XLAB Gottingen, Germany

Eva-Maria Neher
Leader
XLAB Gottingen
Goldschmidtstrasse 1, D-37077 Gottingen, Germany
emneher@xlab-goettingen.de
Tel: +49-551-391-2872, 
http://www.xlab-goettingen.de 

SUMMARY OF ACTIVITY  

XLAB is an Experimental laboratory offering courses in Biology, Chemistry, Informatics and Physics for high school students. XLAB is an institution at the Georg-August-University in Goettingen and started its activities in August 2000. Since that time more about 33000 students performed experiments in the XLAB laboratories in collaboration with scientists from many departments of the university and other research institutions in Goettingen. Students from all over Germany and other EU members apply for the experimental courses. In summer XLAB regularly organizes an International Science Camp for students coming from all over the world. In 2003 we had 44 students from 12 different nations and in 2004 36 students from 16 different countries. The duration of a Science Camp is 3 1 weeks. Each student chooses 3 experimental courses out of a selection of 12 to 16 different courses in all science disciplines. At the end of each course the students present their results to each other and to the science lecturers. They are treated as young scientists and learn what it means to become a member of the scientific community. Beside the scientific aspects the camp is a great possibility for young people to make friendships across cultural, political and social borders. In the end of 2004 XLAB moved to its colorful new building and already started to enlarge its international activities.