Physics camp at DESY encourages young talent in Brandenburg

The five-day physics camp at DESY in Zeuthen ended today with great enthusiasm and a visible thirst for knowledge. From December 1 to 5, 14 young people from Brandenburg had the opportunity to gain a deep and practical insight into cutting-edge research. The camp was organized in cooperation with the Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sports (MBJS) and financially supported by the state of Brandenburg. It is part of the MBJS's new student academy offerings within the framework of talent promotion – made possible by a three-year cooperation agreement between DESY and the ministry concluded last year. Education Minister Steffen Freiberg attended today's closing event and praised the young people's commitment. 
The camp brought research to life, as the young people enjoyed a varied program that introduced them step by step to the world of modern physics – from astroparticle physics and particle research to accelerator technology. 
The program included 
•    tours of workshops, the computer center, and the PITZ accelerator facility,
•    lectures on astroparticle and particle physics as well as research with photons, with a significant portion of the time devoted to questions and discussion,
•    building their own detectors, measuring data, and evaluating real data from a detector at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN in Geneva,
•    and a workshop on “learning to think critically.”

In addition to the technical input, the focus was above all on shared experiences: teamwork, dealing constructively with challenges, and the joy of asking questions and discussing issues. The camp impressively demonstrated how quickly young people grow into scientific processes when they are given space to discover and experiment. At the end, the young people presented their findings from the project phases – confidently and with curiosity. It was clear that the young people had developed a shared enthusiasm for research. The camp thus offered exactly what young talents need: guidance, inspiration, and direct exchange with scientists.

On the final day, Minister of Education Steffen Freiberg and Christian Stegmann, DESY site manager in Zeuthen, attended the presentations and then presented the participants with their certificates. Minister Freiberg emphasized the importance of targeted support for young talent in the state of Brandenburg: "We want to awaken, maintain, and deepen enthusiasm for science and technology subjects among schoolchildren in Brandenburg. Knowledge is our most important resource, and innovation needs bright minds. At the physics camp, I see these bright minds, many young people interested in science, who will ensure the future viability of our state. I would like to thank DESY for this successful cooperation project. Our talent promotion in Brandenburg benefits from this top partner from the world of science."

“At the physics camp, we were once again able to observe the scientific curiosity and enthusiasm of young people in our research environment at DESY. We are very happy to continue playing this role in promoting young talent in the future,” said Stegmann. “Because the future of research begins today—and it begins with young people who are eager to understand their world.”