Digital Mentoring – STEM

It is with great pleasure and pride that we look back on the past months in which we successfully ran our skill-based group mentoring program online. From May to July 2024, children and young people had the opportunity to learn and expand their skills in various exciting areas from our dedicated mentors.

Our skill-based group mentoring program focused on five core areas: Robotics, Programming, Digital Arts, Chess and Reading. Each of these areas provided participants with unique opportunities to gain practical knowledge and develop their creative and analytical skills. 

Robotics

In robotics, the participants were busy with Arduino. They learned the basics of robotics and developed their creativity and problem-solving skills. Under the guidance of our mentors, they took their first steps towards becoming the robot programmers of the future and successfully designed their own projects. With a combination of theoretical knowledge and practical application, the 8 participants were able to realize fascinating robot projects.

Digital art

In the digital art mentoring program, 13 participants learned to think creatively and understand digital imagery. They improved their drawing skills using different techniques, colors and styles. By working on their own digital art projects, they developed a deep understanding of digital tools and creative processes. At the end of the program, they presented their impressive artworks in a small exhibition, which gave them a great sense of pride in their achievements and an appreciation of their creative talents.

Programming

The programming mentoring program offered participants the opportunity to learn different programming languages and technologies. There were three sub-programs in this area: Computer Engineering, Scratch and Python.

Computer technology

Here, 10 participants technology enthusiasts learned how to assemble a computer, carry out basic maintenance work and write simple programs. They gained a deep understanding of how computers work and were able to apply their newly acquired knowledge in their own small projects.

Scratch

Scratch provided an ideal platform for the younger participants to learn the basics of programming in a fun and visual way. 7 participants developed their own small games and animations, which helped them to develop logical thinking and problem-solving skills.

Python

10 participants learned the basics of Python, one of the most popular programming languages. They developed simple applications and used Python for data analysis and automation. This knowledge enabled them to take their first steps into the world of software development and realize their own projects.

Reading

In the area of reading, the children devoted themselves to reading three children’s books. They read together and discussed the stories, which not only promoted their reading skills, but also their communication skills and critical thinking. By discussing the content, they learned to understand different perspectives and to formulate and defend their opinions. This activity also strengthened the sense of community and mutual understanding among the 10 participants.

Chess

With 17 participants, the chess course was a great success. The young people learned the basics of chess and developed their mental and strategic skills. These included problem solving, concentration, decision making and strategic thinking. Our mentors guided them through exciting games and helped them to further deepen their skills by analyzing chess games. This experience not only strengthened their cognitive skills, but also their self-confidence and ability to solve complex problems.

Thanks to the mentors, families and participants

Our success would not have been possible without the support and commitment of our volunteer mentors. They gave their time, knowledge and passion to support the participants in the best possible way. A big thank you to all mentors for their great work and tireless support! We would also like to thank the families and the participants, whose enthusiasm and commitment contributed significantly to the success of the program.

Completion and impact

A total of 75 children and young people took part in our skills-based group mentoring program. We are proud of their progress and the impressive results they have achieved. This program has once again demonstrated the importance and impact of targeted educational opportunities to nurture the talents and interests of young people.

We can see the impact of our program in the positive changes in mindset, the increased motivation of our participants and the new friendships made. A special aspect of the program was also the opportunity to make new friends and exchange ideas with like-minded people. With more than 1200 mentoring sessions completed, we were able to provide in-depth and sustainable support that fostered individual strengths and created community.

We look forward to continuing our program and to many more exciting projects in the future.

Future prospects and invitation to partnership

In conclusion, we would like to emphasize that we are very enthusiastic about continuing and expanding our successful skills-based group mentoring program with the support of foundations and companies directly on site in Darmstadt. Based on our experience to date and the positive results we have achieved, we see enormous potential to offer the program in an even broader and more diverse form.

Diversity is at the heart of our program, and we are convinced that broad participation by young people from different backgrounds will further enrich learning and personal development. With your support, we can make this vision a reality and together nurture the next generation of innovators, thinkers and creative minds.

We cordially invite you to become part of this important initiative and make a lasting contribution to the education and development of young people in Darmstadt through your partnership.