The periodic table of elements scrabble and Trixi the Spy attracted dozens of children to the Refinery Gallery

The periodic table of elements scrabble and Trixi the Spy attracted
dozens of children to the Refinery Gallery

• almost two hundred pupils enjoyed fun with chemistry and history at the end of the school year in the design factory Slovnaft College
• cooperation with schools is part of Slovnaft's complex education support strategy
• besides to children and youth, Slovnaft also supports teachers

Bratislava, June 26, 2023 – To come closer to chemistry, refinery, but also physics, mathematics, history or architecture. At the end of the school year, almost 200 pupils from Bratislava primary schools had the opportunity to approach the world of science and technology at the design factory Slovnaft College event in the Refinery Gallery – the former brownfield area, refurbished and now used as an event place. To help children discover their talents, develop and gain knowledge, skills and self-confidence, Slovnaft works closely with schools and supports many activities for pupils and students.

The programme of the design factory Slovnaft College consisted of refinery bingo or scrabble for children to create words from chemical symbols, measure the pH and managing a refinery column, or playing Trixi the Spy, who played a key role in the bombing of the former Bratislava Apollo refinery. It was prepared by the civic association design factory, which has long been researching industrial architecture and its conversions, i.e. changing the purpose for which it is used. "By managing the Refinery Gallery building, a former production hall that now serves a different purpose than its original one, we decided to introduce children to the historical context. At the same time, we present the work of architects, designers, but also the world of preparing cultural events that currently fill this space," says Ivica Horáková, Event manager of the design factory.  The programme also included tasks, games and competitions in the field of chemistry and industrial digital applications prepared for children by Slovnaft employees. Watch and experience the atmosphere of the event in a short video: design factory Slovnaft College.

Cooperation with the design factory is part of Slovnaft's complex strategy to support schools, education and development of children and youth. "At Slovnaft, we believe that chemistry is anything but boring. If it has a spark and is taught with passion, it can already attract children in schools. In addition, through understanding the processes in a refinery, children learn a realistic understanding of a technology that humanity has developed and reached a certain evolutionary stage thanks to it. This knowledge allows them to better understand the complexity of issues such as energy availability, the earth, the climate, humanity, quality of life and how all these topics are interrelated and need to be seen in their entirety," explains Anton Molnár, the company's Spokesperson. Activities and support stretch across the whole school system – from primary to secondary and higher education. For more than 10 years, the Crime Chemistry and Mini-Chemistry competitions have been opening up the adventurous horizons of chemistry to schoolchildren, based on crime-solving through chemical experiments. The participation of more than 100 schools in the last round of the Crime Chemistry is a testimony to its success. Behind the acronym ME-PO-TE there are inter-school comparative tests. They reveal the structure of substances to young chemists and teach them the secrets of analytical chemistry. A new addition to school competitions is the Periodic Table of Nature, which seeks to answer the question of what components and chemical elements make up the nature around us. Participating schools will be given a small but well-equipped laboratory for their experiments, as well as equipment and water and soil samples.

Slovnaft also works with teachers. It is often on their shoulders where the responsibility of transferring their enthusiasm for their subject to the children lies. This year, almost a hundred chemistry teachers from various Slovak schools came to a seminar where they could delve deeper into the topics of the oil industry, ESG, the environment and the practical application of science graduates.

In addition to playful activities, Slovnaft develops cooperation with school youth and secondary schools by offering professional training and dual education. Pupils of chemical and technical high schools can practice directly at the refinery. The company also has a long-term cooperation with universities, where some of Slovnaft employees also lecture. Young people can receive up to 1,000 euros for their thesis on Slovnaft if they succeed in the competition Najdiplomovka (The Best Thesis), and the faculty that entered the thesis in the competition will also receive support.

About SLOVNAFT Group

SLOVNAFT Group is an integrated refining and petrochemical group. The key company of the Group is SLOVNAFT, a.s., which is mainly engaged in the processing of crude oil in one of the most complex European refineries and in the wholesale and retail sale of fuels. Slovnaft operates the largest network of petrol stations in the Slovak Republic. The company is one of Slovakia's leaders in CSR and corporate philanthropy, and significantly supports sports, culture, education, youth and environmental revitalisation. Forbes magazine ranked Slovnaft among the most valuable Slovak brands. SLOVNAFT Group is a member of the international MOL Group.

Contact for media:

Anton Molnár

Spokesperson and Head of Communications

tel: +421 905 393 161

e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.