The Popular Choice Awards

Established by Gemini Park Bielsko-Biała, the "Science Point. Minicentre of Science" ("SP") is a modern educational space that combines science with fun, inspiring young, bright minds to acquire knowledge through workshops and an interactive exhibition. SP offers a fresh approach to popularising science by explaining complex phenomena in a simple, accessible and experiment-based way. A pioneering solution in the Polish retail market, the SP is the first place of its kind and was created from scratch on the premises of a shopping centre. Its originator was the Gemini and its efforts in this regard were supported by the University of Bielsko-Biała, which guarantees high scientific excellence of the project. The establishment of the SP was made possible thanks to a PLN 234,000 grant received by the university and Gemini from the Ministry of Science and Education — this marks the first time in Poland that a pro-social space in a shopping centre received such funding. The form of cooperation under this project is also a major success: the SP is an example of an excellent joint effort between business, science and local government (Bielsko-Biała authorities) actors. All these partners constantly work together to promote knowledge and integrate the local community around the project. The grant has made it possible to make all SP exhibitions and workshops available for free to anyone interested. This significantly increases SP's accessibility to the local community, including schools and the elderly. It was a great success to win the cooperation of the Mill of Knowledge Modernity Centre, which maintains the "Waves around us" exhibition available at SP that showcases the principles related to the phenomenon of waves. Each of the dozen or so devices available at SP requires manual and intellectual engagement. For example, you can test how sound from a loudspeaker reaches the bone and how music affects the heart rate. SP also has a mini-cinema that plays educational films. Moreover, it regularly hosts workshops, experiments, lessons and other events for auditing students and organised school groups. SP's programme includes as many as 127 activities for schools, adults and the elderly. Its event calendar is filled to the brim with classes in robotics, physical and chemical phenomena, mathematics etc. SP has been opened on 22 April 2022 and will continue to operate until as late as November this year. A total of 7,500 people visited SP in the first month alone.