Founded in 2022, the third edition of the HZDR Teacher Award is once again proving very popular:
A total of 40 nominations were received from schools in Saxony. Of the nominations submitted, the commitment of Karsten Beuche stands out in particular: he has been passionately committed to teaching computer science and physics for many years. Back in the 1990s, he and his wife, also a math and physics teacher, founded the nationwide web platform “Pitty’s Physics”, which includes more than 1,300 tasks, most of which they developed themselves.
Beuche is also one of the leading experts in Saxony for the use of the “Calliope Mini” in the classroom, as the jury emphasized. He developed his own curriculum for learning with the microcontroller in technology and computer lessons in the fifth grade. Another example of his commitment is the “AG Roberta”, a STEM program especially for girls, in which schoolgirls program robots and regularly participate successfully in the international robot competition “World Robot Olympiad”.
Second and third prize to schools in Meißen and Aue
The second prize goes to Dr. Christian Feller from Landesgymnasium Sankt Afra Meißen for setting up a biology laboratory and his “Maths meets Music” project. The third prize went to Jens Baumann, who is driving forward school development in the field of digital manufacturing and certification for Industry 4.0 training at the “Erdmann Kircheis” vocational school center in Aue. The HZDR also awarded special prizes for special commitment to Sylvia Risse (Gotthold-Ephraim-Lessing-Gymnasium Döbeln), Jan Steinert (Evangelische Oberschule Burkhardtsdorf) and Dr. Florian Simon (Gymnasium Dresden-Plauen). Daniela Jawinski (Evangelische Mittelschule Oßling) and Andreas Richter (Freie Werkschule Meißen) were honored with the special lifetime achievement award.
“As the HZDR’s student laboratory, we make an important contribution to promoting young scientists,” says DeltaX Director Dr. Matthias Streller. “We see every day how crucial dedicated teachers are for this. The award is our recognition of their indispensable role. This year’s award winners all impressively demonstrate how much they can achieve with their commitment to science education for young people.”
The Saxon State Minister of Education and Cultural Affairs, Conrad Clemens, under whose patronage the HZDR Teacher Award is presented, added: “Particularly in the STEM subjects, it is often our teachers who decide whether curiosity turns into genuine enthusiasm for science. Many of the award-winning projects show that Teaching doesn’t end when the bell rings – it thrives on curiosity, creativity and additional commitment. Collaborations between schools and research institutions such as the HZDR show how lively science can be and how well school and extracurricular learning go hand in hand. In this way, we promote our pupils’ problem-solving skills and scientific thinking. STEM education is future education. Many teachers do outstanding work in this area, often outside of the public eye. I am delighted that we are making their commitment visible with this award and would like to congratulate the winners.”
All award winners were selected by a jury of experts:
– Prof. Willy Xylander – Professor of Special Zoology, TU Dresden
– Prof. Gesche Pospiech – Professor of Didactics of Physics, TU Dresden
– Katrin Beyer – State Office for Schools and Education, Radebeul site
– Dr. Matthias Streller and Nadja Gneist from the DeltaX student laboratory at the HZDR
About the HZDR Teacher Award
The award is aimed at all teachers in the subjects of math, computer science, natural sciences and technology (STEM) at secondary schools in Saxony. Teachers whose above-average commitment succeeds in arousing enthusiasm for science and research topics among children and young people are honored. The jury takes into account, for example, diverse or innovative projects inside and outside the classroom, the integration of special teaching methods and continuous and committed educational work.
The HZDR would like to thank NTT DATA Business Solutions, GlobalFoundries and ROTOP Pharmaka for donating the prizes worth a total of over 3,500 euros.
Further information:
Dr. Matthias Streller
Head of the DeltaX student laboratory at the HZDR
Email: m.streller@hzdr.de | Phone: +49 351 260 3496
The Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) conducts research in the fields of energy, health and matter. The focus is on the following issues:
– How can energy and resources be used efficiently, safely and sustainably?
– How can cancers be better visualized, characterized and effectively treated?
– How do matter and materials behave under the influence of high fields and in the smallest dimensions?
The HZDR develops and operates large infrastructures that are also used by external measurement guests: Ion Beam Center, Dresden High Field Magnetic Laboratory and ELBE Center for High Power Radiation Sources.
It is a member of the Helmholtz Association, has six locations (Dresden, Freiberg, Görlitz, Grenoble, Leipzig, Schenefeld near Hamburg) and employs almost 1,500 people – around 700 of whom are scientists, including 200 doctoral students.
Best regards
Till Bayer
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👉 To the press release
