Girls' Day and Boys' Day at the DLR_School_Lab at Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences takes pupils on a mission to the moon.
On April 23, 2026, the DLR_School_Lab at Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences opened its doors for Girls' Day and Boys' Day in cooperation with the German Aerospace Center (DLR ). A total of 30 Year 9 pupils from the Oberschule an der Weinau secondary school in Zittau, together with their teachers, experienced an exciting project day under the motto: "A trip to the moon". The class was divided into two groups and worked on various tasks in an exploratory, experimental and creative way.
The Girls' Day and Boys' Day formats are among the largest career guidance initiatives in Germany. Over 24,000 offers with around 180,000 places are available nationwide every year. The aim is to give girls and boys an insight into professional fields in which they have so far been underrepresented. While girls get to know technical, scientific and craft areas in particular, boys gain an insight into social, care and educational professions. This deliberately breaks down professional stereotypes and opens up new perspectives.
Especially in the age of digitalization and artificial intelligence, such practical insights are becoming increasingly important: job profiles are changing rapidly and digital skills are indispensable in almost all industries. This is precisely where the Action Days come in, combining orientation with practical experience.
The Rector of Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences emphasizes the special role of such formats in promoting young talent.
Girls' Day and Boys' Day at the DLR_School_Lab at Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences impressively demonstrates how important practical insights into science and technology are for young people's career guidance. When pupils develop their own ideas, experiment and actively experience research, enthusiasm is generated. This enthusiasm is the key to the skilled workers of tomorrow.
”The DLR_School_Lab at Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences offers pupils exactly this opportunity: to experience research up close and discover the university's and DLR's fields of research for themselves. These include topics such as weightlessness, energy, low-CO₂ industrial processes, biotechnology and modern imaging techniques.
As part of the project day, the students were first introduced to the topic in a joint briefing. A DLR video "Time travel into the future" set the mood for the mission. They then learned about the topography of the moon, its special features such as the far side of the moon, bound rotation and the so-called lunar seas. The resources available there, such as water ice in craters at the South Pole or possible shelters in lava tubes, were also discussed.
Another focus was on the challenges of living and building on the moon: extreme temperature fluctuations, vacuum, radiation and micrometeorites. These conditions were vividly demonstrated with a vacuum experiment, among other things. The pupils also dealt with navigation on the moon using longitude and latitude and a digital navigation system.
In the practical part, the groups developed their own moon stations. First, suitable locations were selected and documented using a digital moon globe (representation of the data from the "Lunar Reconaissance Orbiter" via the "QuickMap" program). Model replicas of the surroundings were then created in sand shells before the students constructed their own stations from modules.
The results ranged from research stations for exploring the moon to concepts for future space tourism. Finally, the groups presented their stations as part of a tour of the laboratory and explained their ideas to the other participants.
Extracurricular learning locations such as the DLR_School_Lab enable pupils to experience science and technology first-hand. Such hands-on experiences are crucial for developing interests and making career prospects tangible.
”The direct link to Girls' Day and Boys' Day was also emphasized, as these formats help young people to discover their own strengths and try out new professional fields. "I found it exciting how many things you have to consider when building a moon station," said one pupil enthusiastically. For other students, the focus was on self-efficacy: "What I liked best was that we were able to decide for ourselves where our station should be on the moon and how we should build it."
The project day showed how Girls' Day and Boys' Day can get young people interested in science, technology and new professions. The combination of research, creativity and practical work provided important impetus for career orientation.
Many thanks to the pupils of the Oberschule an der Weinau and their teachers for their dedicated participation. We would also like to thank the DLR_School_Lab team at the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences for the excellent organization and supervision of the project day.
Thanks also go to Corinna Herrmann, Maria Riemer and Emilia Herzig, who inspired other groups of pupils at the Oberschule an der Weinau with their offers.
Corinna Herrmann gave an introduction to the profession of laboratory assistant and pharmacist by having the students select components and then process them into a really good and fragrant hand cream. "Chemistry is when it smokes and stinks and amazes others," was Maria Riemer's motto in the inorganic chemistry laboratory. Emilia Herzig provided insights into the profession of an engineer and offered hands-on electrical engineering. Under her guidance, the students soldered decorative pendants and an assembled circuit board.
We would like to thank all employees of the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences, who are involved in Girls' and Boys' Day every year, for their ideas and commitment!
Pictures: HSZG
Text: Christian Tiller
