Our MINT project continues: on January 25 and 26, 2023, a MINT empowerment workshop on the topic of "Green Energy" took place at the Fichte Gymnasium in Hagen. This workshop was preceded by a pilot project at Heinrich Heine Gymnasium, which was so successful last year that the Karl Kolle Foundation decided to offer it to other schools. This is because girls are still underrepresented in the STEM field and feel less addressed by STEM projects than boys. Once again, the Karl Kolle Foundation provided the funding for this workshop and it was organized by COGNOS International.

This workshop, specially designed for young girls in grades 7-9, offered 17 schoolgirls the opportunity to playfully explore the topic of renewable energies using experimental kits. From water and wind power to solar energy, the girls were able to set up several experiments and test their functions.

For example, an LED was made to glow by means of a moving water wheel, and a small solar vehicle powered by radiant energy rolled through the classroom. Short films and exciting quizzes completed the two workshop days, which will be followed by a visit to the women's project laboratory at the FH Dortmund University of Applied Sciences and Arts. The three most successful participants will each receive an experimental kit as a gift at the end of the workshop.
Until the summer of 2023, the workshop will take place in 5 more schools in the Karl Kolle Foundation's funding area.

In the meantime, the workshop in Hagen has been followed by 5 more workshops. At a total of 5 high schools and 2 comprehensive schools, more than 100 female students have now been able to gain valuable experience in the STEM field. The response has been great and all participating schools now have their own experimental kits, which they can use to offer the workshop to many more students. We would like to thank the KARL KOLLE Foundation for this great sustainable project, the continuation of which is being planned for the 2023 / 2024 school year.