Robots Weblog | 2,500 euros for the ladies’ robotics group on the Hennef-West complete faculty

Are robots just for boys? With the “Girls Do Robotics” group, teacher Karsten Schraut at the Hennef-West comprehensive school proves the opposite. The WISSENschaf(f)t SPASS support association is now supporting the school project with a donation of 2,500 euros.

“The ‘Girls Do Robotics’ project is intended to support the intrinsic motivation to discover, research and experiment at an early stage,” explains teacher Karsten Schraut, who founded the working group. A general robotics group, aimed at both male and female students, has existed for a long time at the Hennef-West comprehensive school. However, he noticed that while the boys quickly jumped at the coveted places, the girls were more reluctant to register – even though the interest was there in principle. So the idea arose to try an all-girls robotics group this school year.

With resounding success: 14 girls in years 5 and 6 enthusiastically accepted the offer and spend two school hours every week enthusiastically working with the robotics kits and laptops. With the LEGO® Mindstorms EV3 system, they assemble robots independently and teach them to carry out targeted movements with their first programming steps. “In the future, the students should have many more opportunities to develop independent tasks and associated problem solutions, for example analyzing the structure of actuators and sensors and perhaps even developing their own,” says Karsten Schraut. Participation in competitions such as the RoboCupJunior, the zdi robot competition of the Rhein-Sieg district or the robotics night of the Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences are also planned.

Direct support for innovative MINT projects

To implement these ambitious goals, the school is now receiving financial support from the WISSENschaf(f)t SPASS support association. Every year, the Association for Education and Innovation in the Rhineland supports selected school projects in the MINT subjects (mathematics, computer science, natural sciences and technology) directly with earmarked donations and was funded through the Regional Education Office of the Rhein-Sieg District, which has its central office. Network committed to MINT education, aware of the planned further development of the Girls Robotics AG. “With innovative projects like this, committed teachers contribute enormously to bringing enthusiasm for technology and the joy of tinkering to schools,” says Alexander Mühlens, member of the extended board of WISSENschaf(f)t SPASS. “The participating students are supported sustainably, motivated to pursue a school career with a technical and scientific focus and, ideally, ultimately inspired to take up a career in the MINT sector.”

The Girls Robotics AG and teacher Karsten Schraut are pleased about the support from the WISSENschaf(f)t SPASS support association and its members

Together with the robotics-enthusiastic support association members Lena Reifenhäuser and Sebastian Trella as well as Diana Heintges from the regional education office, he visited the girls’ robotics group on October 28th and ceremoniously presented the donation check for 2,500 euros. From the member company igus GmbH, in which Alexander Mühlens who heads the automation technology and robotics division, he also brought a copy of the collaborative robot “ReBeL” with him as a surprise gift – a real industrial robot that the students in their group can now experiment with to their hearts’ content.

Alexander Mühlens also gave the students a few professional tips on robot programming

Closer and better contact between schools and technically oriented companies from the region has been an important concern of the WISSENschaf(f)t SPASS support association since it was founded in August 2015. The association also has a tradition of directly supporting committed school projects. Innovative technological projects can be started every year at numerous schools in the region, which students implement with a lot of enthusiasm and joy in tinkering. In addition to the Hennef-West comprehensive school, the Beuel secondary school and the Nikolausschule Bonn were already supported with earmarked donations for their projects in 2024.

Further information at: www.wissenschaft-spass.de