Future Day 2024 at Leibniz HKI in collaboration with the Microverse Cluster: Exploring New Career Fields for Girls and Boys

The Zukunftstag (Future Day) 2024 - also known as Girls' Day and Boys' Day - at Leibniz HKI in partnership with the Microverse Cluster invites girls and boys to gain exciting insights into career fields that diverge from traditional gender roles and offer diverse future prospects. This Forsche Schüler Tag, as this event is called here on Beutenberg Campus in Jena, has been a fixed part of the program for several years. This year, various research groups from Leibniz HKI and the Microverse Cluster are once again opening their doors.

Students from grades 5 to 10 have the opportunity to, for instance, gain practical experience and establish contacts in workshops, offices, and laboratories. At the Leibniz HKI, the participating students gain insights into the everyday research life and can actively participate in various laboratory experiments while being taken on a fascinating journey into the world of microbes.

Here are some impressions directly from the participants:

Justus, 14 years:

"I really enjoyed the day - it was my first time here, and it's really nice to be here. I found the separation process during the extraction of leaf pigments particularly interesting."

Elena, 13 years und Rania, 14 years:

"Our work with microscopes was truly fascinating. We counted mushrooms and even observed amoebas. They were so cute, almost like little pets."

Julius, 13 years:

"The labs were filled with amazing gadgets! Experiencing science live and watching the scientists at work was fantastic. But the best part was how we isolated the DNA from mushrooms!"

A huge thank you to all participants, and see you next year!

Picture Credits: Friederike Gawlik (Leibniz HKI)