Jonas Janssens
We got to know Jonas during his participation in the LEJON Awards in 2023. His enthusiasm is contagious and with his spectacles he makes every child dream. Get to know Jonas: the creative brain behind the wonderful camps of JJ Labs.
THE IDEA
Science is still too often presented as scholarly and difficult. As a chemistry student at UCLL, I experience this completely differently. I wanted to convey this passion to young people in a playful way. This is how JJ Labs was born: youth camps with space as their central theme. Together with the children, we travel to the moon for a week. How do you get there? What do you need to survive? By investigating this, children learn more about the universe in an accessible way.
THE challEnge
On paper, it sounds fun: organising youth camps. And it is, but there is always more to it than expected. As the initiator, I always took the lead in the beginning and took on all the tasks. You can't keep that up. Although I can count on an enthusiastic gang, we are a real group of friends, I really had to learn to let go and delegate. In the end, a day counts no more than 24 hours. You spend that time more efficiently if you divide the work intelligently.
the skills
Dare. It's a cliché to say you have to take the plunge, but as an entrepreneur, you have to set something in motion yourself. So come out with your plan. In 2023, JJ Labs won a LEJON awards in the ‘Idea’ category. Everything was not on point yet, but people saw the potential and that motivated them to go all the way. In the early stages, not everything went as planned, but that's part of the game. Another cliché: you can learn a lot from mistakes.
the future
Our original approach sets us apart from other youth camps. It is noticed. We were already asked to work under larger organisations, but that is not for us. JJ Labs grew out of a close friendship and we radiate that. The spontaneous interaction among supervisors is a defining factor. Of course we want to grow, but not at the expense of group dynamics. We hope to find a balance in that soon.