Interreg

The labour market in the Dutch/German EUREGIO border region shows a shortage of skilled manpower in the field of scientific and technical professions. Under the direction of the „Andreas-Mohn-Stiftung“, the ZdI student laboratory „NEAnderLab“, the Dutch district „Regio Achterhoek“, the „Stiftung Jugend & Schlösser“ and the Dutch marketing company „Team Nijhuis“ formed a team and developed the concept for “MINT-LAB auf Schlössern/in kastelen”. The project “MINT LAB auf Schlössern / in Kastelen” promoted young people’s interest in the STEM professions by actively combining history and STEM, culture and science.
Over 100 encounters between Dutch and German young people aged between 12 and 16 took place during the project. A total of 2118 young people and 262 teachers from 25 partner schools in the EUREGIO area participated in the project on a German or Dutch historical site (castle, monastery, old industrial building). The experimental site served as an extra-curricular learning place for experimental modules in the fields of Mathematics, Computer Science, Science and Technology (MINT or STEM) to be developed in mixed-country groups.
The participants were guided and supervised by a German-Dutch team with professional and didactic experience. They also supported pupils” language acquisition and encouraged their cross-border competences. The obligatory guided tours of the respective historical complex broadened the cultural-historical knowledge and understanding of the participants. At different modules and venues it was possible to combine the project day with the visit to a local company to provide a direct insight into how new technologies, conservation methods, etc. can be used in practice.
The result of the final survey of the young people speaks for the effectiveness of the project: For more than 50 percent, an apprenticeship, study or activity in the STEM field is also in the respective neighbouring country, well imaginable. For more information:
www.mint-lab.eu

To project (external link)