Funded Projects of the FH Potsdam Supporters’ Association 2024

On the 15^th of March 2024, a project group from the University of Applied Sciences Potsdam published the audio walk "Wissensdurst". This provides children aged 10 and over with knowledge about the endangered natural monument in Potsdam's Katharinenholz. The Düstere Teiche near Bornim are thirsty. The ponds have been silting up for many years. As wetlands, the ponds are important CO2 reservoirs and a habitat for many plant and animal species, for example as a mass spawning ground for common toads.

In January and February 2024, pupils from the AWO primary school Marie Juchacz in Golm explored the Düstere Teiche with the support of author Franziska Hauser, geologist Werner Stackebrandt and biologist Matthias Wichmann. Their impressions and questions were creatively taken up in writing workshops and thus created the basis for the content of the audio walk. The audio walk was set to music in cooperation with the radio station LOS-Funk+ in Woltersdorf.

Wissensdurst was founded and realised by Lauren Wesemann, Marleen Thonke and Ann-Kathrin Ridder, prospective cultural workers at the Potsdam University of Applied Sciences. BUND Brandenburg e.V. supports the project as a sponsor and contributed its many years of expertise in the field of nature conservation. The project is funded by the state capital of Potsdam, the Plattform Kulturelle Bildung and the FH Potsdam Supporters’ Association. With this support, a free audio walk has been created that helps to raise awareness among children and adults about the topic of water and nature conservation using the example of the Düstere Teiche in Potsdam.

The audio walk can be listened to on YouTube.

Project duration: January – March 2024

Funding amount: 500 euros

180* – flinta skate mag is a project for more diversity in skating. On over 100 pages, numerous interviews, guest articles, photographs, illustrations and a skate playlist are presented. The magazine deals with personal perspectives of FLINTA* people and promotes their visibility. The spatial focus is on the cities of Potsdam and Berlin. The stories are supplemented by a very practical glossary and a small illustrative map, in which skate parks, initiatives and players are localised. This is intended to reduce the inhibition threshold before accessing skateboarding and to introduce safer spaces and marginalised identification figures.

"The release took place on 23/04/2024 in the casino of the FH-Potsdam. In cooperation with the ScheidenPils project, we organised 'Consensus and Bingo'. Using the 'FRIES' model, we discussed what consensus means and introduced it in a playful combination with bingo. The event was accompanied by drinks from ScheidenPils and the magazine 180*. The response so far has been very positive. After just a few days, some shops have already asked for more. This tells us that the magazine has been very well received and that there is a need for more diversity in skate sports."

Project duration: 01/02/ – 30/04/2024

Funding amount: 500 euros

Morari is an innovative furniture series developed specifically for bus stops with the aim of making waiting at bus stops more comfortable, reforming the waiting experience and improving the aesthetic appearance. Morari was presented as part of the one&twenty design award during the Milan Furniture Fair. By participating in this fair, the student team had the opportunity to represent the university on an international level and present the innovative design concept to a wide audience. This not only contributes to personal and professional development, but also strengthens the university's reputation as a space for creative innovation.

"The exhibition has helped us enormously to strengthen our reach on an international level. Every day we received visitors from all over the world who gave us valuable feedback on our project. As a result, we now have the opportunity to further improve our furniture series and get one step closer to installing it at bus stops. We were also able to have inspiring conversations with various designers working in the field of 3D printing. These insights into their working and production methods have inspired us to further develop and optimise our own approach."

Project period: 5^th – 21^st of April 2024

Funding amount: 100 euros

The graduation ceremony for the graduates of the summer semester 2023 and winter semester 2023/24 took place at the FHP on 03.05.2024 (large lecture hall in the main building and reception in the gallery). In addition to the presentation of certificates for the graduates of the Bachelor's degree programs in Archival Studies, Library Sciences and Information Studies, the last graduates of the Master's degree program in Information Sciences received their graduate hats. The graduation event offered participants the opportunity to network, establish and maintain contacts and find out about future opportunities to get involved as alumni.

A total of around 140 participants (graduates, family members and friends, alumni, members of the Department of Information Sciences) attended the event. The highlights of the program included the award ceremony for the best graduates, a graduation speech and the presentation of the FH Potsdam Supporters' Association by Elena Langner, including an information and merchandise stand during the reception. The event was accompanied by music from Potsdam pianist Sebastian Kommerell. There was a lively exchange at the end. Since then, the department has received a lot of positive feedback on the program, schedule and design. The Department of Information Sciences would like to express its gratitude for the support of the FH Potsdam Supporters' Association, without which this would not have been possible.

Project date: 03/05/2024

Funding amount: 200 Euro