"Hacker School" Alleviates Fear of the Digital World

Wilo supports learning project - also with their own "inspirers"

40 boys and girls between the ages of eleven and 18 were guests at Wilo last weekend. As part of the "Hacker School", the young people spent two days conducting research on microcomputers, working with robots, and programming their own websites.

"We want to alleviate young people's fear of the increasing digital world," explains Dr. Julia Freudenberg, Managing Director of the Hamburg-based association i3 e.V., which organizes "Hacker Schools" on various topics nationwide. 5,000 participants were reached last year, and the goal for 2020 is to inspire a total of 15,000 young people to learn programming in 90 cities. "When children and teenagers understand how things work, they move beyond being mere users and become creative and innovative."

Three groups programmed and worked eagerly in the northern buildings of Wilo's new production facility. On thin boards called microbits, LEDs blinked in a predetermined pattern. In more complex applications, the classic game Tetris ran on single-board computers, while others constructed an electronic compass. At another table, Arvid Piechot controlled small servo motors with the boards, which in turn drove robot arms that moved small weights according to programmed patterns. "I like that we can directly translate theoretical instructions into practical applications," says Arvid Piechot. "Considering that large robots function in a similar way, it's very exciting."

Throughout both days, experts from Wilo, known as "inspirers," were on hand to assist the young researchers. "We have new colleagues present, all from the research and development field," explains Michael Hubo-Kleiss, who led the Wilo project. "It's fun to see how diligently and focused the boys and girls work." In fact, the working atmosphere is rather calm and concentrated, and in Michael Hubo-Kleiss's opinion, the location could not have been better chosen: "We are working with these young people in our smart factory, in the place where the future of 'Wilo's heart' will beat."

Financially, the "Hacker School" was also supported by the Wilo Foundation. "In addition to promoting culture and sports, the Wilo Foundation is heavily involved in science and education," explains Evi Hoch from the Foundation's board. "As part of our talent development, we are particularly committed to the STEM field, from kindergarten to university, which naturally includes the transmission of technological and digital content."

Summing it up during the final presentation is Ben Radzey. He was in the third group and programmed his own website. "Kauf dich arm" (Buy Yourself Poor) is not a page that offers any special added value, but it doesn't have to: "It's my very first self-programmed website. I built the structure, inserted the images and animations, and I'm very proud of it."

In Julia Freudenberg's view, there is also a deeper meaning to the event: "It's about empowering boys and girls to take the first step in the digital world," says the Managing Director of the "Hacker School".