As an after-school care facility, KSB gave us the opportunity to incorporate the Kitec (children's technology) project into our work. Regular visits by »artists and craftsmen« were already part of August Hermann Francke's school curriculum. The idea of illustrating information through practical applications and models was not revolutionary in this sense, but it was first incorporated into an educational concept at the Francke Foundations at the beginning of the 18th century, which benefited both boys and girls from all social classes.
KITEC Children's technology project
Following this tradition, the Francke Foundations' after-school care centre is participating in the KiTec project run by Wissensfabrik e.V. thanks to its project partner KSB Werk Halle. Children discover technology: with the help of materials and instructions provided, the young inventors can try their hand at various tasks in the fields of construction, automotive and electrical engineering. However, learning how to use the necessary tools and acquiring basic knowledge in various technical areas is only one aspect. Developing ideas and solving problems together trains social skills and promotes creative thinking. In a two-day workshop, the after-school centre's staff and children received a practical introduction to the project, with comprehensive theoretical basic knowledge about the materials and their respective uses.
»We were able to experience how exciting and interesting, but also how much fun, tinkering, experimenting and trying things out can be.«
Thanks to the accompanying manuals, even the inexperienced hobby craftsmen among us were able to complete their projects. We were amazed by the construction of the suspension bridge, the »self-driving« car and a drawbridge.
The project's pool of ideas and materials is far from exhausted and will continue to accompany the craft work of the after-school care children in the future.
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