Support for Science Camps Helps Cultivate the Next Generation of STEM Talent
Six Science Camps@TRIANGEL Kids Lab will once again give young people the opportunity to get hands-on experience with science and technology at KIT in 2026. At the Electrical Engineering Camp, participant Nhi worked with four others to program her own project: a smart weather-responsive wardrobe. Her experience exemplifies how fostering interest in a subject can be linked to building self-confidence and shaping future plans.
Not Just Understanding Technology, but Shaping It Ourselves
How does an idea become a technical solution that supports people in their everyday lives? Young people explored this question at the Science Camps@TRIANGEL Kids Lab: Electrical Engineering—Automation in Everyday Life. From August 2 to 7, 2026, the 14- to 16-year-olds worked together to develop their own small projects, using microcontrollers, sensors, and actuators to create functional prototypes.
It wasn’t just about theoretical knowledge. The teens had to find their own solutions, test their programming, and work together to overcome challenges. This experience shows what this approach can achieve for individual participants: Successfully working on a challenging project can deepen their interest in the subject and strengthen their confidence in their own abilities.
“At Science Camp, I was able to learn about and try out new programming techniques and discover new technical possibilities. Although programming our project was sometimes challenging, the support I received from others further strengthened my interest in computer science and helped me gain more confidence personally. The project week sparked a desire in me to deepen my knowledge in this division and to use it in the future to help others with technology and new ideas.”
Nhi
—15 years old, from Karlsruhe—
The Science Camps@TRIANGEL Kids Lab Electrical Engineering is one of a total of six programs offered in 2026 that took place at TRIANGEL Transfer | Culture | Space. The program began in May with the fully booked Science Camps@TRIANGEL Kids Lab AI Lab. There, young people explored artificial intelligence and carried out their own projects on speech or image recognition.
Other camps focus on Earth, particle and astroparticle physics, Future Mobility, and climate and environmental issues. The various formats combine scientific fundamentals with experiments, hands-on projects, and current societal issues. In the Science Camps@TRIANGEL Kids Lab Climate and Environment, for example, participants will collect weather data, analyze soil samples, and conduct experiments in a wind tunnel.
The Science Camps@TRIANGEL Kids Lab are organized by TRIANGEL Transfer | Culture | Space and the Center for Technology-Enhanced Learning at KIT. Together with the Karlsruhe Student Academy, they create learning spaces where young people can gain hands-on experience with scientific topics outside of regular classroom instruction.
The young people work on specific tasks, exchange ideas within their teams, and receive support from experts. In this way, they experience science not merely as ready-made knowledge, but as a process: formulating questions, testing solutions, identifying mistakes, and collaboratively refining results.
The participants’ long-term educational or career decisions are still undecided. However, Nhis’s experience shows that the Science Camp has strengthened her interest in computer science and electrical engineering. In addition, the project week has sparked a desire to later apply her knowledge to technical solutions that help other people.
Continuing to Foster Young Talent Together:
The renewed organization of the Science Camps@TRIANGEL Kids Lab is supported by the Gips-Schüle Foundation
, the Karl Schlecht Foundation
, the Schroff Foundations,
and the Schleicher Foundation
. The project is being developed in cooperation with the KIT Foundation
. We would like to thank all our sponsors, whose contributions make it possible for the six camps to take place in 2026. These camps offer young talents, teenagers, and anyone interested an inspiring platform: They can explore and experiment, deepen their individual interest in science and technology in a targeted way, and have the opportunity to channel their passion into a meaningful career or educational path.
To ensure that such hands-on programs can continue to take place and be further developed in the future, the project is open to additional funding.
Further information on program content, funding needs, and contact persons can be found on the KIT GIVING project page.
Science Camps∂TRIANGEL Kids Lab