Honour for strong STEM education: School founder Yvonne Wende named STEM ambassador

Cosmopolitanschool Berlin Zwei Personen stehen in einem Haus und lächeln in die Kamera. Die Person auf der linken Seite, MINT-Botschafterin Schulgründerin Yvonne Wende, trägt einen orangefarbenen Anzug und hält eine Urkunde in der Hand. Hinter ihnen sind ein Präsentationsbildschirm und ein Laptop zu sehen. loading= — Foto © MINT Zukunft

On 25 November 2025, four committed individuals were honoured as STEM ambassadors at Berlin’s KiezLab. Among them was Yvonne Wende, founder of the Berlin Cosmopolitan School (BCS). The award recognises her contribution to inspiring children and young people to take an early interest in mathematics, computer science, natural sciences and technology, and to creating innovative learning pathways.

For the Berlin Cosmopolitan School, this honour is another milestone: last year, Kathrin Röschel, head of the secondary school, and Nataliya Karl received the award as STEM ambassadors – a visible sign of how continuously and consistently the school is developing the STEM field.

STEM at Berlin Cosmopolitan School: A fundamental part of our educational philosophy

The Berlin Cosmopolitan School does not view STEM as an isolated group of subjects, but rather as a fundamental building block of a modern, research-oriented approach to learning. To implement this, the school is committed to several key areas:

1. Continuous STEM curriculum from primary school to A-levels/IB

BCS teaches STEM skills at all school levels:

Inquiry-based learning in primary education: children explore scientific questions through observation, experiments and project-based learning.
Interdisciplinary research in secondary education, e.g. connections between physics, computer science and sustainability.
IB programme with a strong focus on biology, chemistry, physics and computer science.

2. Robotics Club and competition participation

A particular highlight is the Robotics Club, which enables pupils from Year 5 onwards to develop, programme and test their own robots in teams.
The BCS teams regularly take part in regional, national and international competitions, including the German Robotics Championship and the VEX Robotics World Championship.

3. Digital skills development

In parallel with science lessons, digital education is being consistently strengthened:

Working with coding, data, AI basics, programming logic
Using learning platforms and digital tools in the classroom
Projects related to media literacy and responsible use of digital technologies

4. Sustainability and environmental projects

STEM subjects and sustainability are closely linked at BCS:

Projects on climate science, biodiversity, energy and resource conservation
Outdoor learning at the Nature Campus in Prenden, where pupils experience ecological relationships first-hand
Pupil initiatives focusing on nature conservation and environmental protection

5. Empowering girls and young women in STEM fields

The school deliberately encourages girls to develop an early and lasting interest in science and technology:

STEM workshops for girls
Role model programmes
Exchanges with female scientists and experts
Visible female role models among teaching staff and in projects (e.g. through the awards given to Röschel, Karl and now Wende)

A sign for the future

The award from KiezLab recognises not only individual personalities, but also the vision of the Berlin Cosmopolitan School: to empower children and young people to actively shape the future – in a scientifically sound, creative and responsible manner.

Yvonne Wende emphasises:
“This honour belongs to the entire team. For us, STEM is more than just teaching – it is a way to empower young people for tomorrow’s world.”

With its commitment to holistic STEM education, its focus on sustainability and the targeted promotion of digital skills, the Berlin Cosmopolitan School is setting clear priorities in Berlin’s educational landscape.