DUTEK

DUTEK. Children's first steps in the world of technology

Classes in the laboratory. Seven teenagers in green aprons, standing in a row by the long table top, pour the liquid into the measuring cups using syringes.

Project title

DUTEK – Chlidren’s University of Technology

Name of Beneficiary/Beneficiaries

West Pomeranian University of Technology in Szczecin

Name of programme

Knowledge Education Development Operational Programme

Competition

University for Young Explorer

Project value

PLN 483 110,24

Funding value

PLN 468 615,24

Project delivery period

1st Jul 2018 – 30th Apr 2020

Meet our team

Laboratory. A young dark-haired smiling man in a white apron shows a microscope to two 7-8-year-old girls. — The DUTKA team consists of over 20 academic teachers, doctoral students and volunteer students, as well as a project management team. The project manager is MSc. Kinga Wełyczko, head of the Promotion Office of the West Pomeranian University of Technology, at the same time the originator of the establishment of DUTKA in 2009 at this university. The photos show classes with professor Adam Lepczyński, from the Faculty of Biotechnology and Animal Breeding

View the results of our work

Research laboratory. A group of eight children aged around 8-10 stand around a specialized device. The tallest boy is trying to turn it on — Ecological workshops at the Renewable Energy Training and Research Center, ZUT

Two about 7-year-old girls at a table covered with a floral pattern. The girl on the left is examining the bark of wood under a magnifying glass. The second girl is holding a dry branch in her hands — Children learn through play

Several children are standing around four buckets half full of different types of grain. One of the girls picks up a handful of grain — "What are we making bread from?" at the Faculty of Environmental Management and Agriculture

Laboratory. Two children, a boy and a girl, start up a specialized centrifuge — Laboratory at the Faculty of Chemical Technology and Engineering. Such classes are very popular

What problem is addressed by the project?

We all want our children to learn with passion. In the DUTEK project, we have an idea how to arouse such special interest in the youngest. Classes in the form of experiments introduce students to the fascinating world of technical, natural and economic sciences. By the way, they help them develop competences that will be useful in the labor market in the future, for the benefit of the economy and society. All this is in line with the objectives of the Knowledge Education Development Operational Programme.
We started the DUTEK project with the preparation of attractive educational programmes, so that didactic activities carried out jointly with external entities acting for education, such as the LAguage Factory Foundation, as well as with teachers of primary schools involved in the project, were inspiring for the participants from our region. We wanted to stimulate children and teenagers to discover and understand the world on their own. For 22 months, we conducted classes at 10 faculties of our university and at the premises of entities that cooperate with us.
By participating in the project, the children had the opportunity to contact the academic community. They got to know the university as a place of scientific perception of world - although of course they themselves are not yet able to express it this way. We wanted to show the youngest the activities and resources of a university of technology as an intriguing place where you can study, develop your interests and even start a professional career.
Additionally, thanks to the access to the electronic educational platform DUTEK, participants used innovative solutions in the form of electronic teaching materials and audiovisual materials.
The enthusiastic approach of children to the classes convinces us that the program stimulated their intellectual and social development. We hope that learning combined with fun will ignite our young students' striving to learn and explore the world. The practical and interactive form of classes also influences the development of teamwork skills, stimulates creativity, teaches problem-solving, logical thinking and a culture of cooperation.

Who uses the project results?

Laboratory classes, such as chemistry or biology, are of the greatest interest. This is a rare opportunity to conduct simple research and experiment yourself. At the Faculty of Chemical Technology and Engineering, children learned the history of soap and together we wondered if liquid soap was still soap. At the Faculty of Biotechnology and Animal Husbandry, the participants were introduced to the secrets of milking using the 1: 1 scale cow model purchased under the project. In turn, at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, thanks to modern electronic blocks, they could learn the secrets of programming and even create an "invention" according to their own ideas. They also built electric vehicles powered by a self-constructed dynamo. At the Faculty of Maritime Technology and Transport, students steered an underwater vehicle on which students work on a daily basis. And at the Academic Equestrian Center, some of them had the opportunity to try horse riding for the first time and learn about the elements of hippotherapy. These are just a few examples from over 20 topics.
Our classes were attended by primary school students from the West Pomeranian Voivodeship, aged 7 to 15. We were prepared for a group of 620 people. Despite the COVID-19 epidemic, we managed to implement the project beyond measure. We achieved the result indicator at the level of 879 people, i.e. 175.80%.
Unfortunately, despite the recruitment of another group of 180 participants in less than four seconds, who were to start classes from September 2020, we were forced to postpone classes for next year. For now, the restrictions resulting from the ongoing epidemic prevent us from organizing classes at our university.

What was the greatest challenge during project implementation?

Preparing and conducting academic classes at the primary school level required great creativity and commitment from the people involved in the project. Thanks to this, it was possible to effectively translate sometimes very demanding topics into a language that is understandable and child-friendly. Robot programming is a good example. In the technological hall of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Mechatronics ZUT, in a modern stand with an industrial robot - children could use the control panel to program the gripper in such a way that they precisely poured the juice into a cup, from which they could then drink it. The focus on the faces and the joy that the robot served the drink is unforgettable. Students absorbed new knowledge like a sponge - it is certainly worth cultivating in them a freshly instilled interest in technical, natural sciences and new technologies.

Our advice for other applicants

Always try to take advantage of the opportunity to obtain funding for interesting and unconventional projects. For project managers - it is a huge knowledge they acquire in the field of fundraising, as well as experience in project implementation. For the workshop leaders - such a project is a new challenge, and for the participants - an unforgettable adventure and joy from participation in classes at the highest level.