IHK Siegen is investing 50,000 euros for the future of our children!

IHK Siegen is investing 50,000 euros for the future of our children!

Around 3,000 children and young people in the region will benefit in the coming months from a new educational project launched by the Siegen Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The IHK is investing a total of around 50,000 euros in various facilities to explore the topics of natural science, technology, mathematics, computer science and economics in a playful and experimental way. These measures are particularly important as the importance of MINT subjects is constantly increasing these days. IHK managing director Sabine Bechheim emphasizes that the areas of natural sciences and digitalization are of central relevance and should be worked on intensively by the learners. For the first time, it was decided to include special schools in the projects, which is an important step towards inclusion.

The supported facilities include 6 daycare centers, 17 primary schools and 8 secondary schools, as well as 1 extracurricular educational institution. A jury made up of representatives from business, trade unions and vocational colleges decides on the use of the funding. This selection underlines the close cooperation between educational institutions and companies in the region.

Diverse projects in focus

The range of funded projects is diverse. The St. Katharina primary school in Heinsberg, among others, will receive 554 euros for a concept on renewable energies. The Glückaufschule in Siegen can look forward to 800 euros for a subject teaching workshop, while the Wicki daycare center in Hilchenbach is setting up a so-called “knowledge factory” for the little ones with 1,889 euros. One of the highlights is the student kiosk project at the secondary school at the Upper Castle Siegen, for which 2,000 euros were provided. In Bad Laasphe, the Kindelsberg-Lachsbach special school association will build a film studio with 4,000 euros.

But it's not just the schools mentioned that have benefited from the funding. This year, a total of 12 daycare centers, 9 primary schools and 4 secondary schools will receive around 52,000 euros in support to encourage curiosity about technology and science here too. The Evangelical Family Center “ Sternenzelt ” in Freudenberg, for example, receives 679 euros for a magnetic marble run, while the secondary school on the Morgenröthe in Siegen receives the highest funding of 3,587 euros for experiments on solar power and hydrogen.

Important contribution to education

The IHK Siegen supports projects that support commercial and technical education, something that is of great importance in today's digital age. According to the experts from Network Digital Education, there is a significant amount of catching up to do in the digitalization of school teaching. To remedy this, various funding programs are available, which, among other things, also offer start-up financing for the digitalization of schools.

The IHK initiative shows how important it is to sustainably promote education. It aims not only to strengthen the relevance of technical careers, but also to awaken children's curiosity about these topics. The IHK actively supports the exchange between the funded institutions in order to share experiences about the projects and learn from each other.