Education

CoBike 4.0 – Holidays for Future

The project "CoBiKe 4.0" gives pupils and apprentices aged 14 to 25 the opportunity to participate in practice-oriented and technology-focused work camps and, in this way, enables them to learn more about green, sustainable jobs and explore relevant fields of study.

Drei Schülerinnen mit Schutzbrillen und Atemschutzmasken füllen Flüssigkeit in ein Reagenzglas

Europe

Germany

Dortmund

Funding period: 2019-2021

As part of its efforts to promote talents, the Wilo-Foundation supports forward-looking career guidance for young people who are about to leave school and start their working lives. The focus is on STEM subjects, topical issues such as climate change and the energy transition along with future skills. The "CoBiKe 4.0" education programme (CoBiKe being a German acronym for “exploring cool jobs in the field of climate change”) at the Dortmund-based Children and Youth Technology Centre (KITZ.do) was supported financially by the Wilo-Foundation for a period of three years. This ensured the continuation of the ESF project, which had been launched as a “project for vocational training for sustainable development”, and was developed and implemented in cooperation with Grone Bildungszentren NRW gGmbH between 2015 and 2018.

Bei einem Versuchsaufbau misst eine Schülerin mit einer Stoppuhr, während ein Schüler die Zeiten auf einer Liste notiert — The pupils test different insulation materials for their insulation properties. Photo: KITZ.do, Dortmund

"CoBiKe4.0" provided pupils and apprentices aged 14 to 25 with the opportunity to participate in practice-oriented work camps that focused on natural science and, in this way, enabled them to learn more about green, sustainable jobs and explore relevant fields of study. Each work camp included several days that were dedicated to experimenting and reflecting on lessons learned, and activities aimed at exploring different disciplines, including in the environmental sector. Camp participants also visited companies in relevant disciplines. During such site visits, entrepreneurs, instructors and trainees provided insights into their day-to-day work and shared their professional experience. The work camps focused on topics that will become even more important in the future, such as sustainable construction, intelligent IT solutions for control and regulation technologies used in smart home systems, ecological cycles, and interaction between soil, water and climate.

Photo Header: KITZ.do, Dortmund

Our funding partner

Kinder- und Jugendtechnologiezentrum Dortmund (KITZ.do), sponsored and implemented by s.i.d. Fördergesellschaft für Schule und Innovation gGmbH, a joint subsidiary of the association Innovative Schulentwicklung in Dortmund e.V., Dortmund University of Applied Sciences and Arts, TU Dortmund University and TechnologieZentrumDortmund has implemented many projects in the area of youth and children’s education since it was founded in 2008. More than 70,000 children and young people have experimented, done research and worked in the labs and workshops of KITZ.do. The motto “curiosity is smart” reflects the philosophy of KITZ.do and also symbolises its structure, way of working and offers. KITZ.do focuses on children at a young age, who are still full of curiosity, targets kindergartens and primary schools, develops experimental kits and provides training for preschool and school teachers.

Development Goals

The UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development with its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) forms the global framework for action for socially, economically and ecologically sustainable development. Our funding commitment also supports these sustainability goals. With this project, we are making a contribution to achieving the following SDGs:

What are the SDGs`?