Driving digitalization forward
In North Rhine-Westphalia, Covestro held talks with local authorities years ago to identify the areas in which Covestro's support is needed. Almost all municipalities mentioned digitalization as a key area for improvement. Schools and other educational institutions, in particular, often do not have access to the proper equipment. Hence, Covestro donations mainly support projects that accelerates the digital transformation around its three NRW sites in Leverkusen, Dormagen and Krefeld-Uerdingen and increase the educational opportunities for pupils.
Social commitment in Leverkusen
Training center for teachers: Media studio
In 2019, Covestro supported the construction of a Media studio in Leverkusen. A financial contribution from the company helped the city to build a central, innovative training center for teachers with state-of-the-art equipment - including interactive, mobile touchscreens, notebooks, tablets, and teaching software. The media studio offers teachers the opportunity to deal with challenges associated with digitization through practical exercises.
Teachers need to have access to state-of-the-art hardware and software. This is the only way they can align their lessons with the latest digital technology and teach students how to handle new media – in particular as they prepare for their professional careers. The Media studio helps teachers to structure their lessons in a more effective, diverse and productive way. This is something everyone can benefit from.
Thanks to the support of Covestro, the Municipal Education Office of the City of Leverkusen was able to purchase 20 LEGO Spike Prime robot sets for four schools. These allow students to experience the excitement of computer science and natural sciences in a playful way, both in class and in after-school clubs. They are also using the sets to train for the 2025 state-wide zdi robot competition.
Thanks to a donation from Covestro, the media studio has had a total of 30 virtual reality glasses (VR glasses) in its inventory since October 2023. Students can now familiarize themselves with digital technologies early on and immerse themselves in entirely different worlds. The VR glasses and their applications enable a completely different way of imparting knowledge – they make the teaching and learning process more active, emotionally engaging, and practical.
Programming the robot "Dash", creating an e-book and producing animated films - elementary school children learn all this in a playful way in workshops at the Leverkusen Media Studio. Additional in-service training of the pop-up digital workshops for teachers helps to integrate digital learning content more effectively into lessons. Vacation offers specially tailored to families complement this service provided by the Municipal Education Office, which Covestro has supported with a donation for one year.
The fourth graders at GGS Heinrich-Lübke-Straße are using iPads to design a scary story book, analyze movements in physical education and find right angles. The elementary school students skillfully use the 64 devices in lessons and thus constantly improve their digital skills. The elementary school's booster club was able to purchase the iPads in summer 2021 thanks to the financial support of Leverkusen-based companies, with Covestro providing the bulk of the donation.
Many pupils at Theodor Wuppermann School in Leverkusen had to leave their home countries because of war. They are supposed to learn German in special support groups within two years. Thanks to a Covestro donation, the school can now use 32 iPads in remedial classes. The tablets help the children to learn German playfully and intuitively at their own pace. This is another important step for the integration in their new environment.
It is the beginning of a new era at the Gemeinschaftsgrundschule (GGS) Büscherhof in Leichlingen: Thanks to a Covestro donation, the community school was able to purchase two digital blackboards. Teachers can now prepare children with special needs more individually for lessons or revise them. The interactive devices illustrate learning content much better and really motivate the students to participate.
As of June 2021, Leverkusen’s public library has been encouraging children to understand digital technology through play thanks to a Covestro donation. Two sets with the Beebot – floor-mounted robots, which look like bees – offer a child-friendly introduction to programming. But there is more: Kits with books, games, and teaching materials animate children to read, tell stories, and try things out. This makes science topics fun for primary and pre-school children!
Social commitment in Dormagen
DINT Forum as a multi-media learning facility
Covestro supported the construction of a central, alternative learning facility at the Volkshochschule Dormagen in 2018. The DINT Forum is designed to offer school children, trainees, companies and associations a multi-media learning environment. Guests can learn more about topics related to digitalization, computer sciences, natural sciences and technology.
Thanks to a donation from Covestro, the training room at the DINT Forum was equipped with a digital active panel. It allows students to write or draw all at the same time. In addition, the active panel can upload content and materials directly to connected mobile devices, supporting collaborative learning and teaching. iPads, laptops, printers, and instructional software are now available in this “digital classroom” to ensure a multimedia learning experience.
In 2024, the project "Treffpunkt Mathematik" was set up in the former secondary school on Max-Reger-Weg in Dormagen. This serves as a place where students, parents, specialists from various schools and daycare centers, along with volunteers and math enthusiasts, can share ideas and information beyond regular math classes. Thanks to the support of Covestro, "Treffpunkt Mathematik" features a modern Active Panel that greatly enhances the available resources.
Three exhibition rooms bring Dormagen's roman history to life with interactive applications. Thanks to a donation from Covestro, the historical society developed 3D animations and information films that explain the city's UNESCO World Heritage Site with its equestrian fort, camp and brickworks in an age-appropriate way. The digital media enable children and adults to take an impressive journey back in time to antiquity and experience history first hand.
As of November 2021, the public library of Dormagen has been offering citizens a place for mobile learning and working. The new coworking space – a place for collaboration – is separated acoustically and spatially from the rest of the library by glass walls. In this way a quiet working atmosphere is guaranteed. Thanks to a Covestro donation, the room was furnished and equipped with a multi-touch screen, two notebooks, 15 tablets, a multifunction printer and a WLAN connection.
The small amphitheater in Dormagen is a true eye-catcher. Here is where citizens can connect to public Wi-Fi while taking a small break from their everyday life. For city insitutions such as the adult education center, the city library or schools and kindergartens, the amphitheatre is the perfect location to hold events, readings, and games outside. Students, who study at the nearby DINT Forum, can also work on their learning material using their iPads on the stairs of the digital square. Covestro made the construction of the small amphitheater possible with a donation.
Social commitment in Krefeld-Uerdingen
Promoting media competence in Krefeld-Uerdingen: Zentrum für digitale Lernwelten
As of November 2018, schools in Krefeld have a central location for digital education at the Zentrum für digitale Lernwelten. The center is a place where teachers can take training courses and learn about digital devices and media. The offer is also available to school children for extra-curricular learning.
Thanks to support from Covestro, the center was able to purchase modern presentation technologies such as projectors, a smart TV and smart board, learning software like Ozebot, Calliope and Lego WeDo, and laptops, 3D printers and an audio system. With the help of learning apps and content tailored to individual learning levels, students can learn more about algorithms, programming and the control of complex technologies.
This allows them to program Lego robots, for instance, which then automatically move blocks from A to B to load and unload them. Students learn basic digital skills and more challenging programming abilities in a entertaining manner. Teachers also benefit from it. They can decide which devices and programs are suitable for their lessons.
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Children have fun practicing and experimenting at the Zentrum für digitale Lernwelten. -
Krefeld's mayor Frank Meyer (2nd from left) and Renate Peters from the Krefeld city school board are excited about the new digital learning possibilities. Dr. Ute Müller-Eisen (left), former Head of Politics at Covestro in North Rhine-Westphalia, and Dr. Daniel Koch (right), Managing Director of Covestro’s facilities in North Rhine-Westphalia, were at the grand opening in November 2018.
Thanks to support from Covestro, the center was able to purchase modern presentation technologies such as projectors, a smart TV and smart board, learning software like Ozebot, Calliope and Lego WeDo, and laptops, 3D printers and an audio system. With the help of learning apps and content tailored to individual learning levels, students can learn more about algorithms, programming and the control of complex technologies.
This allows them to program Lego robots, for instance, which then automatically move blocks from A to B to load and unload them. Students learn basic digital skills and more challenging programming abilities in a entertaining manner. Teachers also benefit from it. They can decide which devices and programs are suitable for their lessons.
Mobile chemistry kits and “Virtuali-Tee”-shirts from the field of augmented reality are designed to spark young people's curiosity about science. The municipal Center for Digital Learning Worlds (ZfdL) makes these offers accessible to socially disadvantaged young people in particular thanks to the support of Covestro. To this end, the ZfdL also organizes open workshops in Krefeld youth centers.
Technology and programming have been on the curriculum of ten elementary schools since spring 2023. Thanks to financial support from Covestro, the "Zentrum für digitale Lernwelten" (ZfdL) – Center for digital learning was able to equip each of the schools with a class set of the Lego Education Spike learning application – consisting of 16 sets. This will introduce primary school students in Krefeld to the challenges of the digital world in a fun way. It will also spark an interest in scientific and technical topics at an early age.
The computer science lessons for the seventh-grade students at the Kaiserplatz Comprehensive High School are really varied: they learn the programming language "Python", set up the game "Four Wins" on an LED matrix and build a mini-computer, the "Raspberry Pi". This easy introduction to the world of programming is made possible by a cooperation with the Coding School Niederrhein. Covestro supported the pilot project at the Krefeld school with a donation.
As of November 2021, six interactive information boards at Geldern Comprehensive School have provided information about the latest news, timetable shifts and menus. All information can also be accessed conveniently via app. In addition, the students at the all-day school, which is based in the vicinity of Covestro's Krefeld production site, can now develop robot models with 32 Lego technic sets. They program the necessary control software themselves. Covestro made the expansion of the digital infrastructure possible with a donation.
Pupils at Berufskolleg Uerdingen learn how an industrial plant works in project-oriented lessons in the field of automation technology. One of the tasks is to build and program a mini plant, in which ordering, production planning and manufacturing are automatically interlinked. Covestro donated a 3D printer and control elements to get the project started. Pupils can now create further Industry 4.0 mini plants that build on the prototype.
The FabritzLab at high school Fabritianum is an school research laboratory. It offers students great experimenting and researching conditions since September 2021. Moreover, the FabritzLab increases cooperation between Krefeld schools, companies, the Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences and local association. This has mainly two benefits: the promotion of scientific talents and STEM subjects. Thanks to a Covestro donation, the booster club was able to purchase the movable ceiling systems for media supply.
Learning how to program is now way easier for school children of Krefeld's primary school. In June 2020, 18 primary schools each received a class set of 16 kits of the learning application “Lego Education WeDo 2.0.” The kit contains around 280 individual parts and instructions for 17 exciting, child-friendly research projects that students and teachers can build in 40 learning units. By completing the kits, children have the opportunity to learn the basic logic of programming in an entertaining way. Covestro funded the program of the "Zentrum für digitale Lernwelten" (ZfdL) – Center for digital learning.
Thanks to a Covestro donation, five inner-city Krefeld elementary schools could each afford a class set of 16 iPads with rolling cases and accessories in March 2021. These elementary schools have many students with a migration background or with little knowledge of German and special educational needs. Now these children will also receive pedagogical training to learn independently and interactively.
