The background to the implementation of the project was that the educational opportunities of young people for the so-called STEM area (science, technology, engineering and mathamatics) must be used better and earlier. So far there have only been a few attempts to motivate special target groups for the STEM area. It was therefore necessary to provide and try out more effective learning methods that are suitable to interest as many target groups as possible who have so far been underrepresented in the STEM area (e.g. girls, children with a migration background, disabled children and socially disadvantaged groups) in mathematical phenomena at an early stage in order to be to bring about a corresponding interest in education. The coordinating institution had the traveling exhibition "MiniMathematikum". The traveling exhibition from the "Mathematikum" in Giessen had been tried and tested for years and had already proven in practice that it gave children between the ages of four and eight the opportunity to explore mathematical phenomena. The aim of the project was to test the "MiniMathematikum" with all European partners with a respective special target group and to exchange the results in the European network of partners. The following target groups and topics were defined: - gender aspects, - children with a migration background, - children of Sinti and Roma, - physically or mentally impaired children. The traveling exhibition was set up by all partners and tested after intensive preparation of the local staff - around 3,500 (three thousand five hundred) children and carers visited the exhibitions. By evaluating the observation sheets, it was found that the “MiniMahtematikum” is a universalistic instrument to encourage all children to explore mathematical phenomena! The pedagogical approach of inquiry-based learning delighted children and adults. The partners operating in the European network exchanged the results and impressions and disseminated them in a variety of ways. The regional training events were of particular importance because in this way the pedagogical specialists of the partners could be addressed directly and were immediately prepared for the observation of the children. The intensive support of the "Short-Term Staff Training Events" by the IBE ensured the establishment of local networks of the institutions and the transnational network of the partners at the same time. In Germany, the “MiniMathematikum” will also be integrated with the results of this project as a permanent exhibition in the FORUM WISSEN of the University of Göttingen after opening in 2022 - in a follow-up project we are expecting around 3,000 children and carers from the Göttingen region in the short term.
MM-Maths for Minis The background and working context of the project is the fact that Europe 's prosperity is based on the economic and technical innovation capacity of its citizens. In order to secure a sufficiently qualified specialist base in mathematics and natural sciences as a prerequisite for Europe's economic competitiveness for the future, the educational opportunities and resources of young people for the so-called MINT area (mathematics, computer science, natural sciences, technology) must finally become better and earlier be used. In almost all European countries, there are so far only few successful attempts to motivate individual target groups for the mathematical and scientific area. It is therefore finally necessary to provide more effective teaching materials and teaching methods that are suitable to interest as many target groups as possible in the MINT area (eg girls, certain immigrant groups, disabled children and other socially disadvantaged groups) early on for mathematical phenomena in the long term to bring about a corresponding educational interest. The aim of this strategic partnership is to strengthen the focus on mathematics in the area of early childhood care, education and development of young people throughout Europe. The applicant owns exhibition "MiniMathematikum". The concept of the "MiniMathematikum" has meanwhile been tried and tested for many years. The touring exhibition from the Mathematikum in Gießen has already proven in practice that it gives children between the ages of four and eight years the opportunity to enthusiastically explore mathematical phenomena. It also lends itself as a basis for a discussion on the reorientation of mathematics education. In a two-year program with European partners, we will exhibit and operate the MiniMathematikum in each partner's country after intensive preparation. Participating partners will systematically monitor the young visitors / classes of the exhibitions and develop insights into what additional conditions must be created to make certain groups more enthusiastic about mathematical phenomena. Each partner will focus on the observation of defined target groups: gender aspects, children with a migrant background, Sinti and Roma, disabled children etc. Visiting the traveling exhibition creates additional incentives for children to engage in non-verbal communication with each other, which educators use as an important tool for integrating children. The network partners exchange the results and impressions and disseminate them in a variety of ways. Particular importance is attached to the regional training events, because in this way pedagogical specialists can be addressed directly and the use of the results can be directly ensured. The intensive support provided by the IBE for short-term joint staff training events also ensures the emergence of transnational networks.