Because the Mint campus in Dachau is losing important funding from the district and municipalities, its future is on shaky ground. The student research center's support association now wants to raise the financing on its own - and is urgently looking for supporters.
Dachau
– soldering irons, Lego robots, lathes, 3D printers: the wood, metal and IT workshops at the Mint Campus Dachau have everything an inventor’s heart desires. Since 2015, children and young people have been able to experiment and discover their scientific and craft talents in the student research center. The goal: to attract skilled workers for the future in the areas of mathematics, computer science, natural sciences and technology (Mint). But that could soon be over. Because: The tense financial situation of the municipalities and the district requires austerity measures, which primarily affect voluntary services - including the financial support of the Mint Campus Dachau. “This is a bitter setback for us,” says Ulrich Dachs, district master craftsman and second chairman of the Mint-Campus support association.
The student research center normally receives around 60,000 euros in funding per year. “This year it will probably only be a fraction of that,” he says. The budget of around 100,000 euros for 2024 is largely covered; Currently, however, around 7,000 euros are still missing. But according to current estimates, things don't look good for the coming year, explains Dachs. Although the support association has supported the sponsoring association with around 100,000 euros over the past seven years, the association chairman emphasizes that without the support of the district it would be “difficult”.
Mint campus is important for the long-term recruitment of skilled workers
So that in the future students from the third grade onwards can experiment, invent and tinker without being forced to get a grade, the Mint Campus would now like to raise the financing on its own two feet - independently of public funding. That's why the first step was to launch a crowdfunding campaign, i.e. crowdfunding. You have the opportunity to support the support association with donations on the Volksbank Raiffeisenbank Dachau website until July 5th. The first goal: 4250 euros. “Actually, ten times as much is necessary,” emphasizes the district master craftsman.
Peter Fink, chairman of the support association and former chairman of the IHK Dachau regional committee, also emphasized that the work on the Mint campus must continue. Ultimately, the research center is a crucial part of attracting and securing skilled workers in the district. “The companies also benefit from the fact that the young people can use a soldering iron, for example, before training and don’t have to start from scratch,” he emphasizes.
Young people acquire basic manual skills
That's why the support association wants to work even more closely with companies from the region in the future - also in the form of supporting memberships. “More and more training positions in the district remain unfilled,” explains Fink. It makes sense, especially for companies in the natural sciences and craft sectors, to enter into a close partnership with the campus in order to attract qualified trainees.
“At the Mint Campus, girls and boys acquire basic technical skills such as the safe use of soldering irons or 3D printers,” explains Eva Rehm, project manager at the Mint Campus. “They also have the opportunity to program, weld or turn.”
Last year alone, 6,000 children and young people experimented and tinkered in the student research center. The demand is enormous. “The offer is aimed at all students from the third grade onwards. Special education students also visit the research facility,” explains Rehm. However, without donations and supporting memberships, the successful work of the student research center could soon be history.
(By the way: Everything from the region is now also available in our regular Dachau newsletter.)