The Vaisala Group will donate a total of 20 weather stations to secondary and senior secondary schools. By doing this, Vaisala wishes to contribute to the creation of a better learning environment for natural science subjects, whilst at the same time encouraging young people to get more interested in mathematics and sciences. This will provide a solid foundation for further studies in technology, which can lead to a career in the high technology industry. This donation is in line with the objectives set for the co-operation between schools and business life by the Federation of Finnish Metal, Engineering and Electrotechnical Industries MET, and the objectives set for technology education.
"Vaisala has traditionally supported universities and other institutes of higher education. This time we wanted to provide concrete tools for the co-operation between schools and the business world. We feel that this is a good way to acquaint young people with interesting job opportunities at as early a stage as possible. I hope that this will serve as a challenge to other Finnish technology companies," says Mr Pekka Ketonen, President and CEO of Vaisala.
"Vaisala's donation provides strong support to the activities that MET has organised in schools across Finland. Our job is to inspire teachers and students and to encourage them to learn more about the thriving metal and electronics industry, not to mention companies that offer a wide variety of interesting and challenging job opportunities for skilled professionals in the future. Weather stations give students a chance to understand the operating principles of technical systems associated with everyday life, and to grasp some of the basic concepts involved in technology. When students actively use the equipment, they will learn how to benefit from technology and understand what the concept of technology entails," explains Ms Birgitta Ruuti, Communications Manager at MET, when asked about the importance of technology education in schools.
More than 130 applications from different schools were submitted to Vaisala before the deadline. In the selection process, attention was paid to national coverage as well as to similar, already completed projects. Working in close co-operation, Vaisala and MET sought to identify the schools that, on the basis of their applications, had good chances of independently promoting the utilisation of weather stations and of promoting co-operation between regional schools. Vaisala will provide the selected schools with user training on the weather stations. Delivery of the weather stations will take place in May. In total, the donation is worth one million Finnish marks.
Vaisala is a successful international technology group that develops and manufactures electronic measurement systems and equipment. The application areas of Vaisala's products include meteorology, environmental sciences, traffic and industry. Vaisala employs more than 1,000 professionals, and the Group's turnover totalled more than one billion Finnish marks (EUR 179.5 million) in 2000. Vaisala's products are sold worldwide. In 2000, exports accounted for 96 per cent of the turnover. Vaisala's series A shares are listed on the Helsinki Exchange.
The MAWS weather stations were donated to the following schools in Finland:
Euran lukio, Eura
Hämeenlinnan lyseon lukio ja lyseon yläaste, Hämeenlinna
Ivalon lukio, Ivalo
Joensuun lyseon lukio, Joensuu
Juuan lukio, Juuka
Kimpisen lukio, Lappeenranta
Klaukkalan yläaste, Nurmijärvi
Kyrkslätts Gymnasium, Kirkkonummi
Lahden yhteiskoulu, Lahti
Mainingin koulu, Espoo
Muurolan yläaste ja lukio, Muurola
Nilsbyn koulu, Parainen
Oulunkylän yhteiskoulu, Helsinki
Palokan yläaste ja lukio, Jyväskylä
Pappilansalmen yläaste, Hamina
Rantakylän yläaste, Mikkeli
Sievin lukio , Sievi
Tampereen normaalikoulu, Tampere
Vantaankosken koulu, Vantaa
Vörå-Oravais-Maxmo Högstadieskola, Vöyri