Alexis and Patricia, from MASTE

Each month, we invite you to discover the Creil Sud Oise area in a different way through the portrait of 12 Tourism Ambassadors who act daily for tourism in the south of the Oise!

Alexis and Patricia

House of Scientific, Technological and Environmental Activities (MASTE)

Patricia RichardDeputy Mayor in charge of Innovation, Foresight, Citizenship, Participatory Democracy and the Transversal Approach to Science and Technology Alexis VialCoordinator and Head of Educational Content, welcome us to the House of Scientific, Technological and Environmental Activitiesknown as "MASTE", in Nogent-sur-Oise.

If their goal is simple: making science accessibleBut their fields of action seem to be infinite!

M for House

Nogent-sur-Oise is full of treasures and MASTE is a perfect example.

Located a few steps away from the Sainte-Maure-et-Sainte-Brigide church, in Nogent-sur-Oise, the MASTE welcomes you in warm, colourful premisesThese are ideally suited to group workshops.

As soon as you enter, you are immediately put in the bath with this very beautiful glass roof which gives on a experimentation lab where 3D printers, heat presses, microscopes... When you open the door, a colourful staircase leads to the team's offices. On the walls, you can see what the place was like when it was young: first a fablab (a workshop for creating objects with the help of a computer), which welcomed in residence the Creathèqueand then the MAST without E (more on that below!). But let's go straight on, to this floor. We arrive in a large room where Workbenches are waiting for the little budding scientists and further on, another room, with several PCs available for participants. This ground floor leads to a patio where various plants and herbs grow in their own container. At the end of the patio, a door, behind the door... a farm ! We'll tell you about that too below.

And in this house, 4 people (the head of the structure and coordinator, a facilitator, an assistant facilitator, an administrative agent) imagine, create and run activities to discover the sciences, sometimes with the help of external speakers.

A for Activities

Conceived, developed and managed by the Nogent-sur-Oise City Council (of which it is a service), MASTE is the result of a reflection by the municipality: every citizen is surrounded by science and technology on a daily basis health, the environment, administrative procedures... But we still have the impression that science is a matter for the elite, not very accessible or even totally obscure for some! In creating MASTE, the city wanted to give a place for experimentation through playful activities, a good dose of observation and (some) theory to make science accessible to all!

This is how the project was launched in 2015. A year later, the children of Nogent were already able to experiment with their own experiences during school outings or with the leisure centre. In 2019, MASTE is adding another string to its bow with the opening of the educational farm. If you can imagine what happened in 2020, 2021 was a year of renewal with the creation of new Intergenerational activities and events such as the Science Festival during which activities were organised in partnership with the Marie Curie high school in Nogent-sur-Oise (technical and scientific high school from high school to BTS to scientific preparatory classes).

MASTE also offers science clubs which are open to all: free for Nogentais, with preferential rates for the inhabitants of theAgglomeration Creil Sud Oise* (ACSO), and a specific tariff for outsiders.

S for Scientists

MASTE's mission is to help children aged 6 to 12 discover scienceFor older children, teenagers, there are other activities such as For older children, teenagers, other activities such as mathematical role-playing games, Escapes Game are offered. Various science clubs are regularly scheduled. Do not hesitate to consult l'Calendar of the city and to register !

The highlight of MASTE remains the Science Festivalwhich takes place in Octobera one-week period during which the Many activities are offered free of charge throughout the city.

T for Technology

With the help of object creation materials, MASTE develops activities around new technologies.

The team also offers, in partnership with Enedisan electrical hazards project with workshops and site visits as well as projects in collaboration with the national education system.

At the moment, the Nogent Municipal Youth Council has the chance to work with the Tiers Lieu on the ACSO (which should move to rue Jules Uhry in Creil, close to the Tourist Office, by the end of 2022), on the " Mushroom project " ! They experience the creation of objects with mycelium (a part of the mushroom that allows it to feed and grow)... to be continued!

Finally, if the citizen is continually surrounded by science, he is also increasingly led to navigating the digital world online procedures, hyper connectivity, dematerialisation... MASTE therefore offers computer initiations and twice-weekly digital consultationsA mediator who helps people who are not comfortable with the web to do so!

E for Environmental

In a world where ecology is becoming a necessity, the town of Nogent-sur-Oise wanted to get involved and offer nature-related activities. Thus, in December 2019, the Environmental component has been developed at MASTand at the same time adding the E, with the opening of the Educational farm.

This farm, which is adjacent to the MASTE, is located at 27 rue du Général de Gaulle. Open free of charge every Wednesday and SaturdayIn this area, there are vegetable patches, vines planted in March 2021 and animal pens with sheep, ducks, chickens and rabbits... In such an urbanised area this is not common!

MASTE also contributes to l'Atlas of Biodiversity launched by the Agglomération Creil Sud Oise [https://www.creilsudoise.fr/mon-environnement/biodiversite/atlas] (an inventory of the natural environments and species that surround us) by inviting observation and study time in the Monroy Marsha natural wetland being rehabilitated in Nogent-sur-Oise.

* L'Agglomeration Creil Sud Oise includes the towns of Cramoisy, Creil, Maysel, Montataire, Nogent-sur-Oise, Rousseloy, Saint-Leu-d'Esserent, Saint-Vaast-lès-Mello, Saint-Maximin, Thiverny and Villers-Saint-Paul.