08.04.2025

Freiwilligenarbeit

Call for volunteers: Science Meets Fantasy in Basel

Last year, some volunteers from the Informatics, Physics, Robotics and Astronomy Olympiads teamed up with a ETH startup to bring the Science Olympiad spirit to Fantasy Basel, Switzerland’s largest pop culture convention. In May we will be back - and you can join!

Fantasy Basel features exhibitions, guest panels, gaming zones, and different contests, attracting around 88’000 visitors from all over Europe. The Science Olympiad booth can be found on the Space Floor, which hosts expert panels on robotics, geology, biology, chemistry, robotics and physics for a broad audience. However, participation is not limited to space-related topics, so all Science Olympiads are welcome!

Last year, visitors of the space floor had the chance to visit exhibitions and activities of the Swiss Space Museum and its partners as well as being treated to meetings and talks by space scientists, experts and science stars like Dr. Renato Krpoun, Prof. Peter Wurz, and the swiss astronaut Claude Nicollier. While the Science Olympiad volunteers probably did not expect to compete with such science superheroes, they definitely stole the show, no capes were needed.

Students, Astronauts, and the Mysteries of the Universe

In May 2024, the Swiss Physics Olympiad brought science to life for visitors of all ages at their Fantasy Basel booth, where kids, students, teachers, and seniors alike could dive into the wonders of physics and astronomy. The stand featured a fun mix of challenges, including a science oracle and a memory game, both featuring a fun mix with pop culture references related to physics.

The science oracle became a center of curiosity, where visitors could ask questions about any topic in physics. The challenge for the Olympiad volunteers was to explain these complex concepts in a way that was not only understandable but also engaging for even the youngest visitors. Whether it was explaining the mysteries of black holes or the secrets of quantum mechanics, the volunteers did a wonderful job making science approachable and fun.

The memory game, another highlight, tested players' knowledge with funny pop culture facts connected to physics. It was a hit among all age groups, offering an entertaining way to learn about the different subjects while connecting it to familiar movies, shows, and books.

Tower of Hanoi as a Teaser for Informatics Olympiad

The Swiss Informatics Olympiad offered Tower of Hanoi and a card sorting game. As solving one of those games was required to get a reward, Tower of Hanoi in particular did garner quite a lot of attention, so there were plenty of opportunities to either directly motivate potential new participants to attend the Informatics Olympiad workshops or else give information for people who could encourage students they know to participate.

Tower of Hanoi is an excellent way of bringing the core of Informatics to a broad audience. While solving it requires neither a single line of coding nor a digital device, one must figure out and execute an algorithm in its head to succeed. This is exactly the kind of thinking the Informatics Olympiad tries to promote and acts as a gateway to the discipline. Solving the riddle was accessible to people of almost any age. There was a lot of positive feedback and the audience was very eager to solve the challenge.

The cogs are a-turning

In order to make giveaways in a productive way instead of just leaving it on the table, the Science Olympiad volunteers partnered with the ETH student project Manzoku, who built a machine from scratch that can make stickers, pins and more. At Fantasy Basel 2024, the large, bright-white hull and the colorful capsules caught the attention of passers-by, captivating guests of any age to come and learn more about what the Science Olympiad had to offer. The hull did not retain its chalky-white exterior for long, however, as onlookers were encouraged to leave their mark on the gadget, using pens and markers, which turned it into a flashy column of vivid art and vibrant colors. The idea became a massive hit, with guests lining up to engage in our quizzes and challenges for the chance to win fun prizes turned out by the Manzoku machine. 

Being a part of Fantasy Basel 2024 was a mesmerizing experience for the Manzoku team. Seeing the magnetic pull of the team’s and the machine's presence, enticing guests to participate in the activities of the Science Olympiad booth, made it feel like the Manzoku team became part of the Science Olympiad. This year, they’ve expressed excitement about joining again - with a new improved version of the machine.

You too can be a part of it!

Would you like to see the mysterious machine in action yourself? Do you want to spread the word about Science Olympiad? Are you ready to help out and represent your Olympiad at the Science Olympiad booth? Good news: We will be back at Fantasy Basel between May 29 and 31, 2025 - with an even bigger booth. However, that requires the help of a lot of volunteers! Here’s what you can do:

  • Spread the word in your Olympiad and to your board in order to gain support from as many Olympiads as possible.
  • Volunteer yourself for a shift at the Science Olympiad booth by contacting Jehan Alsawaf (j.alsawaf(at)olympiad.ch). As a volunteer, you won’t pay any entrance fee. 

Weitere Artikel

Verband

Olympiade ohne Barrieren

Wie können wir die Olympiade auch für Teilnehmende mit einer Beeinträchtigung oder Behinderung zugänglich gestalten? Dr. Olga Meier vom Schweizer Zentrum für Heil- und Sonderpädagogik SZH beantwortet grundlegende Fragen.

Verband

Robotik

Physik

Astronomie

Informatik

Mathematik

Biologie

Chemie

Geographie

Call for volunteers: Science Meets Fantasy in Basel

Last year, some volunteers from the Informatics, Physics, Robotics and Astronomy Olympiads teamed up with a ETH startup to bring the Science Olympiad spirit to Fantasy Basel, Switzerland’s largest pop culture convention. In May we will be back - and you can join!

Verband

Wind, Sonne und Zahlen: WO-Teamtag und Vorstandswochenende

Am 29. März trafen sich der WO-Vorstand und die Mitarbeitenden der Geschäftsstelle zum Teamtag auf dem Mont-Soleil. Sie erlebten, wie es im Innern einer der wenigen Windturbinen in der Schweiz aussieht. Und genossen ein gemeinsam zubereitetes 4-Gänge-Menü in einem Chalet im Berner Jura.

Verband

Was es 2025 bedeutet, Volunteer bei einer Wissenschafts-Olympiade zu sein

Rund 500 Freiwillige organisieren die 11 Wissenschafts-Olympiaden. Im Winter hat die Geschäftsstelle der Wissenschafts-Olympiade eine Umfrage durchgeführt, um zu verstehen, was die Volunteers bewegt. Nun nehmen wir die wichtigsten Resultate unter die Lupe.

Verband

Linguistik

Physik

So läuft’s ab: Lager und Workshops

Die Wissenschafts-Olympiaden sind mehr als ein Wettbewerb. Nach den ersten Runden lernen Teilnehmende in Lagern und Workshops mehr über ihr Lieblingsfach. Im zweiten Teil unserer Reise durch das Olympiaden-Jahr verbringen wir eine Woche im Physik-Lager und rätseln mit der Linguistik-Olympiade.

Verband

Wirtschaft

Philosophie

Chemie

Physik

Biologie

Achtung, fertig, klug sein!

Wissen, Freunde, Reisen: Fünf Medaillengewinner und -gewinnerinnen aus den letzten dreissig Jahren erzählen im Schweizer Forschungsmagazin Horizonte, was die Teilnahme an einer Wissenschafts-Olympiade ihnen gebracht hat.