This aims to motivate female students to take an interest in science and technology at an early age, to highlight career opportunities, and to showcase role models. The joint project between the Robert Bosch Stiftung and Robert Bosch GmbH is already entering its third year.
The “Girls' Campus” is intended for students in grades 8 to 10. When the new school year starts, a total of 35 students from high schools in the Stuttgart area will be given the opportunity to discover more about technology and technical professions at companies and research institutes. The topics covered during five weekend seminars over the course of the school year will include robot research, mechatronics, solar technology, and acoustics research. The focus will be on the students conducting their own experiments, but the program will also include lectures and guided tours. Students will also receive training in self-assurance and presentation techniques. Successful female scientists and engineers and qualified coaches will be on hand to help.
“We would like to hire more women engineers at Bosch. Unfortunately, many people – and especially women – are still reluctant to study technical and science subjects, even though they have technical aptitude. We want to address this issue and encourage more young women to pursue these careers,” states Dr. Wolfgang Malchow, member of the Board of Management of Robert Bosch GmbH. “The proportion of women university graduates in engineering and technology is shamefully low in Germany,” stresses Dr. Ingrid Hamm, executive director of the Robert Bosch Stiftung. “Germany needs these talents. We want to give female students the self-assurance and courage to tackle technological subjects,” she adds. Both Malchow and Hamm agree that the demographic change ahead and the associated decline in student numbers at schools and universities make it particularly important not to neglect talent.
The Robert Bosch Stiftung and Robert Bosch GmbH also run other independent projects to foster young engineering talent. The foundation has initiated “NaT-Working,” one of the largest programs of its kind in Germany, to network students, teachers, and scientists in the fields of science and technology. As a founder member of the “Wissensfabrik” (Knowledge Factory) initiative, Robert Bosch GmbH is now also involved in 52 cooperation projects with kindergartens and schools.
