Excursion to the DLR_School_Lab
The DLR_School_Lab at Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences provided practical insights into academic and career guidance at the district’s education conference.
This fall, the Görlitz District’s Career Guidance Education Conference took place in Zittau. About 65 participants—school administrators, teachers, career advisors, and career transition coaches—gathered to discuss current topics and programs related to career guidance in schools across the district.
Following welcoming remarks by Ms. Kieschnick (Head of the School and Sports Office) and Prof. Alexander Kratzsch (President of Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences), the team led by Prof. Sophia Keil and Dr. Thomas Fester presented the DLR_School_Lab at Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences —a school laboratory that brings research to life for students and sparks their enthusiasm for science and technology.
Experiencing Research—Sparking Enthusiasm
Following the presentation program, participants had the opportunity to explore the Zittau Junior Academy and the DLR_School_Lab at Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences. After a brief introduction, they took a tour of the lab. There, participants discovered six exciting experimental stations, including topics such as the states of matter using liquid nitrogen and dry ice, respiration in humans and yeast, fluorescence microscopy, heat pumps, pipetting techniques, and thin-layer chromatography.
The great positive response to our experiments was a nice confirmation of our work in the new laboratory. I look forward to working with the schools in the region.
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Positive feedback from participants
Many guests were delighted to be able to get hands-on after the theoretical part of the conference. Numerous participants took the opportunity to try out various experiments and stayed in the lab much longer than planned. The first visits with school classes were already arranged during the event - a clear sign of the great interest and practical added value of the offer.
The DLR_School_Lab is an outstanding example of how science and schools can work together successfully. The opportunity to get hands-on directly on site at various experimental stations not only gave participants exciting insights into scientific and technical issues, but also noticeably awakened their enthusiasm for STEM subjects. Such hands-on offers are invaluable in motivating students to take an interest in research and technology and showing them prospects for their professional future.
”The DLR_School_Lab at Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences is part of the strategic educational initiative “Zukunftslernort Oberlausitz (ZukLOS).” The initiative aims to create new learning and gathering places in the region for people of all generations. At the Zittau School Lab, students can conduct experiments and experience firsthand the fascination of aerospace, transportation research, and energy. Through exciting experiments, they discover scientific and technical concepts in a vivid way—and learn how research impacts everyday life and shapes the future.
The experiments include, among others:
- Infrared radiation —in this experiment, students begin with very cold substances (dry ice or liquid nitrogen) and then learn all about heat and infrared radiation.
- Respiration and Metabolism – Respiration in humans and yeast is measured under various conditions using digital measurement techniques.
- Fluorescence microscopy – under the fluorescence microscope, students discover glowing structures and the world of cells.
- Heat Pump – At the heat pump station, students learn how sustainable heating technologies work.
- Biotechnology – In this experiment, students learn some basic techniques for working with microorganisms.
- Plant Fibers – Experiments with materials made from plant fibers demonstrate how research contributes to environmentally friendly construction and insulation materials.
The experiments are supervised by trained student assistants. This makes learning hands-on, exciting, and memorable.
For more information on the programs, dates, and registration options, please visit the DLR_School_Labs Hochschule Zittau/Görlitz website.
2nd upper floor
2nd upper floor
