Talent Development-Archiv

Enter the Competition for the Hohenlohe MINT-SPACE School Award with a Video

Contests & Awards, News, STEM, Talent Development

With a video they produced themselves, the Steinmühle STEM team secured third place among numerous competing schools in the competition for the MINT SPACE School Award from the Hohenloher Academy’s School Facilities Division. The prize included a €500 furnishing voucher and a great deal of fun making the video, which centered on the desire for further improved conditions for our highly successful “MINTies” and dedicated STEM teachers.

Of course, you showed total dedication in this competition as well, did a great job, and even showed a lot of humor! Great job!

Lyrics
We don’t need any boring classrooms
We want spaces that are bright and free
No broken tables in the stonemill
MINT-space is the place to be

Chorus
Hey, teacher, let the kids explore! (Shout)
All in all, it’s just another lab in the hall
All in all, we’re just another lab in the hall
A future lab so well designed,
A place for every genius mind,
Modern, open, bright, and smart,
Where innovations truly start.

Chorus
, Hey, teacher, let the kids explore! (Shout)
, All in all, it’s just another lab in the hall
, All in all, we’re just another lab in the hall
, Hohenloher, hear the call,
, Let’s build the greatest lab of all!
We are ready and full of heart—
Please help us make this vision a reality!

Chorus
, please—help us make this vision a reality! (Shout)
All in all, we’re just another lab in the hall.
All in all, we’re building
A brilliant lab for us all.

Many students and teachers from Steinmühle – Schule & Internat were involved in the video project. Specifically, they were:

Storyboard and Lyrics
, Anna-Lena Griesler, Lisa Schreier, Dr. Jutta Töhl-Borsdorf

Band
“Larry and the Loud Tree Frogs” (Constantin Franz on guitar, Bent Deidl on bass,
Jaron Häußermann on drums, Juliana Stry on vocals)

choir
Students from the Steinmühle laboratory. Directed by Daniel Sans

Technical Support
, Jonathan Kurz

Editing
, Anna-Lena Griesler

6. October 2025

MINT Campus 2025 – Exciting and Successful Days at Louisenlund

Life at Boarding School, News, STEM, Talent Development

This year, a delegation from Steinmühle once again made its way to Louisenlund to participate in the STEM Campus and present their projects—despite the summer break in Hesse. This is according to Dr. Jutta Töhl-Borsdorf, STEM coordinator at Steinmühle.

Reunited with Old Friends

Fabian Sotonica, Clara Steiner, Maya Fischer, and Anna-Lena Griesler received a warm welcome on Thursday and, following the play *The Visit* staged by the +MINT students from Louisenlund, had the opportunity to meet new people and reconnect with old friends. Afterward, they had the opportunity to take a guided tour of the Learning & Research Center and admire the school’s new observatory, which was set to be inaugurated the following day.

Friday morning began with an interesting presentation on “genetic and epigenetic changes.” This was followed by the main event of the day—the fair, where students presented their projects to the public and a panel of judges and had the opportunity to discuss them with one another.

Workshops and a Lecture on Climate Protection

Just like last year, the popular pub quiz took place again that evening. The quiz involved sitting around a table and answering questions on a wide variety of topics, and the relaxed atmosphere made for a very pleasant evening.

The next morning began with workshops on various STEM topics. This was followed by another presentation on climate protection and then the awards ceremony conducted by the jury.

Both Steinmühlen teams won in their respective categories

As was the case last year, Steinmühle was extremely successful and secured victory in its respective categories with the projects it entered: The “Boat Project / A-WAVE” in the technology category and “Natural UV Protective Agents” in the chemistry category—as well as the “Orbitals Project,” a collaboration between Steinmühle and Louisenlund, which received the audience award “Winner of the Hearts.”

Afterward, everyone had the afternoon to spend as they pleased. This brought an extremely successful and exciting weekend to a pleasant close, and everyone was able to head home on Sunday morning feeling satisfied. Anna-Lena Griesler

15. August 2025

Gojus Kanes Takes Third Place Nationwide in a Prestigious Competition

Contests & Awards, Life at Boarding School, News, Talent Development

Music lovers have surely already seen the young man with dark hair playing the piano at events at the Forum. Gojus Kanes, a boarding student at Steinmühle, loves this instrument—and it shows. Last school year, he took on the challenges of the “Jugend musiziert” competition, first at the regional level, then statewide. He placed third—and anyone familiar with the competition knows that’s no small feat.

Three hours of practice a day

Gojus has been at Steinmühle for a good year now. He has made the Steinmühle boarding school in Marburg, Central Hesse, his home and is happy about it: “I like it here.” In public, he tends to keep a low profile and defines himself through his piano playing. He has devoted three hours a day to this art since he was 13.

Piano Performance and Presentation at the Competition

At the Steinmühle concerts, a variety of works are performed. One composer he personally admires is Mikalojus Konstantinas Ciurlionis from Lithuania. “He’s considered the national composer there,” Gojus explains, describing how he traveled to that country himself, following in Ciurlionis’s footsteps to transcribe his piano music—a task that wasn’t all that easy. Gojus Kanes also dedicated his presentation to Ciurlionis at the “Jugend musiziert” state competition in Schlitz, which required not only a musical performance at the piano but also a verbal presentation before the four-member jury. The student presented his knowledge of the composer on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of his birth, which was all the more interesting given that Ciurlionis left behind not only passionate musical works for posterity but also paintings—from the early days of abstract art—through his concurrent career as a painter.

Significant research effort

“You can find practically no works by this artist online,” Gojus had noticed during his research. Untitled pieces, cataloged late, and suppressed in terms of distribution—these were the reasons for the great effort the boarding school student had to expend to obtain information and to be able to dedicate his piano performance and lecture to the Lithuanian national composer Mikalojus Konstantinas Ciurlionis.

Possible career goal: Something related to music

This makes his outstanding placement in the “Jugend musiziert” competition all the more wonderful and well-deserved. Charlotte Schmidt-Schön from the Marburg Music School had encouraged him to participate; “I’d never done anything like that before,” he says. It remains to be seen whether Gojus will enter other competitions, and his career goals are also still up in the air. He knows that making a living through music is rather difficult. But he doesn’t completely rule out the possibility that the piano could play a role in that.

Angela Heinemann

14. August 2025

Third Place for the Sacher Siblings in “Chemistry—Join In!”

Contests & Awards, News, STEM, Talent Development

Felix and Sophie Sacher had just received their invitation to the World Robot Olympiad (WRO) World Finals in Singapore when the next award came in for the young scientist siblings from Steinmühle: They took third place in the 47th edition of the Hesse-wide experimental chemistry competition “Chemie – mach mit!” (Chemistry—Join In!), organized by Dr. Jens Salzner and his team at Goethe University Frankfurt am Main.

Steinmühle would like to thank both of you and your advisor, Dr. Jutta Töhl Borsdorf, our school’s STEM coordinator, for your interest and enthusiasm in science projects and competitions. You’re a great team, and we’re delighted that you’ve been invited to the awards ceremony in Frankfurt at the end of the year. We’re also looking forward to everything that’s still to come!

9. July 2025

From Steinmühle Boarding School to Professional Sports: Benedikt Mons Plays American Football

Former Students & Alumni, Life at Boarding School, News, Sports & Health, Talent Development

The annual Super Bowl, the championship game of the U.S. National Football League (NFL), fills the coffers and empties the beverage shelves in supermarkets. Many fans in Europe are also eagerly following the action. Benedikt Mons, who just graduated from Steinmühle Boarding School with his high school diploma in hand, remains one of the biggest fans. His goal: to play in the NFL himself one day.

First Contact as an Eighth-Grader

It’s not just a pipe dream. Benedikt has a plan, and he’s sticking to it. After joining Steinmühle in eighth grade, a classmate took him to a football practice. The sport isn’t exactly gentle. But that didn’t stop him from continuing to train.

Important Companions

Benedikt played more and more often and made the U18 Hesse select team. He connected with players from Bad Homburg, joined the Sentinels, and played in the GFL-Juniors—the youth Bundesliga of the American Football Association of Germany (AFVD). He also came to see the team’s coach, Markus Hackenberg, as a mentor: “He helped me develop as a player.” In 2024, Benedikt Mons was named to the U19 national team.

Benedikt Mons must have continued to do something right, because in early 2025, the next step was on the horizon: a move to the Frankfurt Galaxy and the transition to professional sports in the European League of Football. This was a decisive step for the humble Steinmühle student—who took advanced courses in political science and math—who is grateful not only to Steinmühle for supporting his athletic career, but also to others, such as the sports director of his current club, Thomas Kösling. “He motivated me to balance my high school diploma and training”—training four times a week, no less.

Reaching Full Potential in the U.S.

Logistically, things will get a little easier for Benedikt now that he has his high school diploma in hand. After the season, he’d ideally like to attend college in the United States. “I definitely want to keep playing, and I want to do it in the U.S. Everything about the sport is much more professional there, from training all the way to the individual support athletes receive. To reach your full potential in this sport, you have to go to the U.S.”

When it comes to this step and his athletic career, Benedikt Mons knows his parents have his back: “They support me.” Whenever possible, they even sit in the stands at his games. The high school senior regularly competes against his brother in sports. But his brother is better at hockey and tennis. “I’d rather stick with football,” Benedikt says with determination.

A lot of practice and talent, too

When asked about his career goal, the former boarding school student replies, “To make a living from sports.” Benedikt views being tied to equipment like a helmet and shoulder pads as a temporary phase. “I want to retire in my mid-30s and have made my money in the NFL by then.” Then he could imagine being a good father and helping to make the sport more attractive in Europe: “The market is growing tremendously; there’s a lot of potential.” Until then, however, Benedikt says it will take a lot of courage, a lot of time, a lot of patience, and a lot of training.

You have to run; you have to be fast. “It’s a sport for physical types,” says Benedikt Mons, describing the rough-and-tumble nature of football, while acknowledging that he himself is “genetically blessed—and grateful for it.” He’s ideal for the tight end position in football; the rest he’s earned through hard work.

But he knows that a certain amount of talent is definitely part of it. Angela Heinemann

Follow Benedikt Mons on Instagram: benedikt.mons

8. July 2025

Felix and Sophie Sacher Qualify for the WRO World Finals in Singapore with Their Robotics Project

Contests & Awards, News, STEM, Talent Development

Felix and Sophie Sacher, a pair of siblings from Steinmühlen School, have shared some amazing news with us: At the World Robot Olympiad (WRO), the ninth-grader and fifth-grader qualified for the world finals in Singapore in the “Future Innovators” junior group with their project “Ice Bär – I care everywhere.” From November 26 to 28, up to 500 teams from 80 countries are expected to compete there.

Project Description

It is the central component and also serves as the title of her project: “IceBär – I care everywhere.” The “IceBär” is a highly complex system for this age group, consisting of various modules and biometric sensors. An AI-based stuffed bear with an integrated ECG and computer serves as a multifunctional assistant—complete with a “wheelchair license”—in the daily lives of chronically ill children as well as in emergencies. The target groups are young migraine sufferers, young people with heart conditions, and young people with mobility impairments. The technology provides a cooling function for migraines when needed or, in the case of heart problems, important cardiac readings, which it can also transmit. Through a voice function powered by generative AI, it can also provide emotional support. The combined electric wheelchair can start and stop, and the IceBär responds to voice commands.

Two Jack-of-all-trades

The two young inventors came up with the entire technical design and even tailored the IceBear’s shaggy plush fur themselves. The IceBear is designed for children between the ages of 3 and 17. It could be used at home, in children’s hospitals, or in emergency medicine. The Sacher siblings, who have given themselves the double-entendre name “Team JustUs” (just us—or, in Latin, “just”), envision numerous applications and opportunities for further development of the system.

A victory by a wide margin

In the competition, the “Future Innovators” teams were tasked with developing a robotic solution that combines AI with robotics to improve people’s lives. “Out of a total of 111 teams in Future Innovators Germany, we were the only ones left in our ‘Junior’ age category at the German finals, and we’ll be representing Germany at the world finals in Singapore,” Felix and Sophie say happily. The siblings had already impressed the jury during the qualifiers for the German finals in the “Junior” age group, taking first place by a wide margin.

27-page document

In the competition, projects must be presented using working models, and technical questions must be answered on the spot. Entries were evaluated using a detailed evaluation form across various sections and categories: the idea, the technical solution, the presentation, and teamwork.

According to the jury, the project was not only presented in an outstanding and confident manner, but was also documented with impressive professionalism. Steinmühle had the opportunity to review the 27-page documentation, which was produced to the highest standards and demonstrates that young people are pursuing this project with heart and soul, convinced of its practicality for everyday use.

Fascinated by medical professionals and STEM teachers

Felix and Sophie have already interviewed several medical experts across Germany about their project, and they were encouraged by these experts to present it on the international stage. The STEM teachers at Steinmühle were also fascinated by the project when it was tested “live” at the school.

We’re curious to see how the IceBear’s journey will unfold and whether it will find supporters who might one day help bring it to market.

7. July 2025

“Youth Tests”: Second Place for Leonard and Nicolas Out of Well Over 1,000 Projects

Contests & Awards, Ecology and Sustainability, News, STEM, Talent Development

With scientific precision, homemade testing equipment, and surprising findings, young researchers impressed the expert jury at Stiftung Warentest’s renowned “Jugend testet” competition. Among a total of 1,103 submitted tests involving more than 3,700 participants —a new record—Steinmühlen students Leonard Berger and Nicolas Bohnstedt secured an outstanding second place in the 10th–13th grade category with their research on sustainable alternatives to conventional petroleum-based plastic wrap! Together with their advisor, Dr. Jutta Töhl-Borsdorf, they traveled to Berlin for the awards ceremony.

In-house production of biofilms

Leonard and Nicolas tested 20 different types of plastic wrap and produced their own biodegradable wraps. Their conclusion: While conventional wraps have good performance characteristics, they harm the environment—and some “eco-products” turn out to be nothing more than greenwashing.

A six-member panel of experts

Steinmühle congratulates the team on their outstanding ranking, which was determined by a six-member jury of experts from the fields of science and journalism.

2,000 euros in prize money

The award came with a cash prize of 2,000 euros. In addition, there was a very appealing supporting program; “the foundation really went out of its way,” reports Dr. Jutta Töhl-Borsdorf.
For example, attendees were invited to see the musical *Romeo & Juliet* at the Theater des Westens and to participate in a city scavenger hunt in Kreuzberg.

The awards ceremony, featuring a magician and very heartfelt laudatory speeches, is also fondly remembered: “A wonderful experience for everyone involved.”

7. June 2025

“Hopping” from problem to problem: Prizes in the Kangaroo Competition

Contests & Awards, News, STEM, Talent Development

The annual Kangaroo Competition is designed to spark an interest in mathematics and encourage students to engage with mathematical problems. In this competition, students from various grade levels who are skilled at arithmetic and problem-solving, can concentrate well, and are having a good day stand out in particular.

The competition is based on a multiple-choice format, reports subject teacher Maximilian Moll. Participants in grades 3 through 6 can earn a maximum of 120 points, while all others can earn a maximum of 150 points. The top approximately five percent of all participants nationwide in each grade level receive a 1st, 2nd, or 3rd prize. There is no more detailed breakdown or further comparisons. After all, the focus is on having fun with math and solving puzzles.

Our photo shows, from left to right, the award winners: Bent Deidl (2nd prize, Class 11d), Joel Chacko (1st prize and the “Long Jump” special prize, Class 5a), Emil Zuckermann (1st prize, Class 5a), Isabella Kuhl (2nd prize, Class 6a), and math teacher Maximilian Moll.

Missing from the photo: Theodor Wild (1st prize, Class 5i), Sophie Sacher (2nd prize, Class 5i), Orlando Geisel (2nd prize, Class 11d).

3. June 2025

Steinmühle ranks among the eight most dedicated STEM schools in Germany

Contests & Awards, News, STEM, Talent Development

Last year, it was our participation in the national competition; this year, our team was the only participating school to win four titles at the regional competition. Now we have it in writing: Steinmühle School & Boarding School is among the eight most dedicated schools in Germany in the fields of mathematics, computer science, natural sciences, and technology (STEM). This result came from our recent application for the “Jugend forscht Schule 2025” award, which was sponsored by the Conference of Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs.

“The success of the Jugend forscht competition is inextricably linked to the extraordinary commitment of the schools and their project advisors. They guide the students along their journey, promote inquiry-based, creative learning, and encourage them to follow their curiosity and explore exciting scientific questions. In doing so, schools lay the foundation for the long-term support of children and young people in the STEM subjects,” state the Board of Directors of the Jugend forscht e.V. Foundation and the Secretary General of the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs in a letter to Principal Björn Gemmer.

“Exemplary support”

Steinmühle is particularly committed to the “Jugend forscht” program and provides exemplary support to young talent in the STEM fields. The faculty deserves our heartfelt thanks for this.

We at Steinmühle would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to all the teachers of STEM subjects, led by their coordinator, Dr. Jutta Töhl-Borsdorf. Without you, this achievement would never have been possible.

Note: The photo accompanying this article was taken at the state competition of “Jugend forscht.”

20. May 2025

Strong performances by Philian, Anfissa, and Robin at the Hessian Math Competition

Contests & Awards, News, STEM, Talent Development

In the second round of the 57th Mathematics Competition of the State of Hesse, 38 school champions from 8th grade in the Marburg-Biedenkopf district competed to demonstrate their mathematical skills. The Steinmühle High School was represented by three talented students: Philian Merle, Anfissa Kaschte, and Robin Richter.

In the first round, all three had achieved the best scores at our school, reports math teacher Maximilian Moll. Philian and Anfissa achieved outstanding scores among the G9 students, while Robin qualified as the top G8 student for the second round, which took place at the Elisabethschule.

Unlike the first round, the second round consists entirely of optional problems. The students are given six challenging problems, and their four best scores count toward their final score. All three participants performed very well, with Philian Merle’s performance particularly noteworthy. With 31 out of a possible 40 points, he took an outstanding 4th place.

The school community extends its warmest congratulations to Philian, Anfissa, and Robin on their achievements and wishes them continued enjoyment of math!

19. May 2025