Second project Fair in Germany
by Laura Wanckel
From 23 to 25 October, the German ICSE Science Factory team hosted its second national fair as part of the Science Days. The event is one of the largest science festivals in the region and attracts thousands of visitors each year. Within this setting, our fair offered a place full of curiosity and hands-on discovery for students, families, teachers, enterprises and research partners.
Lip balm, open schooling project “Forest Pharmacy”
Across all three days, students presented the results of their Open Schooling Projects with great pride. Their work ranged from “Forest Pharmacy” products such as lip balm, tinctures and ointments to research on climate-resilient city trees, solar parking lots, rubber extraction from Russian dandelions and concepts for future food. Interactive elements like escape games, tasting stations and small quizzes invited visitors to learn more and to connect with the students’ scientific thinking.
The fair also featured several Lighthouse Activities. Visitors built upcycling vehicles together with our project partners from the Schülerforschungszentrum Südwürttemberg. They explored tree-ring science in workshops led by our partners from the University of Freiburg and solved challenges in the ICSE escape games.
Open Schooling collaborators building lasting partnerships.
Women inventors’ memory game and escape room game.
Another highlight was the interactive career activity based on the ‘Women Inventors Memory Game’. Guests discovered the achievements of inventors behind ultrathin lenses, the parachute and many other innovations developed by women. This sparked many conversations about women’s representation in science and possible career paths. Our associated partner Futur F supported the activity and shared a poster on gender equality.
The Würzteufel company contributed a popular station where visitors could thicken liquids used in dysphagia care, conduct drip tests and taste products like kala namak “egg salt”. Many families and educators stopped to learn more about nutrition, chemistry and health-related applications.
Being part of the Science Days helped us reach a wide and diverse audience. It also opened new opportunities for future cooperation. During the fair, we connected with partners such as the Math Lab at KIT and the Media Centre in Villingen. Several visitors with relatives affected by swallowing difficulties expressed interest in joining future courses based on our dysphagia project.
What stood out most was how proudly the students shared their work. Together with teachers and partners, they created an atmosphere of genuine curiosity and thoughtful conversation. It showed how meaningful science learning can be when a community learns together.
A warm thank you goes to all students, teachers, partners and colleagues who contributed to this fair. Your dedication made these three days a rich and inspiring experience for everyone involved.
