Why, how, what for?

A day of studying like the grown-ups This fall, the Children’s University at FAU is back again. For organizer Laura Kneppe, the most important thing is that the children develop a love of science.

It all starts at nine o’clock – with a welcome and handing out the “study booklet” The morning program begins at 10 am, and at 11:30 am it’s time for lunch in the cafeteria. At 12:30 pm, the afternoon courses begin, before everyone meets at 2 pm for a joint closing event, where the first diplomas are awarded. Admittedly: A short university day, but one that really challenges the children. Because in the seminar rooms and lecture halls, the topics are magnetic nanomaterials, robotics, AI, environment, media, or emotions. These are subjects taught at the university, but of course specially adapted for children.

Understandable for the kids

“Technology and sciences are the big hits – really, any subject where you can do experiments or build things,” says Laura Kneppe, science communication staff member at FAU and head of the Children’s University. For the events, she needs instructors who can share their expertise in a way that’s easy to understand. At FAU, she can draw from a large network: During onboarding sessions, professors who are new to FAU learn about the opportunity to participate in the Children’s University. In the very first conversation, she finds out whether the instructors in mathematics, environmental engineering, medicine, or psychology are able to distill their topics down to the essentials and present them to the very young students in an exciting way. “This is where ideas are needed,” says Kneppe. “It could be a detective game, a quiz, or a scavenger hunt – the main thing is that it’s suitable for children.”

Personal highlight

She probably has one of the most exciting jobs at FAU, because Laura Kneppe opens up the university to everyone. The communications science graduate selects topics from FAU that might be interesting to the general public, thinks up a suitable format, and puts it into practice. This includes the Long Night of Science, #FAUwissenwollen, and of course the Children’s University – Laura Kneppe’s personal highlight of the academic year. When the media expert came to FAU in 2021, she learned that there was already a Children’s University in Nuremberg, but not in Erlangen! Laura Kneppe, herself a mother of two, wanted to change that quickly. “Why don’t we make use of all the resources FAU already has? Great scientists, lecture halls, labs, the botanical garden, the clinics – perfect conditions for the Children’s University,” was her first thought.

Collecting ideas in Vienna

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As part of an Erasmus project, Kneppe visited the University of Vienna, which is considered a beacon across Europe with its 800 programs for children. “I was amazed by the variety and got lots of inspiration,” she says. In 2023, the Erlangen Children’s University started as a pilot project, initially only for the children of FAU staff. The first “real” Children’s University then took place on a school-free day in 2024. The rush was enormous: Six minutes after registration opened, all the spots were taken. A total of 111 children took part in various morning and afternoon courses or a full-day course. “The budding scientists had a fantastic time with the program, and they participated enthusiastically. The kids even filmed a report about the event as part of one of the courses.”

Her wish is to expand the Children’s University to include non-academic families as well, in order to introduce as many children in the region as possible to university life and research.

Susanne Stemmler

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