiatives and I cheer on all nature and science studies in the region. In this work, we make very active use of Tekna's internal calls for applications for social funding. We have already submitted a new application for funds that, together with other good forces, can expand and renew the initiative in 2024.  

May continue touring in 2024  

ViteMeir aims to cover all municipalities in the old Sogn og Fjordane county over a period of two years, including both visits to ViteMeir in Kaupanger and "ViteMeir on wheels" elsewhere in the old county. Vestland County Council has approved funding for the purchase of mobile installations that will help to make the offer on wheels even more exciting. 

- Our goal is for this to become a permanent part of our operations and for the offer on wheels to include science shows, learning programs and not least science center installations. For example, we're very excited to be able to take students on a visual journey to outer space in a mobile planetarium," says Head of Education at ViteMeir Åse Neraas.  

Tekna will be 150 years old in 2024 and wants to mark this by contributing to activities that can stimulate interest in the sciences throughout the country. They are doing this through their own anniversary project with the science centers. Each of the 13 regional science centers will receive a donation of NOK 150,000 to implement an educational program for grades 5-7.  

- "Tekna Sogn og Fjordane is proud that the 2023 project in Sogn og Fjordane has inspired the national initiative. We look forward to celebrating both Tekna 150 years and Tekna Sogn og Fjordane 85 years in 2024," says Heimset Larsen.  

Åse Neraas at ViteMeir is delighted with the gift for 2024.  

- This gift will make it possible to continue with "ViteMeir on wheels" in 2024, and ensure that even more pupils can take part in science center education. And there's no hiding the fact that it's great that what we've achieved together with Tekna in Sogn og Fjordane may have contributed to a better offer for districts elsewhere in the country too!  

Long-term commitment 

The Sogn og Fjordane Savings Bank Foundation has embraced ViteMeir 's commitment to wheels and applauds the focus on the whole of Sogn og Fjordane. They have recently approved a donation of NOK 750,000 to "ViteMeir on wheels" for the period 2024-2028. The donation comes from the profits of Sparebanken Sogn og Fjordane. The aim is to reach out to secondary school pupils in municipalities that have a long travel distance to the science center. 

 - "We want to support this project so that as many pupils as possible in Sogn og Fjordane can benefit from the expertise at the science center. By ViteMeir bringing learning programs and traveling to the schools, we can reach many students in an effective way," says Jan Petter Vadheim of Sparebanken Sogn og Fjordane. 

- This gift could be decisive for "ViteMeir on wheels" and the offer we want to put in place. We believe that the municipalities will see the benefit of such a focus on science subjects for their students, and we will enter into dialogue with them to invite them to join the project. This is a gift that will benefit many children and young people," concludes Åse Neraas.