Schülerforschungszentrum Südwürttemberg

The educational institution Schülerforschungszentrum Südwürttemberg (SFZ), a research centre for pupils based in Bad Saulgau, aims to foster pupils in the STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics).

Irrespective of their background and parental homes, children and young people should be able to pursue their interests and have the chance to enhance their individual skills. The research centre in Bad Saulgau therefore provides all its programmes free of charge to pupils interested in science and technology. At the SFZ, it is neither the pupils’ marks nor the school type that matters: The focus is on researching, tinkering and inventing.

The institution seeks to motivate und encourage these young people so they can discover, emphasise and advance their skills. In seminars and workshops, they work on independent projects, with which they often participate in competitions such as Jugend forscht, RoboCup or similar contests.
The close cooperation with industrial companies and universities allows the centre to support the pupils’ ideas in the best possible way and apply them in practice. This is especially true for joint projects with trainees and contract research of SFZ pupils.

The great strength of the educational institution Schülerforschungszentrum Südwürttemberg (SFZ) is its network structure. At a total of eight sites with headquarters in Bad Saulgau, around 600 pupils are currently researching, inventing and tinkering. They are supervised by around 60 teachers sharing seven teaching loads provided by the Ministry of Cultural Affairs. The teachers are supported by around 60 voluntary supervisors as well as student assistants.

The centre is funded from public and private sources. The Ministry of Cultural Affairs provides teaching loads, while the rental costs of some SFZ locations are paid by the relevant cities and municipalities; in other locations, trade associations such as the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) or business partners provide the SFZ rooms. The SFZ receives financial support from the Dieter Schwarz Foundation.

Sites:
Bad Saulgau, Tuttlingen, Überlingen, Ulm, Friedrichshafen, Wangen, district of Biberach (consolidation of the initiatives in Biberach, Ochsenhausen and Laupheim), Tübingen/Reutlingen/Neckaralb (in Eningen unter Achalm).

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