Review of the ferien4u Camp 2025 – Technology, creativity, and lots of fun at the HRW Campus Bottrop
During the sixth week of the 2025 summer vacation, the popular ferien4u vacation camp took place once again at the Bottrop campus of Ruhr West University of Applied Sciences and at our FabLab. From August 18 to 22, 2025, around 30 students from grade 7 onwards immersed themselves in the fascinating world of STEM – with workshops on robotics, energy, and future technologies. The camp was organized by mint4u in cooperation with HRW and FabLab and was free of charge for all participating students.
Hands-on STEM – the morning workshops
Every morning, the young people were able to take part in one of three exciting workshops that combined technical know-how with creativity and teamwork:
- Building and programming robots: Here, the participants constructed their own robots, which they then brought to life using color sensors and simple codes – many of them for the first time.
- Developing a smart city: Using a miniature model of Bottrop's “Red Square,” the young people designed smart city ideas, integrated sensors, and programmed app controls – including their own small AI applications.
- Experiencing energy: How does sustainable energy actually work? The students built solar lamps with a 3D printer, designed mini wind turbines, and tested VR games on the topic of energy efficiency.
Creative afternoon program
The afternoon was particularly varied: at different stations, the young people were able to try out 3D printing, design with textile plotters, program, or get active in the sports hall.
ferien4u 2025 was once again a resounding success this year: technology was brought to life, creativity was encouraged, and new interests were sparked. We would like to thank all participants, the mint4u team, the workshop leaders, and our supporters—and we are already looking forward to ferien4u 2026!
