Energy Guzzler at Lifetime Lab

Image: Guzzler at Lismore Heritage Centre

Lifetime Lab is seeking help from primary school children all across Cork to keep an eye out for Guzzler, a furry energy eating alien that landed at the Old Waterworks recently. Guzzlers mission is to learn about saving energy from infant and junior classes and has been seen visiting Cork City schools this week.

The visit of Guzzler is part of a series of interactive, hands-on primary workshops available free to primary schools in Cork this year as Lifetime Lab partners the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) to increase the understanding of climate change and energy efficiency.

Guzzler workshops are available to junior (1st & 2nd) classes and children will learn about energy efficiency and environmental awareness through participation in various experiments and activities using Guzzler the puppet – the ultimate energy waster!

Speaking about the partnership Mervyn Horgan Manager of Lifetime Lab said “The partnership with  SEAI  is a complement to the success of our existing education programmes, with close to 8000 primary school children per year attending workshops at Lifetime Lab we have developed a strong working relationship with schools in Cork” He further said “pupils receiving the free workshops will be introduced to the concept of energy conservation and  participate is fun activities at a level that is age appropriate, while class teachers will receive helpful resources linked to the SESE strands of science, geography and history”.

Speaking about the workshops Aoife Cannon, Education Executive with SEAI said

“The aim of SEAI’s Education Programme is to educate pupils on the benefits of sustainable energy, through local workshops we hope to reach a wider audience and really make a difference to the use of energy in Ireland”.  Aoife added “Lifetime Lab is an ideal partner to deliver the programme, both by the success in reaching a large audience but also as an exemplar of sustainability”

Guzzler Workshops are available free of charge to schools and will visit schools from January to March 2012. To book a workshop, or for more information, please contact lifetimelab@corkcity.ie or 021 4941500 or go to www.lifetimelab.ie

For more on Guzzler and the work of the SEAI with Primary Schools, you can visit their site.

Lifetime Lab “Chemistry It’s Elementary” Show

Cork primary school pupils will help celebrate 2011 as the International Year of Chemistry with Lifetime Lab as “Chemistry Its Elementary” comes to Cork Institute of Technology on Thursday October 20th and Friday 21^st October.

Over 1200 school children from across the city will  journey from alchemy to chemistry on a whistle stop tour of gases and the states of matter, density, acids and bases, chromatography, crystals, metals, fireworks and much more over.

 

“Chemistry Its Elementary” introduces primary school pupils to the elements, the building blocks of our universe, beginning with Hydrogen and finishing with Calcium. It’s Elementary showcases chemistry through lots of activity and interaction, offering an introduction to the periodic table and the first twenty elements; where they are found and the  quirky things they do. There will be lots of experiments and information about the elements, their properties, their occurrence and their uses with many of the experiments suitable for teachers to recreate in class.

Mervyn Horgan, manager of Lifetime Lab said “We were looking for an event to mark the international year of chemistry and received fantastic support from MSD, CIT and PharmaChemical Ireland when the idea was discussed; through close collaboration and synergy Lifetime Lab is able to bring a marquee science event to a large Cork audience, we also included transport to and from the venue making the event more accessible and attractive for schools to participate”.

“Chemistry – It’s Elementary “will be at Cork Institute of Technology on October 20^th and 21^st with three shows per day 9.30am,11.00am and 12.30pm.Further information is available from Lifetime Lab at 021 4941500 or lifeetimelab@corkcity.ie

Water Heritage Open Day

Lifetime Lab at the Old Waterworks in Cork City will host a family fun Water Heritage Open Day on Saturday 27th August from 11am to 4pm. Activities will include launching water rockets from the Lifetime Lab garden, make & do, science activities, birds of prey, be a water detective, create giant bubbles, magic, face painting and lots, lots more.

Admission is free and children and adults can enjoy a series of stands and activities which will help them find out more about water. See images from last years open day here.

Lifetime Lab manager Mervyn Horgan said “Our 2010 open day was voted Best Interactive Event by the Heritage Council and this year we are aiming for best overall event” adding “We have had a great response from the public so far and expect a larger attendance this year, we have more volunteers and lots of extra family friendly fun planned with entry and all activities free on the day”

When asked about the weather spoiling the day Mervyn replied “The fun will happen inside as well as outdoors and we are fortunate to have our own marquee, so we are well prepared”

Lifetime Lab is located in the old Cork City Waterworks buildings on the Lee Road. The site now contains a Visitor Centre with interactive environmental exhibits, a steam centre with the original boilers and huge steam engines, a schools resource centre, a coffee dock, a picnic area and children’s playground and is fully wheelchair accessible.

Water Heritage Open Day is part of Cork Heritage Open Day 2011 run as part of National Heritage Week (August 22nd -28th) and sees a whole range of unique buildings open free to the public throughout Cork City.

Lifetime Lab Wins Again

Well done to Lifetime Lab at the Old Cork Waterworks, which has been selected as “Best Industrial Museum/Site” by the Industrial Heritage Association of Ireland. The accolade was presented to Lifetime Lab at a special ceremony at ESB headquarters recently.

Lifetime Lab was selected by the Industrial Heritage Association of Ireland (IHAI) for the successful integration of Victorian architecture, including three enormous stationary steam engines, with the modern requirements of a 21^st century visitor experience.  Manager of Lifetime Lab Mervyn Horgan commented “Recognition by the IHAI is a fantastic achievement; each year we try to expand the heritage value of Lifetime Lab for our visitors, for example we have introduced an audio visual experience this year that recreates the working life of  a waterworks employee”.

Speaking at the presentation, Colin Rynne, president of the IHAI Heritage said, “The judging committee identified Lifetime Lab as a clear winner for the award, the scale of the restoration and conservation are a credit to Cork City Council”. He added “These awards are an opportunity to recognise the tremendous achievement in developing and sustaining industrial sites as tourist and educational amenities".

Lifetime Lab is located at the old Cork City Waterworks on Lee Road. The Victorian buildings were restored to accommodate a visitor centre with interactive environmental exhibits, a steam centre with preserved boilers and huge steam engines and a schools science centre. Lifetime Lab also has a coffee dock, a picnic area, a children’s playground, is fully wheelchair accessible and opens every day until 5.00pm.

Exploring Irish Marine Life

The wonders of Irish marine life will be investigated at Cork's Lifetime Lab with the launch of a fortnight of school workshops in collaboration with the “Explorers” Primary Marine Outreach and Education Programme.

The "Explorers" Education Programme brings the excitement of the sea into the classroom and has already been successfully rolled out to some 40 primary schools in the West of Ireland from Mayo to Clare, and in six schools in the greater Dublin area. The Cork project is a collaborative effort between the Marine Institute, Forfas Discover Primary Science, University College Cork and Lifetime Lab.  

The Explorers Education programme aims to integrate marine themes as closely as possible with lessons already taught in national schools through the Social, Environmental and Scientific Education (SESE) curriculum and other cross curricular subjects and hopes to reach 500 primary school pupils in Cork. 

Workshops will run from March 28^th to April 8^th ,are available to primary schools free of charge, and  may be booked by contacting Lifetime Lab at 021 4941500 or lifetimelab@corkcity.ie

Mervyn Horgan Manager of Lifetime Lab said “We are delighted to be involved in the pilot series of workshops, we are always looking for new and innovative ways of engaging in science education and raising the awareness of marine science in Cork classrooms can only bring long term benefits”   He further added “We perceive Lifetime Lab as an extra classroom for every school in the city and county, a science nursery for institutions whose high level graduates ensure that Cork has a well educated and highly skilled workforce long into the future”.   

“The Explorers Programme focuses on Ireland’s two greatest natural resources – our vast undersea territory and our young people,” said Dr. Peter Heffernan, CEO of the Marine Institute. “If Ireland is to develop a thriving marine sector in tomorrow’s world, then it will be the young people of today who will make it happen.” 

Pupils will engage in activities based around animals and plants that live in Irish waters, the power of the sea, the real map of Ireland and will also make their own submarine and periscopes.Classes participating in Discover Primary Science can use an explorers workshop visit to fulfill Step 2 of the steps required to achieve a DPS Award of Science and Math’s Excellence.