The initiative of mid-sized enterprises „Initiative Mittelstand“ recently has granted the Innovation Prize IT 2012 at the CeBIT exposition. The platform „Swiss Nano-Cube“ was awarded a „Best of 2012“ certificate in the category "e-learning". The project has particularly convinced the jury and thus belongs to the top among 2´500 participating projects. The Innovation Prize IT award was under the auspices of the Commissioner of the German Federal Government for
Information Technology and IBM Germany, Ltd. Link to the Certificate
<http://innovationsgesellschaft.ch/images/content/images/swissnanocube/Zertifikat_919.pdf>
 (In German)

 „Best of 2012“ Award for a European Pioneer Project in E-Learning

 The web platform „Swiss Nano-Cube“ (www.swissnanocube.ch
http://www.swissnanocube.ch/en/home/) is an interactive knowledge and education gateway for micro and nanotechnology for the application in vocational and grammar school.
The Innovation Society, St.Gallen with the support of several Swiss Federal Offices (OPET, FOEN, FOAG) has launched the project in 2009 together with the Swiss Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (SFIVET) and partners from industry.

 The goal of Swiss Nano-Cube is to awaken interest for technological and natural scientific topics among youth, thus imparting knowledge about practice-relevant knowledge of nanotechnology for apprentices.
Although being a key technology with a huge potential and diverse application opportunities, teaching material and education and formation offers for nanotechnology are scarce. Many teachers have not dealt with nanotechnology in their education. Here, Swiss Nano-Cube as
European pioneer project bridges a gap and creates great benefits for education and formation.

 Nano-Knowledge: Exciting, Playful and Fascinating

 Swiss Nano-Cube addresses to youth and young professionals. The layout of the gateway as well as the constituent elements are especially designed for a young audience. This is complemented by exciting learning arrangements, like for example the interactive game
“Nanorama Loft” http://www.swissnanocube.ch/nanorama/?L=3 . In a virtual loft diverse nano products from everyday life have to be found and the player has to answer quiz questions. The “NanoTeachBox” http://www.swissnanocube.ch/en/nanoteachbox/
 contains didactical teaching and learning materials, ready-to-use, as well as videos, presentations and much more information to be used in school lessons. Teaching and learning material e. g. for nano chemistry, occupational health and nanosilver is available and can be
directly applied to lessons. Furthermore, “Swiss Nano-Cube” offers diversified background information on several aspects of nanotechnology drawing a bow from basic effects in the nano world, over economic, social and technological issues to practice-relevant
information for work routine. All materials can be downloaded and used for free. Concomitantly, “Swiss Nano-Cube” periodically offers
“TeachNano”
http://www.swissnanocube.ch/en/nanoteachbox/teachnano-kurse/
 upgrade training courses for teachers.

 Combining "Virtual" and "Real" Communication Tools

 The "Best-of-2012" award is an important milestone for the Swiss Nano-Cube project and all the involved partners. At the same time the award is also a stimulus for further developments and the combination of new communication tools. The Innovation Society has recently
developed the “SimplyNano 1”
http://www.simplyscience.ch/Home/Mach-mit/Tipps/Experimente-Tipp-SimplyNano-1-Experimentierkoffer.aspx  nanotechnology experiment kit for secondary school level for the
SimplyScience foundation. It contains some exciting experiments from the world of nanotechnology. The "physical" kit can be combined with the "virtual" e-learning-platform, in order to address the target-audience. Thus, making use of digital media to teach
"hard-fact-science" in a new way sparking enthusiasm for science and technology.

 Contact & Information

 Robert Rekece, Project Leader Swiss Nano-Cube

 The Innovation Society, St.Gallen

 Lerchenfeldstr. 5

 CH-9014 St.Gallen (Switzerland)

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