First steps in composite materials for schoolchildren: A STEM educational project

Abstract Composite materials are inseparable from today’s life, yet many schoolchildren (and adults) are not familiar with them. In the framework of InnovationLab , an initiative of KU Leuven, a new Science-Technology-Engineering-and-Mathematics (STEM) project was launched, intended to introduce composite materials to schoolchildren. A toolbox was developed which enables teachers to perform composite-related experiments together with their pupils, actualising the pupils’ knowledge in chemistry, physics and mathematics. The students learn about polymer matrices and fibres, produce a composite themselves, investigate its mechanical properties and finally test a composite catapult. This way the scientific awareness of the students is raised and they gain insight into today’s challenges in composite materials and how engineers respond to them.