The end is the beginning: Graduation ceremony and information event of MinTU - Girls into TU Dortmund University

The evening was opened by Martina Stackelbeck, Central Equal Opportunities Officer and project manager of "MinTU - Mädchen in die TU Dortmund". In her welcoming address, she talked about the basic idea behind the mentoring project: Young women still only make up a third of the student body in STEM subjects; MinTU aims to change this. Project coordinator Jill Timmreck then explained how. She presented the project in detail to the many curious girls and parents. The one-year mentoring program is intended to arouse enthusiasm for scientific and technical subjects and help girls overcome their insecurities in these areas. "Many are afraid that they are not good enough for technical subjects. Here you learn that you can do it at least as well as boys!"

Mentors, students and parents talk about their MinTU year

In a short round of interviews, last year's mentors talked about their experiences with the students. Math student Berit is a big fan of the project: "I wish there had been something like MinTU when I was at school." In fact, next year will be the first time that a mentor who herself was once a mentee at MinTU has been able to get a taste of university life.

Last year's mentees also had their say. It quickly became clear that everyone had fun at MinTU and, in addition to the shared meals in the canteen, the workshops in the departments also left a lasting impression. For example, the students in the Department of Mechanical Engineering built their own small carousel, which they were allowed to take home with them.

In the Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, the students made small radios together. The mentees also got to know the everyday study life and living situation of the mentors at regular meetings last year. One of the students interviewed said confidently, "I would like to have another year and I can also imagine studying. Definitely STEM!"

The parents are mainly involved behind the scenes at MinTU, especially as chauffeurs for the girls. They also gave consistently positive feedback "My daughter told me so much. She wants to do an internship in chemical engineering soon," reported one mother.

Experiment show "Science is fun!" with Joachim Hecker

The most exciting part of the evening was then taken over by Joachim Hecker, known from WDR, with his hands-on show "Science is fun!". Together with some brave girls, he carried out experiments. He formed a human electric circuit with them and listened into the schoolgirls' heads while they chewed potato chips and rusks (or was it perhaps stones?). He explained the science behind familiar everyday phenomena in an entertaining way. Why does our voice sound different in voice messages than it does in our heads? Why do people conduct electricity? And how does echolocation work?

Finally, the certificates were ceremoniously awarded to the successful mentees of the 2019 cohort. While they were proudly immortalized in photos with their mentors, the interested students diligently filled out applications for next year. With a little luck, they will be there from January when a new round of "MinTU - Girls at TU Dortmund University" starts.

The "MinTU - Girls at TU Dortmund University " project offers around 50 schoolgirls aged 12 to 14 the opportunity to get to know STEM departments at TU Dortmund University as part of a mentoring program. The girls are supervised for a year by a mentor who is herself a student on a STEM course at TU Dortmund University and provides an insight into her subject and everyday life as a student in a personal exchange.