Thanks to cooperation with the University of Bielsko-Biała and the City Office, Gemini Park Bielsko-Biała once again invites residents of Podbeskidzie and its surroundings to a world of edu-fun, creativity, and experimentation. Science Point LAB is a unique nationwide project, whose exceptional offering promoting science through play grows with each edition, attracting all generations of knowledge-hungry explorers.

– We are confident that in the next edition of Science Point LAB, everyone will find something for themselves – the attractions will be constructed to include different difficulty levels for people of all ages. The project is currently in the preparation phase. In 2024, three puzzle rooms will be created in the gallery, introducing participants to knowledge in biology, chemistry, physics, and new technologies. Participants will experience, for instance, a simulation of an accident, where they will have to save a victim using their knowledge of first aid and human anatomy. For the youngest, a mini-laboratory will be available, where every hour, for 45 minutes, animators will simultaneously present four different experiments, thus bringing the work of a scientist closer. As part of Science Point LAB, an innovative open-formula escape room will also be made available – regardless of the number of participants, each person solving puzzles at individual stations will gain codes necessary for the final unraveling of the scientific puzzle – emphasizes Marcin Ochmański, Director of Marketing and PR at Gemini Park Bielsko-Biała.

Organizers also plan a permanent exhibition and a special zone for toddlers with simple toys that develop creativity. Next year’s edition of Science Point LAB will last 8 weeks. In contrast to earlier editions, it will distinctly feature four scientific, open events led by special guests – animators and science popularizers from leading Polish edu-play centers, such as the Copernicus Science Center in Warsaw, the Centre of Modernity Młyn Wiedzy in Toruń, and Experyment in Gdynia. Animators from science centers will come to Gemini Park Bielsko-Biała with original shows, experiments, and infrastructure. In these free, multi-day events, children, teenagers, adults, and seniors will find something for themselves.

– Together with Gemini Park Bielsko-Biała, we are focusing on pioneering activities aimed at popularizing science through play for another year. In this year’s edition of Science Point LAB, we decided to surprise the residents of Podbeskidzie and organize a project on a scale that has not yet been seen in the Silesian Voivodeship or even Poland. In cooperation with well-known and beloved centers of science – both by young and old lovers of knowledge – we will prepare four additional events that will provide even more edu-fun – says Małgorzata Zarębska, Project Manager at the University of Bielsko-Biała.

Since 2022, Science Point has successfully filled the gap in the popular science offering available to residents of the Silesian Voivodeship. The first edition of the project was a pilot of Gemini Park’s original solution, after the success of which the center decided to implement the concept of edu-play as a permanent element of the long-term CSR strategy for the entire region, thereby clearly distinguishing Science Point from one-time events in retail facilities. The project was created as part of an interdisciplinary partnership between Gemini Park, the University of Bielsko-Biała, and the Bielsko-Biała City Hall. The collaboration allowed for the acquisition of a total of 522,000 zlotys from the Ministry of Education and Science grant for the realization of the project in 2022-2023. The idea of a mini-center annually arouses interest among visitors, and the organizers continually surprise with new ideas for promoting education and scientific discoveries in subsequent years.

In 2022 alone, educational spaces at Gemini Park Bielsko-Biała were visited by as many as 35,000 people. The second edition of the project offered five times more edu-play space and as many as 3 unique exhibitions under the common name “See. Touch. Understand.” The exhibitions were accompanied by over 100 free workshops and educational activities. Science Point 2.0. was also recognized by industry forums and was nominated for the prestigious PRCH Awards in the CSR ACTION AND STRATEGY OF THE YEAR category. The third edition of the Science Point LAB initiative planned for 2024 has already received ministerial funding. Partners have funds amounting to 305,470 zlotys.

– The Science Point project has become a permanent part of the CSR strategy of Gemini Park Bielsko-Biała and the scientific-cultural landscape of Podbeskidzie. This unique nationwide initiative gathers science enthusiasts of all ages each year, proving that education does not have to be boring, and that in each of us lies a curious explorer of the world. It is also an excellent example of cooperation between a university, local government, and a commercial entity, as well as the implementation of an innovative solution in a shopping center that responds to the needs of the entire region – emphasizes Anna Malcharek, Managing Director of Gemini Holding.