Education

The Dortmund Hackdays

The project focuses on pupils in Dortmund who take an interest in technical matters, giving them an opportunity to enhance their knowledge and apply their creative potential in the fields of electrical engineering and technology.

Ein Mädchen prüft ihren Prototypen auf Funktionalität im Rahmen der "Hackdays"

Europe

Germany

Dortmund

Funding period: 2023-2026

The Dortmund "Hackdays" are organised as two- or three-day events. Pupils work in groups, identify problems of everyday school life and independently work on solutions to these problems, using technical aids and developing prototypes. The "Hackdays" thus strengthen the participants’ curiosity, innovative thinking and problem-solving skills.

They contribute to improving digital education at schools and allow young people to discover the whole range of digital and electronic tools. They also strengthen young people’s ability to identify problems and opportunities for improvement, work within a team and independently develop solutions.

Keynote speeches delivered by company representatives round off the programme and broaden pupils’ horizons, helping them in their future career choice. The aim of the project is to strengthen the participants’ technical knowledge and also support their personal and professional development.

Ein Junge entwickelt sein Projekt in einem Klassenraum mit digitalen und elektronischen Tools — Various digital and electronic tools are used at the Hackdays. Photo: Wilo-Foundation, Credit: Caspar David Fieseler

Eine Gruppe Schüler stellt ihr Projekt im Klassenraum mit einer Präsentation vor — The students develop solutions independently and work out prototypes. Photo: Photo: Wilo-Foundation, Credit: Caspar David Fieseler

Since 2021, KITZ.do has been working with the organisation “science in dialogue”. Together, the two organisations paved the way for the "Hackdays" project at Dortmund schools. The Wilo-Foundation (here: as a trustee of the WILO-Stiftung) has been sponsoring the project since the 2023/24 academic year and will probably continue to provide funding for the project in the years to come.

Photo Header: Wilo-Foundation, Credit: Caspar David Fieseler

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`?