Future learning location Upper Lusatia
The ZukLOS Transfer Conference provides impetus for extracurricular educational activities in Upper Lusatia.
On July 14, 2022, more than 60 stakeholders in extracurricular (STEM) education in Upper Lusatia, school principals and teachers, representatives from the regional business and political communities, as well as experts in regional development and from business associations, attended the ZukLOS Transfer Conference organized by the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences (HSZG) and the Technical University of Dresden.
The transfer conference served to present and discuss the initial findings of the BMBF-funded project “Zukunftslernort Oberlausitz – Analysis and Development of Extracurricular STEM Education” (ZukLOS). To this end, seven workshops offered participants the opportunity to exchange ideas and network. One workshop, for example, explored how school-based education can be specifically enriched through extracurricular educational programs and what requirements both stakeholders at extracurricular learning venues and teachers have for the implementation of extracurricular programs for school classes.
Extracurricular organizations had the opportunity to present their educational programs during a gallery walk. Visitors could also view the spatial models created as a result of the design workshops. The spatial models were created during two workshops in which young people designed their ideal future learning space, using future technologies such as a 3-D printer. The workshops were conducted by Constitute e. V. with young people from the Station für Technik, Natural Sciences, and Art – Weißwasser e. V. in October 2021 and in April 2022 with trainees from Siemens Energy Global GmbH & Co. KG in Görlitz, and were supported academically by the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences.
"The participation of children and young people in the design of future learning locations is essential for the success of the Oberlausitz future learning location. Their needs are at the center of our considerations. In this context, I often think of the beautiful song "Kinder an die Macht" by Herbert Grönemeyer. The first lines of the lyrics alone are so true and relevant today: "Armies of jelly babies, The tanks of marzipan, Wars are eaten up, Simple plan, Childlike genius." For Vice President Sophia Keil, it is particularly important that the children and young people who will later use the facilities are involved in the design process from the very beginning.
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Two experts in extracurricular education facilitated the conference. In two keynote presentations, Professor Dr. Martina Flath, Scientific Director of the Center of Excellence for Regional Learning at the University of Vechta, and Dr. Michael Pries, Spokesperson for the Committee on Extracurricular Learning at the Didacta Association, served as “critical friends” to review the project results and offer recommendations for the further development of the extracurricular education landscape in Upper Lusatia.
The next step will be to summarize the content of the transfer conference, the project results, and the resulting recommendations for action regarding the region’s extracurricular education landscape, publish them in a brochure, and make them available to all interested parties.
The BMBF-funded project “Zukunftslernort Oberlausitz – Analysis and Development of Extracurricular STEM Education” (ZukLOS) is being carried out under the project leadership of Professor Dr. rer. pol. Sophia Keil, Vice President for Education and International Affairs at Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences, in cooperation with the Technical University of Dresden. The project’s objectives are to assess the current state of out-of-school STEM education in the region, to derive recommendations for action aimed at further developing the educational landscape, and to develop and promote new educational programs. In this way, the project aims to foster STEM-related problem-solving skills among children and adolescents over the long term.
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