All children are curious and enthusiastic. Trying things out, discovering and learning through play are important building blocks for the development of girls and boys. STEM subjects in particular offer endless opportunities for research. However, there are still prejudices that STEM is uncool and only for boys.
STEM skills are the key to innovation and progress. They are crucial for issues such as energy transition, digitalisation, mobility and climate protection. At the same time, there is a significant shortage of skilled workers in these areas in Germany. There is still a lot of catching up to do, especially among girls and young women: they still only make up around 20 to 25 per cent of students in technical and scientific degree programmes.
The regional network MINTregion18 wants to change that. MINTregion18 is the regional network for the promotion of mathematics, computer science, natural sciences and technology (MINT) in south-eastern Upper Bavaria. The region of south-eastern Upper Bavaria comprises the districts of Altötting, Berchtesgadener Land, Mühldorf am Inn, Rosenheim and Traunstein. In this large, diverse region, the network brings together numerous educational institutions, companies and organisations. Hundreds of children, young people and teachers are reached every year through workshops, training courses, action days and competitions.
Supported by the Rosenheim Technical University, the initiative was founded in 2023 to spark an interest in technology and science, support talented individuals and strengthen the economic position of Southeast Upper Bavaria in the long term.
MINTregion18 aims to promote curiosity, intellectual enjoyment and a spirit of discovery, and to make STEM an exciting, creative field of the future that can be experienced in a playful, everyday and practical way.
The central topics include:
- Scientific phenomena in kindergarten and primary school
- Robotics, coding and digitalisation in school and leisure time
- Sustainability, environmental technology and energy
- Future skills such as problem solving, teamwork and creativity
The network supports gender-sensitive and sustainable STEM promotion for all age groups. The target groups are children and young people from kindergarten age to university entrance qualification – in other words, across the entire education chain. It also includes educational professionals in daycare centres, after-school care centres and primary schools who implement STEM topics in the classroom and in daycare. The aim is to break down role models and give girls and young women self-confidence in themselves and their technical abilities. School pupils have the opportunity to network with companies at an early stage in order to develop career prospects in the STEM field. An internet platform with all offers and a job exchange provides an introduction to the world of work. After all, the STEM field offers exciting career opportunities and future prospects. With around 20% more, women also earn significantly better here than in other fields. The demand for qualified workers is high in the region and many positions are unfilled.
With the establishment of MINTregion18, a coordinated contact point has been created in south-eastern Bavaria that aims to systematically promote STEM education across all age groups. The combination of educational, business and university partners, as well as the focus on early childhood along the educational chain, offers ideal conditions. By focusing on early support, equal opportunities and regional cooperation, the initiative helps to get young people excited about STEM – and to actively shape the future. The MINTregion18 network is also part of MintRaumBayern and is therefore very well integrated on a supra-regional level.
More information at:
https://www.mint-bayern.de/mint-regionen/mint-region-mintregion18-suedostoberbayern/
https://www.mintregion18.de/mintnetz18-partner/
Picture: MINTregion18 TH Rosenheim. All rights reserved. Published with permission.
