ASML Junior Academy is bringing more technology lessons to primary school pupils

The ASML Junior Academy will offer more technology lessons to primary schools in and outside Brainport Eindhoven. Through the program, the number of children receiving technology lessons is set to increase by more than threefold from the initial target of 60,000 to 181,000 in the Netherlands.

The ASML Junior Academy began in the fall of 2022 and has been a great success. The original goal of the program was to provide technology lessons from Mad Science Netherlands to all 271 primary schools in Brainport Eindhoven. In the last school year, more than 18,900 children at 58 schools participated in six interactive technology lessons. Primary schools in Brainport Eindhoven can still register for the program.

Over the next three years, primary schools within a 35-kilometer radius of ASML's Veldhoven headquarters can also sign up for the program. Following registration, pupils will receive six technology lessons during the school year. The program is also being carried out on a smaller scale in Delft, where ASML has been operating since 2019. Within Delft, ASML itself will be organizing the program for selected primary schools.

The new goal of the ASML Junior Academy is to provide technology lessons to 181,000 children in the Netherlands over the next three years. The six technology lessons that the participating classes will receive throughout the year are all themed differently, spanning topics from magnets to electricity, aerodynamics and coding. One of these lessons will be given by an ASML employee when possible. For schools outside Brainport Eindhoven, there are still a few spots available for the current school year and beyond.

Plans are being made to expand the collaboration with Mad Science and the ASML Junior Academy internationally. “After ASML Junior Academy’s successful start last year, we are very pleased that we can further expand this program,” says Lucas van Grinsven, Head of Society & Community Engagement at ASML. “Technical knowledge is indispensable. Everyone is touched by technology, and it is important to prepare children for this. Primary schools don’t always have the resources to offer experiential technology lessons in a way that appeals to children. We can facilitate schools with that. Through the ASML Junior Academy, we can help children understand how they can contribute to solving societal challenges in the areas of health, energy, environmental conservation and mobility by using technical skills.”

Frank Rienties, founder of Mad Science, agrees: “The ASML Junior Academy is welcomed with open arms by both schools and teachers. Children are encouraged to be curious, ask questions and look critically at the world around them. Through the program, they get to witness the impact of science and technology on our daily lives. Teachers appreciate the setup and think the program is a very valuable addition to the existing curriculum. Through the ASML Junior Academy, Mad Science will create a lasting impact in the coming years, helping children and teachers understand the importance of technology for both the present and the future.”

For more information, visit our ASML Junior Academy page.