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About us

Everyone should try programming at least once!

Every day we use computers, smartphones, or tablets, yet we can't explain the logic behind how these devices, for example, save simple information. We connect our homes with "smart home" innovations, store our family photos online, and trust that this will all work just as smoothly as the last transfer we made using an online payment service. If something goes wrong, we complain about "the stupid computer," the "programming error," and are essentially helpless to fix the problem ourselves.

This is dangerous because fewer and fewer IT professionals are expected to be familiar with the ever-increasing number of complex, interconnected applications across all industries and sectors. And even in our private lives, we can no longer manage without a healthy dose of "computer literacy."

However, the opposite is true. We see a gap in educational curricula, particularly for children and young people, which schools are currently failing to address. The past year, during the pandemic, has tragically demonstrated this.

Since 2016, we have been teaching children at the Zollernalb Knowledge Workshop. Based on our classroom experiences and the wishes of many parents, the idea arose to make equipment, materials, and further information available online. Many of our products also stem from the desire to present the topics of IT and digitalization in a wide variety of ways during our workshops.

With our "Spielend Programmieren" project, we aim to support parents, teachers, and other educators in playfully introducing children and young people to "computer thinking", programming, and technical-mechanical design principles.

Of course, many of our products can also be used by adults who want to explore programming.

You can find information about when and where you can experience us live on the "Dates & Workshops" page, accessible via the navigation menu above.

The minds behind 'Spielend Programmieren'

Thomas Reitter

Founder and managing director of Reitter Modellbau & Robotics. Passionate model builder and electronics expert, and operator of the online shop www.modellbauversand.de.

Katharina Höckh

Founder and managing director of NetWerk Internet/Intranet Services GmbH, Balingen and co-initiator of WissensWerkstatt Zollernalb.

Other projects

We have so much fun with different topics. Derived from our model-making mail-order business, the website heimliche-welten.de - the gnome accessory shop - has just launched. There, DIY enthusiasts can find inspiration and supplies for gnome worlds and mouse houses. And for absolute fun, there's also nilpferd-welt.de, a hippopotamus-themed shop all about the cute and plump animal.