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FR
Outreach

Science at kid height

13 Oct 2025

For two weekends in October, ITER volunteers carted folding tables, fusion demos, virtual reality headsets and giveaway goodies to gymnasiums and cultural centres in the region for the annual "celebration of science" (Fête de la science) in France. 

Held every year in October, the French Celebration of Science (Fête de la science) is the opportunity for the ITER Organization to reach out to a very young public and share the magic of plasma science. Pictured, Hélène Delmotte from the Communication team has just asked the young visitors, "How many Members do you think are participating in ITER?

Each day ended with hoarse voices and depleted stocks—every bag of marshmallows empty, every ITER pen distributed, and demo batteries flashing red. 

Participating in day-long Fête de la science event takes stamina! Families come in waves, with children hoping to participate in every fusion demonstration and queuing to strap on the VR headset that transports them around the gigantic ITER worksite or inside the machine. 

Over the weekends of 4-5 and 11-12 October, the ITER Organization took part in events in three cities—Villeneuve-Loubet, Manosque and Marseille—managing a total of eight days with 17 hardy volunteers.

See some scenes from their interactions with the public below.

2025-10-11 - Plasma ball magic!
2025-10-04 - Marco Spizzi from the ITER IT team is manning the vacuum chamber station, showing visitors at the stand what happens to solids (like a marshmallow) or liquids (like water) when air is pumped out of a sealed chamber or, on the contrary, pumped back in. Project engineer Raphael Tieulent is demonstrating electromagnetism further down the stand.
2025-10-12 - Naël is only 9 years old but he already knows a lot about the ITER project where his mother, Caroline Diagne, works as an Occupational Health & Safety Officer. He seems to be keeping his young colleagues in rapt attention.
2025-10-11 - The virtual reality headset is always a crowd pleaser, but you can't be afraid of heights! This young girl is navigating around the ITER construction platform and pointing at buildings she wants to get closer to.
2025-10-09 - Lining up to see the plasma ball demonstration with Romain Bourgue, from ITER's IT team.
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