State schools organising visits to Esplora Interactive Science Centre, Kalkara, will benefit from free transport and from the centre as from January 2020.

Students visiting Esplora not only have access to its exhibition areas but also benefit from a wide variety of curriculum-related educational activities forming part of the centre’s education programme, which caters for all ages, from early years to secondary school students and beyond. The centre uses creative methods such as facilitation and inquiry-based learning, encouraging visitors to explore, think and imagine.

According to a recent Misco International survey, Esplora has already seen a 14 per cent increased interest in science among the public. In order to be awarded funding from the European Regional Development Fund 2007-2013 to develop Esplora into an interactive science centre, it was committed to achieve a target of a 10 per cent increase.

The free transport scheme is aimed at facilitating an increased number of visits to Esplora, lessen the financial burden on families and reduce obstacles for the public to become more engaged with science. The arrangement is the fruit of a collaboration between Education Minister Evarist Bartolo, Malta Council for Science and Technology executive chairman Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando and Francis Fabri, permanent secretary at the Education Ministry. The initiative is part of a continuous effort to encourage more students to opt to choose Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects and ultimately contribute to increasing the appreciation of science.

http://esplora.org.mt/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Educational-Programme-2019-2020.pdf