What do you want to be when you grow up?
National Future Day – a tradition in Switzerland – aims to give children memorable experiences that could influence how they answer that question. Three CSL locations opened their doors to 88 young people who went to work alongside the company’s scientists and manufacturing experts. Participating sites included CSL Behring in Bern and CSL Vifor in Glattbrugg, the company’s Schlieren lab and CSL Vifor in St. Gallen.
The annual event gives young people an opportunity to discover the diversity of the professional world and to develop their individual interests and talents free from gender, educational and regional stereotypes.
Across all three sites, the young participants went on guided tours of research and lab facilities. The interactive activities included:
- Looking through high-powered microscopes to discover the bacteria and organisms embedded in their fingerprints
- Making tiny, silver-plated glass vials following the process used to create silver mirrors
- Soldering small CSL signs with red and green lights
- Observing a lesson in chemistry that showed how hydrochloric acid, phenolphthalein and water, when mixed and then titrated with caustic soda, will change from colorless to bright pink
The young visitors also were introduced to the daily tasks of biologists, chemists and manufacturing specialists. They heard from local site managers about how CSL Behring and CSL Vifor make medicines that benefit patients who have serious and rare conditions.
Watch the video above to see the children in action.
