Good zdi practice

In the second half of the 2012/2013 school year, nineteen lower school students let themselves be infected by the enthusiasm of a flight instructor from Hangelar and their physics teacher at the Freiherr-vom-Stein-Gymnasium in Rösrath, in order to deal with the theory and practice of flying.

The zdi center BeST offers students from 53 general education schools in the Bergisch city triangle from grade 8 onwards the opportunity to get to know innovative technologies in an experimental way that goes beyond normal school lessons. Also thanks to the close cooperation with companies in the region, the participants get insights into innovative technologies and related professional fields, through the cooperation with the Bergische Universität Wuppertal an overview of technical and scientific courses.

In the autumn holidays of 2014 was in the first Qass inventor workshop built a wind turbine. The aim was to create a Darrieus windmill with the rotor blades rotating along the vertical axis. The young designers were able to get to the bottom of technical processes in the workshop. The function and construction of a wind turbine were just two of the questions that the inventors dealt with. At the end of the week, the Darrieus windmill was 90 percent complete. The enthusiasm was so great that the children also came to a follow-up appointment to complete the wind turbine and generate electricity themselves.

Im FabLab at the Rhein-Waal University of Applied Sciences a 3D printer will be produced, which the participating schools can take and keep with them. The complete kit for building the printer is provided free of charge by the zdi center in Kamp-Lintfort. From the basic structure to the stepper motors to the integration of the Arduino component and the software control, everything that is needed to set up your own 3D printer is taught. 

The computer games/games industry is characterized by a high demand for skilled workers. At the same time, the expectations of the applicants and the actual work profiles are often very far apart. Therefore, this course serves as an in-depth career and study orientation for job profiles in the games industry and is offered as a block within a week during the holidays. Experts assign realistic work assignments to the students, as they are typically formulated in the industry. The individual requirements include the modelling, coloring and lighting of simple 3D objects in professional tools such as 3ds Max as well as the animation of the objects and the subsequent integration into the game construction program Construct 2.

"We are the exterminators of information technology" is the motto of the Cooperation course with the company CETEQ GmbH. In this course, the students learn everything about the topic of “software testing”. You will learn to assess, analyze and improve the software. You will uncover errors independently and get to know computer programs that support you in doing so. At the end of the course, a customer presentation is planned, in which the students present their results to the company management and the representatives of the zdi center BeST and explain their path in the search for software errors. 

A Joint project of the companies BIA-Kunststoff- und Galvanotechnik GmbH & Co. KG, HSO Herbert Schmidt GmbH & Co. KG and the University of Wuppertal. In this course, students don't need to be able to do magic to make a shiny plastic part themselves. This is about the fascinating world of plastic electroplating. At the Bergische Universität, the students will first create the 3D model of a Mercedes star using a CAD program and then print it out on a 3D printer.

The complementary Specialization offer of the DLR_School_Lab enables the students to deal more intensively with the experiment offers of the student laboratory. You will receive from the TU Dortmund the task of permanently expanding existing standard experiments of the DLR_School_Lab with thematically appropriate sub-experiments. After presenting the standard experiments to be expanded, they decide on an experiment that they want to expand. Now the students develop realizable projects in small working groups, under supervision, they create the necessary construction plans and prepare experimental systems, the functionality of which they then test.

The school partnership of the IDG with a girls' and a boys' boarding school in Zambia has existed since 1986, the highlight of which is an annual, mutual, four-week student exchange. While the motto "Living together, learning from one another, being there for one another" meant more of a general exchange for almost 20 years, it has had a very specific technical orientation since 2004. "Light for learning" is the headline under which photovoltaics has played a central role since 2005 both in the voluntary Zambia workshop in the afternoon and in the technology lessons in the upper school. The idea of ​​bringing grid-independent energy to the partner schools came about during a visit by the Zambian delegation to Gladbeck.

The basis for the idea is the so-called Rube Goldberg machine: a nonsense machine that intentionally performs a specific task in numerous unnecessary and complicated individual steps. In the end, this has no practical use, so in fact the purpose of the machine is secondary. The path and understanding of a machine are the goal. During mechanical engineering, the participants should master various tasks that are brought together to form a chain reaction machine. 

The environmental project in the district of Recklinghausen has been an established offer for several years and has a climate/energy-related motto. The aim of the students is to design solution strategies for environmental issues in projects to be developed and to implement them on a small scale. This is how the car of the future, control technology for hybrid power plants and models for checking the efficiency of wind power plants came about in earlier projects.

The students receive a four-day training course in the CAD laboratory of the Aachen University of Applied Sciences. Here, under the guidance of lecturers and scientific staff, they learn how to use the professional CAD program "Inventor", standards for graphic derivations and the design of their own models. The latter are then printed with a 3D printer. In addition, the students learn in two afternoons how to prepare their CAD drafts for a milling process with the help of CAM programming. The measure is embedded in an extensive project work by the students, in which they are commissioned to mill a model of a Formula 1 car out of wood.

The aim of the “Robotik Real 2.0” project is the commissioning and programming of the Nibobee robot kit. Each team independently assembles its own robot, puts it into operation and programs it according to the task. The course instructor helps to understand the individual components and the overall system. Experiments are carried out and the students get to know the environment for programming. Questions and ideas are discussed with company employees and trainees and solutions are worked out independently. The teams are constantly accompanied by employees and trainees from the company.

A one-week supervised project in which the students in the university's laboratories are given the task of building the electronics for controlling an electric motor using a microcontroller and then programming the microcontroller. During the project at the Ruhr West University of Applied Sciences, students learn the basics of an electronic circuit and how to assemble and program it. This should be done in such a way that the participants are divided into project teams and work together to develop appropriate solutions for the respective tasks. At the end of the project week, the results are then presented to the other teams and discussed in a "large group". 

For three days, the students can experience the exciting world of vehicle information technology up close. The aim of this project is practical career and study orientation, especially in the field of computer science. In small groups, the participants familiarize themselves with digital technology with the help of the workshop leader. This is followed by various tasks on the subject of vehicle computer science, in which programming must be created and reproduced via Can-BUS interfaces on the car. A maximum of eight groups of two with different main tasks work together on one vehicle. The ability to work in a team and organizational skills are required of the participants as well as a high affinity for the subject of STEM.

For the first time since the 2011/2012 school year, the "Ordinance on the course of education and the Abitur examination" (APO-GOSt) has provided space for project courses in the upper secondary school, which can replace the previous specialist work. With the project courses, the range of subjects and courses of the basic and advanced courses is expanded and the basis for additional teaching concepts is created. In this way, they enable in-depth academic work on thematic priorities. Extracurricular cooperation is expressly desired.
The first project course in physics in NRW was designed and implemented in 2010 as a pilot project by the zdi student laboratory at the University of Duisburg-Essen (UDE) together with a high school and with the intensive cooperation of the Ministry of Education and the district government.

In this measure, the students of Starlight-Express are commissioned to create a functional model of the musical hall. The construction of the hall itself takes place in the zdi student laboratory with the support of employees of the Bochum University of Applied Sciences, since material and necessary equipment (laser cutters, 3D printers, etc.) are available here, which is not possible in the Starlight- Express would not be the case. The model (shell) of the Starlight Express Hall already exists on a scale of 1:33, but all the technical equipment is missing here. i.a. the bridge, several ramps and the railing elements are to be provided with motors and electronically controlled and lighting units are to be installed. Finally, the controls and lighting must be programmed to match the music selected for the musical.

A 13th grade technology course at a partner high school of the zdi center IST.Bochum.NRW built a fire simulation house for the Bochum fire brigade during the last half of the school year. The model house is to be used for demonstration purposes of what to do in the event of a fire in private homes and for the training of prospective firefighters.

In 2019, the education authority for the city of Essen and the competence team of North Rhine-Westphalia brought the "Mathematikum" by Prof. Beutelspacher (Mathematikum Giessen) to the Essen City Library. The aim of the one-month exhibition is to introduce children to mathematics in a playful way and to arouse enthusiasm. In the exhibition, preschool and young elementary school children can feel their way around the basics of mathematics – literally. Geometric bodies are touched, numbers are assigned and the function of gear wheels is observed. 

You can find more information about the exhibition here .

You can get in touch with the contact persons of the zdi-Zentrum MINT-Netzwerk Essen here  record, tape.

The student academy gives particularly motivated and capable students in the 6th grade the opportunity to deal with challenging tasks related to mathematics and computer science outside of school in a pleasant atmosphere. Together they learn to pursue their own inclinations and abilities and thereby broaden the horizon of their previous experience and world. The participants should develop motivation and creativity. The aim of the event is to inspire students who are particularly interested in mathematics with mathematical questions that go beyond the usual mathematics lessons. Instead of teaching dry theory, the student academy should arouse interest in calculation, logical thinking, but also in experimenting.

review of the SAMMS 2020.

You can get in touch with the contact persons of the zdi center mint4u here  record, tape.

The zdi network Bildungsregion Hochsauerlandkreis organized the first math day at the South Westphalia University of Applied Sciences in 2020 and it was an immediate success. 90 participants were planned, 163 students from grades 6 to 11 finally took part and spent a whole day doing calculations and puzzles, supported by math teachers. They could choose between 13 different workshops, eg “Platonic Solids” or “Proof Techniques”.

Review of the first Math Day 2020

In this course, models, devices and instruments made from fischertechnik parts are used, which encourage you to try them out and experiment. Classic trigonometry can be experienced with a self-made sextant, which can be used e.g. B. the height and distance of towers can be determined, but of course also your own position on the globe. Calculations from triogonometry are also of great importance in a wide range of applications such as music, signal transmission and processing, heat conduction, etc. The practical application based on the fischertechnik models helps the students to understand and internalize this.

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Navigate like the old sailors” is aimed at young people from the 9th grade. This workshop is about the "helmsman's art" as it was used by seafarers in the Middle Ages. The course begins with an introduction to estimating and measuring with lots of practical tips and exercises. Afterwards, the students build their own Jacob's staff, an instrument for measuring angles. After an introduction to the handling and theory of the Jacob's staff, your own angle measurements will be carried out and evaluated (e.g. determining the height of individual university buildings).

Hot-air engines - also known as Stirling engines - offer a good alternative to conventional internal combustion engines due to their simple and low-maintenance design, their wide range of possible uses and the possibility of resource-saving use of various energy sources.
In the measure offered, the students work independently on the project and continuously apply mathematical, physical and technical principles during engine construction. You will learn the connections based on independent calculations (pressure, efficiency, thermodynamics) and their implementation in practice.

CAMMP stands for Computational and Mathematical Modeling Program (computer-aided mathematical modeling program) and is a zdi student laboratory at RWTH Aachen University. As part of the annual camp week, mathematically talented high school students research mathematical and technical problems from the world of work in small working groups.
The CAMMP days are aimed at middle and high school mathematics courses and teach participants the basics of mathematical modeling in workshops on topics such as "With a laptop and math for a better future: generating electricity from the sun's rays"Or"How do animated films actually work and what does that have to do with math?“ closer.

More information about the CAMPS days and the online implementation.

"Make the room visible" - under this motto, the students construct and manufacture a three-dimensional coordinate system to illustrate the vector calculation in the curriculum and make it more tangible. This is done with Autocad Inventor, a professional design (CAD) software. The constructions are then made from cardboard with a laser cutter or from Plexiglas with a milling machine and then made available for further mathematics lessons.

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Since 2001, the NRW Student Academy for Mathematics and Computer Science (formerly SMIMS) has been held in Münster every year after the summer holidays. High school graduates from all over NRW who are excellent in the subjects math and computer science can apply to take part. You will then be invited to work together on math and computer science projects for a week and learn about topics that cannot be explored in depth in normal school life. In order to bring career and study orientation, which plays an important role at zdi, to the student academy, two program items are offered: speed dating with companies, where participants can simulate an application situation and discuss their CV with experts, and the presentation of universities from all over NRW.

Here You can find more information about the NRW Schools' Academy for Mathematics and Computer Science.

In addition to the courses and workshops already mentioned, there are many other great zdi offers with a focus on mathematics. In order to enable further exchange and inspiration, we have put together an overview sorted by network with brief descriptions and links to the corresponding network offers.  

Since 2011, the zdi center DU.MINT Duisburg Niederrhein has held an annual competition on MINT topics. This is aimed at students of different ages. The philosophy behind the contests is always the same: girls and boys should be encouraged to ask supposedly stupid questions. After all, it is always a question that stands at the beginning of an innovation. The focus of all activities is on conveying fun and joy in MINT. After three runs with great school response, the competition has already developed into a central element of the zdi center.

Qualified, experience-oriented offers for information about technical professions are the trademark of the career offensive for engineers in OstWestfalenLippe, BINGO for short, which is well known beyond the region. The core of the initiative are the BINGO experience days. Once a year, around 1.300 students get information from regional companies about offers and prospects for technical professions. Since 2004, Filmhaus Bielefeld eV has accompanied the BINGO action days with a film project. Since then, 25 short films have been made that show the engineering profession and the companies from the curious perspective of the students.

Since 2010, the zdi center ANTalive has given particularly motivated students a practical insight into the professional world of engineers. True to the name of the center "Experience applied natural sciences and technology live in the Düren Aachen area", it sends two school teams into a competition at the Aachen University of Applied Sciences. This otherwise confronts students from the fourth semester of the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Mechatronics with a real problem from industry. With the support of team coaches, the groups have one week to develop a practical solution for the task before it is presented to a jury. 

In September 2010, the zdi center per MINT GT district of Gütersloh and the Carl Miele vocational college for technology in the district of Gütersloh organized the MINT hands-on day for the first time. In November 2019, this event celebrated its 10th birthday. Around 4000 schoolchildren, teachers, parents and other interested parties took the opportunity to find out more about the wide range of MINT offers in the region. More than 50 actors presented a variety of MINT offers and topics as part of an exhibition and a stage program. The success of the event is evidenced by both the number of visitors and the great commitment of the participants. It should be emphasized that the event takes place on a Saturday, so it is not a mandatory date for school groups.

Since 2009, a zdi project day has been held in Rheinbach, one of the nineteen municipalities in the Rhein-Sieg district, in which numerous educational institutions take part. Children from day-care centers and schools conduct research and experiment on a fixed topic, which is jointly decided in the project group meetings. The special thing about the project days is the diverse cooperation that arises along the education chain.

As part of a holiday offer, the zdi network Ennepe-Ruhr enables a comprehensive insight into this branch of industry, covering everything to do with coating technology, paint technology, corrosion protection and surface coating, including electroplating.
The schoolgirls receive a concrete project order and thus experience a realistic work process - from the production of the workpieces to the finishing and quality inspection. Based on a specific product, such. B. a pen holder, the participants experience the individual steps of the industrial manufacturing process. In addition, the participants can produce their own nail polish or protective varnish in the laboratory and afterwards
test try.

How do you combine creativity and technology? In this course, students create individual jewelry using a 3D printer. At the Ruhr West University in Mülheim an der Ruhr, they slip into the role of designers and learn about future production technology through computer-aided modeling. Whether earring, smartphone case or fantasy figure - there are no limits to artistic freedom. The special attraction lies in the interdisciplinary character of the course between art and computer science.

Programming Lego Mindstorms robots can specifically train creativity and problem-solving skills. The project go4IT! of the student laboratory InfoSphere at the RWTH Aachen pursues the concept of offering schools two-day robot workshops as a free service in order to initiate computer science activities. By embedding go4IT! In the computer science teacher training course at RWTH Aachen University, students can also gain initial experience in gender-conscious teaching.

In 2013, on behalf of the zdi central office, the Technology-Diversity-Equal Opportunities Competence Center developed two course concepts intended exclusively for girls on the mechanics and maintenance of a car and on web design. The instructions for the preparation and implementation of career and study orientation measures contain, among other things, detailed planning of the course units, handouts for acting in a gender-sensitive manner, copy templates and career information. One of the course concepts was implemented for the first time by the zdi center in Duisburg, which ran the two-day course “Build your own website” with ten participants as a pilot project at the end of the 2014 summer holidays.

The proportion of women in the IT industry in Germany is less than 20 percent. The zdi center in Cologne offers a playful introduction to computer science in its in-house computer rooms. The participants of "Code4Girls" are given the task of developing and programming their own computer game. They experience that they can not only use software, but also design it creatively and implement their own ideas.

The aim of the "Probationary Engineer" project at Bochum University of Applied Sciences is to arouse and strengthen the interest of schoolgirls in engineering courses at an early stage. The special thing is that young women are assigned female students as personal mentors for half a year, who give them a realistic insight into lectures and everyday life at a university. Due to the intensive and long-term individual support, the girls are not only addressed on a professional but also on a personal level, which simplifies an exchange of experiences.

The technology network Intelligent Technical Systems Ostwestfalen-Lippe - "it's owl" for short - brings together high-tech companies and university locations in the region: As part of a camp during the autumn holidays, schoolchildren can get exciting insights into some of the companies and university institutions in the cluster and as engineers experience the entire value chain of innovative products: from research and development to production and marketing. The student camp takes place in several zdi networks in Ostwestfalen-Lippe.

The analysis of DNA is a fundamental technique in genetics, microbiology, paleontology, forensics or food control. With the measure of the mobile student laboratory "science to class", students can carry out the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) themselves after they have isolated and purified the DNA from their own oral mucosa cells. The resulting DNA fragments are then analyzed in gel electrophoresis.

Nanostructures are so small that they cannot be seen with the naked eye, namely less than 100nm. As part of a full-day workshop at the student laboratory MExLab Physics at the University of Münster, the participants receive a deeper insight into the physical, chemical and biological basics of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), whose fields of application range from automotive construction to semiconductor production and health technology. The workshop offer was developed by scientists from the University of Wuppertal.

The term "Industry 4.0" describes the increasing digitization of industrial production. This brings
new ways of doing business and working, which are also due to technical advances
are subject to constant change. The zdi community is also concerned with these special challenges of the future world of work. We would like to present two zdi student:internal laboratories in this context: The tec4you-lab and the learning workshop 4.0.

Skilled trades companies in North Rhine-Westphalia have had difficulties filling training positions for years. One approach to promoting young talent should be mobile workshop offers. On the one hand, these are intended to give young people an understanding of trades and, on the other hand, to bring companies into direct contact with potential young people. In this good practice article, we examine different approaches and give practical tips on how to successfully implement your own mobile workshop offers.

Even kindergarten children have a very natural urge to explore. This is exactly where the KidsgoMINT initiative comes in, a joint idea of ​​the zdi center MINT network Essen and the Essen youth welfare office. A specially developed experiment box on different subject areas guarantees access to scientific and technical subject areas. In this approach, short playful stories take into account not only a thematic reference to the experiment but also the everyday life of the children. The stories take the children into a fantasy world in which the animal sympathizer "Max the Mole" encounters challenges that require technical solutions to be found.

Experimentation and exploratory research often lead a shadowy existence in elementary schools. The reasons for this are, on the one hand, the high time, organizational and financial costs involved in preparing and carrying out experiments in the classroom (rearranging, searching for materials, etc.), and on the other hand the spatial and material framework conditions in the classrooms, which are often regarded as inadequate. In addition, many teachers teach the subject of non-fiction without the appropriate training. The first research room was set up in Hilchenbach in the technology center. There are now six offers of this type, all of which are housed in separate rooms in schools. Teachers can get to know them in active school life as part of further training events organized by the Siegen-Wittgenstein competence team.

KisTe (= “Children are interested in technology”) primarily means: using experiment boxes to get elementary school students interested in mathematics and natural sciences. Thanks to the commitment of the zdi-Zentrum Siegen-Wittgenstein, the first to fourth graders have been gaining experience in the MINT field in the primary schools in the region since 2009. By including children's learning processes such as observing, trying out and confirming in the lesson, it is optimally tailored to the needs of the children.

Anyone who is a child in a primary school in the district of Unna is lucky: all 65 primary schools in the district were equipped with research kits by the end of 2010. Flecki, the sympathizer of a research box on the topics of magnetism and electricity, is waiting for the kids. And teachers who are very familiar with it. The box was developed professionally and didactically together with two freelance teachers from the zdi-Zentrum Kreis Unna, which also trained the primary school teachers and provided an accompanying publication and background information.

The “nature mobile” is used in primary school (5th and 6th grade) and in secondary school (7th – 9th grade). The preparatory lessons focus, among other things, on the subject areas of forest, water, meadows and related topics such as soil or cultural landscape, whereby the teachers also include career and study-oriented information. The students use the Naturmobil on site near their school. In nature and under professional guidance, they take water or soil samples, for example, and examine them directly on site.

The aim of the MINT RadioLAB project is to impart motivation and understanding for technical professions and thus to counteract the acute shortage of skilled workers in Gütersloh. By means of a radio workshop, the pupils should be made aware of the range, connections and importance of radio technology and physics. In an experimental room (RadioLAB), the students learn how to assemble a radio from scratch: they not only learn technical skills such as soldering, but also the physical relationships involved in radio technology. 

With the help of an electric vehicle, which is used as a mobile zdi student laboratory, the students in the districts of Herford and Bielefeld should be able to deal with the field of renewable energies. The district of Herford does not have a student laboratory, so it has so far been dependent on cooperation with offers from neighboring districts.
The MINT mobile contains a set of twelve suitcases on the topics of photovoltaics, wind energy and fuel cells and fuel cell cars. In their MINT courses, the teachers offer exercises using the suitcases, e.g. B. "From the incandescent lamp to the LED", "Power supply systems in modern vehicles" or "How does wind power work?" 

The tec4you-lab offers secondary school students the opportunity to simulate a manufacturing company with the work areas of research, technology, design, communication and finance. This creates an understanding of how a new product is developed and which essential production processes are associated with it in a modern company. Divided into the five work areas, the participants drive the development of their work processes independently and coordinate with each other until the presentation of the finished product. In the zdi student laboratory, this is e.g. B. a docking station for mobile phones, a self-designed watch or a watch designed by a specific company.

Pupils, students, founders and companies can familiarize themselves with modern production technology in the high-tech workshop. On more than 600 m² and on two floors, there is not only space, but also the necessary equipment (including various 3D printers and scanners, CNC milling machines, laser cutters, electrical and soldering supplies, wood and metal processing machines, vacuum deep-drawing system). In workshops, the students build their own 3D printer. From the basic structure to the stepper motors to the integration of the Arduino component and the software control. In addition, they not only experience working in groups, but also practice practical creativity and problem-solving skills.

At the mobile MINT talent workshop, typical tasks from business practice are to be tried out, practical talents tested and talents discovered. The MINT mobile is equipped as a mobile laboratory with many objects and work samples that are stowed in modular boxes. Each module box contains kits of different levels of difficulty that appeal to different skills and can be adapted to the appropriate age group as needed. The MINT mobile offers students the opportunity to carry out technical experiments, solve mathematical tasks, work on scientific topics and face challenging tasks in the field of computer science. Due to the mobility of the project offer, children and young people can be easily reached, especially in rural areas such as the Minden-Lübbecke district.

Since March 2010 there has been a zdi student laboratory at the Hamm-Lippstadt University of Applied Sciences. In addition to stationary offers, with the MINT laboratory truck it offers a literally "tangible" experience around the still young university location.
The HSHL laboratory truck is also suitable as a model for applications within the current zdi ERDF program (sub-program 2).

The Oberberg district is an important location for the plastics industry. Against this background, there was a growing need to set up a student laboratory that would take this branch of industry more into account and provide students with offers and impulses in this area. School classes can simulate a manufacturing company in the field of plastics processing for one day. They work in five different teams to achieve a common project goal.

In 2009, the zdi-Zentrum Rhein-Kreis Neuss took over the school physics offensive concept “Optimal Learning Success”, SchulPOOL for short, developed by the University of Wuppertal. The offer includes particularly interesting experiments for students to use in physics lessons. The collection includes both teacher demonstration experiments and full class sets for group experiments.

A small and a large 3D printer (in combination) were purchased for three locations in the Paderborn district, each supplemented by a desktop scanner. Training courses for teachers were also carried out on these printers. Pupils should be brought closer to the additive manufacturing process 3D printing, in which construction, design and production are in one hand, by getting to know it and all its technical backgrounds. The participants are introduced to the topic of three-dimensional construction, design objects independently on the computer and then print out the workpiece they have modeled themselves with the 3D printer. 

The heart of the chem trucking project is a Piaggio Ape equipped with environmental analysis equipment. The mobile laboratory enables environmental analyzes to be carried out at authentic locations, in practical situations and with real problems. The aim is to focus on topics that the students know and are interested in from their everyday lives: e.g. B. the water quality in the natural outdoor pool Netphen-Deuz or the liming of forest soils on the Ginsburg or the air quality at a road junction. At the same time, "chem trucking" is integrated into teaching at the University of Siegen. Environmental analysis internships enable students to research and experiment together with schoolchildren.

The three projects presented here connect actors from universities and companies and bring them together with students in the field of career and study orientation (BSO). The aim is to show opportunities for professional development in your own region that are otherwise less well known. Reference is made to both training occupations and (dual) courses of study. The students deal with problems or typical tasks from the everyday work of companies, develop solutions and get to know the work at universities and companies. In addition to recruiting potential junior staff, this offers companies and universities the opportunity to take up new approaches to research and work processes and - if necessary together with the students - to develop them further. Public institutions can also benefit from the creative input gained in the projects.

How can as many cooperations as possible be won for zdi networks and how can they be retained in the long term? The zdi center pro MINT GT Kreis Gütersloh found an answer. It commissioned an external agency with ERDF funds to break new ground in partner acquisition. The service includes, among other things, all analysis services, the development of new goals with the zdi center and external participants, the moderation of workshops and the approach of new partners. Fundraising for STEM education was jointly developed.

With the MINT.Macher-Runde, an instrument was established in the zdi center MINT.Marl in 2008, which focuses on the school actors in the development and dissemination of career and study-oriented measures in the partner network. By involving dedicated teachers from all MINT subjects and taking into account their pedagogical competence, measures at extracurricular learning locations can be developed with high effectiveness and offered throughout the district. Teachers from different school types in almost all ten cities in the Recklinghausen district, which is the most populous district in Germany with over 600.000 citizens, are addressed. The zdi center MINT.Marl takes on the task of organizing the meetings and acting as an intermediary for the participants from universities, companies and other institutions.

In January 2015, sixteen companies and institutions from the Unna district founded a support association for the "zdi-Netzwerk Perspektive Technik". The aim is to secure the various offers of the zdi network, which have so far been financed primarily through grants, donations and funds from the Unna District Economic Development Corporation (WFG) and the Foundation for Further Education, in the long term. With the new business model, developed using ERDF funds, the offers are to be secured and the dependency on public funding reduced. The association form was chosen because - in contrast to a foundation - regular contributions are received through membership and thus greater planning security is given.

The Düsseldorf school committee is also calling for meaningful employment for schoolchildren during the corona pandemic during the summer holidays and is contacting the zdi network MINT Düsseldorf. Within 4 weeks, one of the largest MINT holiday programs in Germany will be created from scratch. Almost 50 different courses are offered to children and young people along the entire educational level and there is a very good response from students and parents. The demand for holiday offers has risen sharply. During the summer camp, clicks on the website of the zdi network MINT Düsseldorf increased thirtyfold and the network is now even better connected. 

Click here to contribute: Düsseldorf holiday program – summer 2020 

With the "House of Little Researchers" and offers in the area of ​​career orientation, numerous MINT activities for various target groups have already been initiated in the Höxter district in the past. Until 2010, however, there was no coherent integration of the primary sector. In order to close the existing gap in the education chain, the zdi center in the district of Höxter took up the concept of "learning workshops". These not only contribute to MINT promotion. They also make a valuable contribution to the individual support of children up to the age of ten and to the development of lessons. Learning workshops are the personalization, materialization and institutionalization of a participatory teaching and learning culture. They invite you to touch and marvel and provoke questions that the children can answer themselves. With this concept, teachers are increasingly becoming learning companions.

In March 2012, the zdi center Kamp-Lintfort entered into a cooperation with the "House of Little Researchers" foundation. The aim is to be able to offer as extensive and professional a range of services as possible for kindergarten children. This cooperation is supported by several Lions Clubs.