Premier Mark McGowan today joined some of the State's youngest aspiring scientists to officially open the brand new Telethon Kids Institute Discovery Centre at Perth Children's Hospital.
The State Government has contributed $1.5 million, through a Lotterywest grant, towards a creative exhibition space, including displays, interactive media and hardware, furniture and equipment to fit-out the Telethon Kids Institute Discovery Centre.
The centre takes tools and techniques used in research, such as microscopes, pipettes and body scanning techniques, to aid in the communication and comprehension of complex scientific and research concepts.
Examples of the interactive games include:
- Catch and collect: Children act as immunotherapy, and work together to tap on white blood cells to help them grow strong and defeat the cancer cells;
- Collect and solve: Encourages children to exercise their mind and asks them to memorise a sequence in petri dishes and then use the custom made pipette to copy the sequence; and
- Seeing inside: Allows children to find out more about health by viewing the human body using medical scanning techniques - x-ray, ultrasound or magnetic resonance imaging.
The centre has a strong focus on universal access, striving to create an inclusive and engaging space for all. It is tactile, has access for wheelchairs, height adjustment, high contrast mode and no sound.
Digital exhibits at the centre also have different language levels creating experiences that cater to a wide and diverse range of visitor outcomes.
The centre is located on the ground floor and northern entrance of the Perth Children's Hospital. It is open from 9am to 4pm, Monday to Friday. For more information, visit http://discoverycentre.telethonkids.org.au
As stated by Premier Mark McGowan:
"It is a pleasure to open the brand new, one of a kind Telethon Kids Institute Discovery Centre.
"The centre brings together science and health research in a fun and educational way, and provides thousands of Western Australian children the opportunity to learn through play when they visit the hospital.
"It's places like the Telethon Kids Institute Discovery Centre that gives kids more exposure to STEM-based activities and provides experiences for them to learn more about STEM and how it is central to jobs of the future."
As stated by Telethon Kids Institute Director Professor Jonathan Carapetis:
"The Telethon Kids Discovery Centre introduces kids and their parents to the world-class research being done right here in Western Australia - research that is making a real difference to the lives of kids all over the State and indeed the country.
"We are delighted to be able to offer this fun and interactive space to WA kids and hope that it will inspire them to one day consider a career in research."
