Science ministry announces National Gwacheon Science Museum autumn courses

The science ministry said that the National Gwacheon Science Museum will run 18 newly developed weekend science courses from Sept. 5 through Oct. 25, focused on hands-on experiments from basic science to artificial intelligence. The museum said it is expanding opportunities for science inquiry experiments that are difficult to access at school or in daily life by using its facilities.

"As autumn, the harvest season, arrives, I hope children will harvest the fruits of learning at the science museum," Lee Chung-won, director of the National Gwacheon Science Museum, said. "We will continue working so that children can always have meaningful and enjoyable experiences at the museum."

Courses include microscopy, with students handling microscopes, observing cells and searching for microscopic evidence. A disaster-focused program, run with Ewha Womans University's Hazard Literacy Convergence Education Research Institute, will cover sinkholes, fine dust and wind power through model experiments, data analysis and simulations.

Digital offerings include a mathematical thinking and coding class for children aged 6 and 7, and an artificial-intelligence course on prompt engineering that lets participants use generative AI to create logos, music, games and applications. The courses are divided by school level according to children's development and learning needs.

The museum will offer 36 classes, with morning and afternoon sessions on Saturdays and Sundays. Annual members can register Aug. 25-27 through the museum's education-center learning management system on a first-come, first-served basis. The museum will take 512 students, with 12 to 16 students in each class. The six-session fee is 180,000 won ($130), with a 20 percent discount for annual members.