Programs for Students
Discover, explore, create.
Are you interested in real experiments, exciting STEM projects, and figuring out what you want to do later in life? Come to Hochschule Offenburg and get to know us—whether in the lab, tinkering with robots, or attending actual lectures. Whether you’re in middle school and passionate about technology or about to graduate from high school and looking for a subject, this is the place to explore your options.
Career and College Guidance
Find out what you want: With our career exploration programs for middle and high school students.
Open Campus
Open Campus is your backstage pass to the HSO. Once a year, we open our doors: Experience exciting live demos in the labs and talk directly with students about their projects and everyday life on campus. It’s the best opportunity to experience the atmosphere firsthand.
Baden-Württemberg College Fair
Want to know what your university experience might be like and whether Hochschule Offenburg is the right fit for you? Then mark November 18, 2026, on your calendar! On this day, we’ll be opening our doors to high school students and anyone else interested in studying here, and we invite you to experience an exciting day full of insights and inspiration.
We’ll be announcing the program and more details soon.
Taster Course
Want to know what it’s like to be a college student? You can visit us at the University during the fall and Easter breaks. During the taster course, you’ll attend real lectures and quickly see if the theory and practice really grab your interest. Choose your field of study and join us. We look forward to seeing you!
We’re already hard at work planning exciting lectures and workshops. You’ll find the full program here on this page starting in late September.
Girls'Day
On Girls’ Day, we’ll show you just how exciting IT, robotics, and engineering can be. Try your hand at these fields, solve tricky problems, and meet inspiring women who are at home in the tech world. Girls’ Day takes place every April.
Simply search for “Hochschule Offenburg” in the Girls’Day Radar to find our program and sign up.
Junior Study Program
Want more than just school? If your academic performance and talents are exceptional, the Junior Study Program offers you the chance to get a taste of university life even before you graduate from high school. If you’re in grades 10 through 13 and are eager to gain some extra knowledge, you can attend our lectures, seminars, and lab sessions alongside your regular classes.
Here’s what you can expect:
Real insight: You’ll study in a program of your choice and get to know everyday campus life.
Get a head start: You can take exams on a voluntary basis. We’ll count your grades toward your future degree.
Flexible scheduling: The program is closely coordinated with your high school so that your high school diploma remains your top priority.
What you should bring to the table: Exceptionally good grades, a strong work ethic, and the approval of your high school as well as your parents (if you’re under 18).
Would you like to put your talents to the test with us? Then contact us to schedule a consultation.
Contact Person
Hands-On Activities
Theory is good, but doing is better: With these activities and contests, you get to take the initiative yourself.
Kinder-Uni
Why is that? In our popular Kids’ University, professors explain exciting scientific phenomena in a way that’s fun. This program is for young explorers ages 8 to 12.
The next Children’s University
Friday, July 17, 2026
Building B, Room B 012
from 2:00 p.m. to approximately 5:00 p.m.; afterward, each child will receive a certificate.
The Program
A Journey Through the World of the Very First Living Organisms and Artificial Intelligence
Lecture 1: AI—Dumb or Smart?
Prof. Dr. Jürgen Seitz explores with the children when artificial intelligence (AI) is smart and when it is dumb. Together, they investigate why this is the case and consider how they can make AI smarter.
Lecture 2: Microorganisms—the Tiny “Jack-of-All-Trades”
Prof. Dr. Christiane Zell takes the children on a journey into the world of tiny living organisms. Though invisible to the naked eye, microorganisms are a part of every human being and the environment. Some can make us sick, but others—and there are far more of them—keep us healthy, preserve the environment, or provide us with many delicious foods.
Registration & Important Information for Parents
Registration: Starting July 3 at 6:00 p.m., you can register your child(ren) for free using the online form https://events.hs-offenburg.de/e/Kinder-Uni/Juli2026. It pays to be quick—spots are in high demand!
Schedule: The Children’s University takes place on the Hochschule Offenburg campus in Building B (Badstraße 24). The afternoon includes two lectures. During the break in between, there will be exciting hands-on experiments organized by Hochschule Offenburg, the Edeka IT Foundation & Co. OHG, and Meiko, along with drinks and snacks to recharge.
Photo Notice: Photos and videos will be taken during the event for our public relations purposes.
Privacy Policy: We handle your data responsibly. All personal data will be permanently deleted no later than one year after the conclusion of the respective Children’s University event.
Disclaimer: Participation is free of charge and at your own risk. Participants waive the right to assert any claims for damages against the University, unless the University is proven to have acted with intent or gross negligence. Hochschule Offenburg, as the organizer, is indemnified against any claims by third parties.
Mint4Life
We inspire young people starting in 5th grade to get excited about math, Informatik, science, and technology. At the heart of it all is the fascinating world of 3D printing. In our free workshops, you’ll design your own models—such as jewelry, toys, or geometric art—and bring them to life on the printer. This hands-on approach helps you discover just how much STEM is part of your everyday life and your future dream job.
Find out more & sign
up now You can find all current dates on the Xenoplex Student Research Center website and secure your spot right there.
MINT4Life is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research. Hochschule Offenburg is a partner of the University of Education Freiburg, which coordinates the project in South Baden.
FIRST® LEGO® League
Together with the nonprofit organization HANDS on TECHNOLOGY e.V., we are bringing the FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL) regional competition to Hochschule Offenburg. Here, teams will tinker with autonomous LEGO robots that must complete challenging missions. They’ll learn to program in a fun way, solve problems creatively, and achieve breakthroughs as a team.
FLL Challenge
Here, you’ll spend several weeks working just like in a real engineering job: As a team (ages 9–16), you’ll plan, build, and program an autonomous LEGO® robot that completes challenging missions on a playing field. In line with the season’s theme, you’ll research your own solutions to real-world problems and present your findings to a jury.
The best part: If you impress the judges at the regional competition at Hochschule Offenburg, you’ll qualify for the next rounds—and maybe even make it to the finals!
FLL Explore
The perfect introduction for young explorers (ages 6–10): Here, you’ll learn the basics of programming through play. Using a LEGO® robotics set, you’ll spend several weeks building a motorized model and creating a colorful research poster showcasing your ideas.
The highlight: At the end of the season, you’ll celebrate your achievements at a regional exhibition right here on our campus.
Contact
do it - Ortenau Digital Competition
Digital Solutions for the Region: Show us your ideas for the digital future. Whether it’s an app concept or a hardware hack—in the “do it” competition, you can showcase your digital creativity and win great prizes.
pepperMINT Competition
The 2026 pepperMINT Competition will take place on June 26, 2026, under the theme “Achieve More with Less: Build Your Energy-Efficient House.” Students in 9th grade and above can put their creative ideas and technical skills to the test and then present their projects to us. This is an exciting opportunity to gain hands-on experience and a chance to get to know Hochschule Offenburg a little better.
Participants will receive valuable feedback from our expert jury, and on June 26, 2026, the best projects will be awarded prizes.
Here’s what you can win!
1st Place: Prize money and a research internship at Hochschule Offenburg
2nd Place: Europa-Park gift certificates
Enter now! (Register by May 22, 2026)
The competition is supported through partnerships with companies such as Badische Stahlwerke GmbH, Herrenknecht AG, Hobart GmbH, VEGA, and Wittenstein SE.
Umsetzung
Participants are free to choose how they approach the project. To assist them, we suggest three areas of focus, each accompanied by a few guiding questions that can be used if participants are interested:
1. Technical Focus
Structural Engineering & Stability: How is the stability of the house ensured? What materials are used for load-bearing elements, and why?
Thermal Insulation & Energy Efficiency: What insulation methods are used?
How does the house store heat and keep cold or heat out?Sustainability & Material Selection: What recycled or natural materials are used? To what extent are these materials environmentally sound and resource-efficient?
Energy Generation & Use: How is sustainable energy (e.g., solar energy, heat pumps) integrated into the house? How can overall energy consumption be reduced?
Innovation & Unique Features: Are there any special technical or design features? How does this house model differ from other solutions?
2. Economic Focus
Costs & Financing: Is it worth renovating or building a new home using sustainable materials? What financial aspects need to be considered?
Creating Living Space: How can additional living space be created? How can living space be made affordable, especially given the current housing shortage?
Resources & Efficiency: Which materials or construction methods save costs in the long term? How can resource use be optimized?
3. Social/Community Focus
Residents’ Needs: How does the building address the needs of future residents? What aspects of living comfort and accessibility are taken into account?
Community & Use: Are there communal spaces or functions? How does the building support social interaction or integration?
Sustainable Living & Environmental Awareness: What opportunities does the building offer for a resource-efficient and sustainable lifestyle? How can residents be encouraged to adopt sustainable behaviors?
Das erwarten wir von eurem Projekt
1. Prototype
Presentation of the built model on the day of the competition
2. Poster for the booth
Design of a poster to accompany the prototype
Includes: Sketches, photos, and the concept behind your model
3. Documentation of the construction phase
Shows important construction steps
Maximum of 3 pages
Includes:
Description of the model
Choice of materials
What focus was chosen and why? If applicable, answers to the selected guiding questions
4. PowerPoint presentation
Maximum of 6 slides
Submit as a PDF by June 18, 2026
Presentation on June 26, 2026
Duration: max. 10 minutes + 5-minute Q&A session
Materialvorgaben und Bewertung
For your model of an energy-efficient house, you may use paper, wood, metal, Styrofoam, aluminum, 3D-printed elements, and natural materials such as straw, leaves, wax, or stone. Entries will be judged on clarity, technical depth, creativity, and teamwork.
Questions or Support
If you have any questions or suggestions, or if you need assistance, feel free to email miriam.bartels@hs-offenburg.de at any time.
Seminar Courses
The seminar courses are offered by the pepperMINT Foundation to 12th-grade students, providing them with the opportunity to engage in hands-on, specialized work on science and technology projects. Together with their teachers, we invite students to spend two days with us at the University for introductory sessions. Here, students can choose from various lectures related to the topic of their seminar course, visit labs, specialize in scientific projects, and carry out hands-on exercises. In addition, two field trips to our partner companies take place between spring and summer. Participation in one of these field trips is mandatory for the seminar course. The topic of the seminar course forms the basis of a scientific paper that is recognized as part of the high school graduation requirements. The topic can be examined from a technical, scientific, or sociopolitical perspective. The seminar course concludes with our closing event in July, where students have the opportunity to present their findings here at the University.
Important Dates for the 2025/2026 Seminar Course
Introductory Course: October 7–8, 2025
Field trips: starting in March 2026
Closing event: July 15, 2026
Conditions for the closing event:
Max. 3 students may present
Duration: 10 minutes
Content: Project timeline, key findings—feel free to be creative
Visual aids such as a model or exhibit
Student Research Centers & Partnerships
We work closely with partners in the region to bring science to life:
aluMINTzium (Emmendingen): Through exciting experiments, you’ll explore how technology shapes our everyday lives and solve tricky challenges in hands-on workshops.
TEMOpolis (Offenburg): The interactive museum where you can experience the history of technology and visions of the future.
Xenoplex (Gengenbach): Using real lab equipment, you’ll carry out your own projects at the student research center and find your own answers.
The Ortenau STEM Region
Hochschule Offenburg is a member of the Ortenau STEM Region. Together with schools and businesses, we coordinate educational programs to nurture talent and foster enthusiasm for technology and the natural sciences.
Contact Person
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