The Steinmühle sent six projects to the regional “Jugend Forscht” competition over the weekend—and returned with six first-place finishes! All of the Steinmühle’s participating projects won the regional title in their respective fields! As a result, the Marburg high school will travel to Kassel from March 20 to 21 with a total of 11 students and five projects to compete in the state competition of “Jugend Forscht Junior.” One group will compete in the state competition for older students in Darmstadt.

Ideas… they don’t really exist. Marietheres Schwabe, Aurelia Wild, and Fatma Sepetcigil from 5th grade had one. In their research, they focused on making baby diapers more eco-friendly—using plant power instead of superabsorbents.

Under the guidance of teachers Dr. Jutta Töhl-Borsdorf and Dr. Patrick Szabo, the group’s project in the “Working World” course sought an ecological alternative to the non-biodegradable superabsorbent used in baby diapers. In extensive tests of absorption capacity, absorption speed, and pressure stability, the students found that a mixture of apple pectin and konjac powder works very well. This combination of materials even passed the practical test in a “modified diaper” with Aurelia’s little brother.

A Closer Look at Elephant Toothpaste

Marlene Jerrentrup and Ida Watzlawek from 6th grade, under the guidance of Dr. Patrick Szabo and Antje Seel, conducted a “Living Foam” experiment in their chemistry class: Elephant Toothpaste

The group investigated how temperature, the amount of yeast, the amount of dish soap, and the concentration of hydrogen peroxide affect the amount of foam produced. Among other things, the young researchers found that you should use a lot of yeast, but not too much dish soap.

Unraveling the Formula for Flight

Isabella Kuhl and Lotte Wagner, seventh-graders, tested the formula for flight under the supervision of Malte Klimczak and Dr. Jutta Töhl-Borsdorf in the physics department.

The two researchers re-examined a recently discovered formula that can be used to calculate the wingbeat frequency of insects and birds based on the animals’ masses and wing areas. To do this, they measured and analyzed free-flying insects and butterflies they had raised themselves using video analysis. They also investigated how changes in the mass of an ornithopter (a wind-up model bird) affect its flight behavior.

A special project by young car enthusiasts

Akaash Bhagwat (8th grade) and Emil Zuckermann (6th grade) focused their project on the potential interaction between smart fluids and smart cars. Under the guidance of Dr. Jutta Töhl-Borsdorf and Dr. Sven-A. Freibert in their physics class, they investigated the fascinating properties of magnetorheological fluids and subsequently conducted experiments they designed themselves, which demonstrated how viscosity and damping behavior can be specifically controlled by magnetic fields. Finally, the students filled the shock absorbers of a model car with the magnetorheological fluid and demonstrated adaptive damping using a ramp test.

Paper made from horse manure has been further developed

Lara Khatib and Giorgia Kuhn from 8th grade worked on further developing their project, which involves producing eco-friendly paper from horse manure. Under the guidance of Dr. Sven Freibert and Dr. Eva Neumann, the two students were able to significantly improve the production of their eco-friendly paper from horse manure in this follow-up project as part of the “Working World” course. Among other things, adding starch reduced the paper’s brittleness. The result is a second-generation (Gen2) paper that is sturdy, thin, uniform, and easy to write on.

The AIceBear is a seasoned competitor

The AIceBear has already traveled with siblings Sophie and Felix Sacher to many competitions, including one in Singapore (as we reported). Now, the project—an AI-driven assistance system for chronically ill children—has been presented at Jugend Forscht in the “Working World” category and has qualified directly for the state competition. To present it to the jury, they’ll be heading to Darmstadt at the end of March, while the younger students will have to explain their experiments to the experts in Kassel.

The students are feeling confident about the next round.

Sign up to participate in the rocket competition, build a water-pressure-powered rocket, and launch it as high as possible on our campus! — That was the challenge issued in project-based learning to physics-enthusiastic students in 6th grade and above.

Several teams got together and began tinkering before later presenting the results of their work to an audience of STEM teachers and classmates.

The rockets could be made of any material, had to have space for an altimeter, and had to include a parachute. The key requirement was that only water-pressure propulsion was allowed.

Start in the cordoned-off area

On the day of the competition, the demonstration began at 2:00 p.m. The setup time in the specially cordoned-off area was also limited—work could not continue for more than an hour.

Finally, the moment had arrived: All the rockets took off one after another. Then it was time to determine which rockets had flown the highest. The winners were later presented with certificates and posed for a photo. They were (from left to right) Emanuel (11d), Jan (11d), Alexander (12 PoWi), Felix (10b), Sophie (6), and Junus (10c).

Well, did you spot them—in the front row, on the left? —As the new year begins, let’s take another look back at what was arguably the greatest science achievement by our school’s elementary and middle school students in 2025: At the end of November, the Steinmühlen siblings Felix and Sophie Sacher not only competed against the world’s best at the World Robot Olympiad (WRO) in Singapore, but they even brought home a trophy: As a team named JustUs, they won the bronze medal! International attention focused on their IceBear project (as we reported at https://steinmuehle.de/blog/2025/07/07/felix-and-sophie-sacher-qualify-for-world-finals-in-singapore-with-robotics-project-2/), and fittingly, the students’ intelligent companion had changed its name shortly before the competition: AIceBear—controlled by artificial intelligence.

The Largest WRO Finals Ever

Last week, 12 German teams competed in the World Robot Olympiad (WRO) World Finals in Singapore. A total of 594 teams from 91 countries were in attendance—making it the largest WRO World Finals ever held.

The competition in the various age groups and categories was correspondingly fierce. There were several top finishes, and we are particularly pleased with the bronze medal won by Team JustUs in the Future Innovators Junior category. In this age group, Sophie and Felix took third place out of 58 teams. “It was a great experience,” they both said.

Technology and Team Spirit Bring People Together Across Borders

The 2025 World Finals in Singapore once again demonstrated how technology and team spirit bring people together across borders. The World Robot Olympiad offers young people the chance to turn their ideas into reality—with enthusiasm, creativity, and technical skill.

Made many friends

“We’re both overjoyed,” the siblings continue, adding: “The International Final was four days full of adventure: After a delegation outing that included temples, streets, and a group visit to a hawker center (a traditional street food hall), three exciting days of competition began. In the three age categories of the Future Innovators, we saw many solutions—some of them very country-specific—related to this year’s theme, ‘The Future of Robots,’ which ties in with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Team JustUs always drew a large crowd, as AIceBear was exciting not only for the jury but also for visitors, other teams, and media representatives. We formed friendships with other teams, and very soon we at Team JustUs would like to visit our new friends in Cambridge, Turkey, and Singapore.”

AIceBear can now compose music as well

Even the judges assigned to evaluate other teams wanted to see AIceBear; many took advantage of the new feature that Felix and Sophie had added in their hotel room right before the competition: In addition to its many other functions, AIceBear can now sing and compose short songs, tailored to the user’s preferences in terms of theme (e.g., Singapore) and style; this allows it to help create a relaxing atmosphere and a good mood.

Reports in newspapers and on television

There was also a great deal of media interest. The fact that AIceBear greeted visitors not only in English but also in Singapore’s other national languages was reported in newspapers in Singapore, Malaysia, Qatar, and China. A Chinese television crew also interviewed the JustUs team, which ultimately took the bronze medal on the podium.

High praise from the school administration

“My personal congratulations on this outstanding achievement!” commented Björn Gemmer, principal of Steinmühlen School, after the team’s return. “Third place worldwide is simply incredible—and yet so well-deserved—because their entry can be viewed from multiple perspectives and is creative and ethically unquestionably positive. We are all incredibly proud of what Sophie and Felix have achieved.” Björn Gemmer and Managing Director Dirk Konnertz, who were also thrilled by the incredible result of the competition, had worked hard in the run-up to the event to secure a few sponsors to cover at least a small portion of the costs for the family’s trip to Singapore and the transport of their valuable equipment.

The following photos provide a visual recap of the Sacher siblings’ trip to Singapore, the competition, and the impressions they took away from the experience:

(Heinm)

At this year’s MINTSPACE national competition, organized by school supplies provider Hohenloher, Steinmühle achieved an outstanding 3rd place. The music video “Another Lab in the Hall,” filmed live in the science lab with great dedication, impressed the MINTSPACE jury. Since 2021, the school supplier Hohenloher and the “Jugend forscht” Foundation have been presenting the MINTSPACE School Award to recognize innovative learning spaces and laboratories for STEM education—that is, for mathematics, computer science, natural sciences, and technology.

Students at Steinmühle had set out with great enthusiasm and dedication to write, rehearse, perform, and record a piece of music as their entry for the MINTSPACE National Competition. “Hey, Teacher, let the kids explore!” rang out in unison to the live orchestral sounds of the Pink Floyd classic “Another Brick in the Wall” (as we reported).

The video impressed the jury

Dr. Dr. Dierk Suhr, educational director at Hohenloher and chair of the MINTSPACE jury, was immediately impressed by the competition entry. The entire jury was particularly impressed by the fact that the storyboard, text, audio and video recordings, mastering, and editing had all been handled entirely by the students. Last but not least, a well-rehearsed choir made up of students and teachers from the Steinmühle Lab, along with the school’s own band, “Die lauten Laubfrösche,” made the performance a resounding success.

Prize Money to Go Toward a New Laboratory at Steinmühle

The victory comes with a gift certificate worth 500 euros, which Hohenlohe Regional Advisor Guido Jäger has now presented. Principal Björn Gemmer said, “The prize is a wonderful recognition of what has been built up in the STEM field at Steinmühle over the past few years. It honors the creativity and broad commitment of our students and teachers. The prize money will be reinvested immediately, as we plan to set up an S2 lab for our students next year.”

Our photo shows Hohenlohe Regional Advisor Guido Jäger, the Steinmühle STEM coordinator, Dr. Jutta Töhl-Borsdorf, and Principal Björn Gemmer at the presentation of the MINTSPACE School Award, surrounded by students from the STEM module.