For five days in the very heart of Germany, in the UNESCO Rhön Biosphere Reserve, students from all around the world gathered not only to face the challenges in that area, but to also deliver innovative solutions. Inspired by the panoramic views and the low mountain range, they were introduced to two big problems and battled in a pitch contest for the best solution.
Empty houses in the village
Poppenhousen, a small village in the area, is facing a recurrent issue happening around the globe. The urbanisation of the population leaves empty houses in rural areas. Also, these houses, carrying heavy historical value, are under strict restrictions from the government. They are extremely difficult and expensive to renovate and therefore sadly abandoned.
The student team that won first place in the pitch competition delivered a bright solution that solved the problem with another problem. Since Fulda University faces a strong challenge with student housing, it came only natural to them to propose the idea of transforming abandoned buildings into student accommodation.
Business sustainability
The second challenge was brought by Antonius, a local company that sells apple products. The unique trait of this business was its moral and societal impact. Not only are they providing their customers with top quality, bio, eco products, but they are also giving people with disabilities a place where they feel helpful, needed, and appreciated for their work. But despite all this, the company needs to increase the sales in order to stay on the market and become independent from the unstable governmental support.
The students who won second place in the pitch battle came up with a complete marketing strategy. They identified the pain of the stakeholder and realised that the value of this noble organization is lost before it gets to potential new clients. To make the brand more popular, they created a new product, sold as a yearly subscription, that includes customed, seasoned products and personalized experiences in the apple orchard.
Design Thinking preparations
Throughout the entire process, students had daily workshops to help them come to satisfying results. The very first one was meant to help them empathise. By creating a persona, they were able to better understand the problem. The second one helped them define the challenge. It made sure they were solving the right problem. The third gave them possibilities on how to prototype their ideas. They got creative and thought outside the box by creating AI-built websites or arts and crafts. And, last but not least, a workshop about presentation skills that focused on the most common do's and don'ts, and potential pitfalls one can encounter when presenting.
Beyond the assignments
Besides the hard work, there were of course many other activities that contributed to making this Bootcamp memorable. The students enjoyed an insightful movie "Legacy" about the future of our planet, got to see the entire region from the highest point after a beautiful hike in the mountains, joined a body awareness session in the nature, received a guided full moon tour at night to stargaze and to understand the sky better, and finished off with a cozy campfire that hosted timeless songs and immersive stories.
Students left their comfort zone and ended up learning plenty of new things, meeting people they connected with more deeply than they expected to. They connected not only with other people, but with themselves through nature. As one of the participants shared, "It was a challenging week, but it definitely boosted my confidence, teamwork abilities and presentation skills!".
Get connected!
If you are a stakeholder, submit your challenge here so students can help you solve it.
If you are a student, check the E³UDRES² Calendar here for the upcoming events.
Links
➞ Fulda UAS
Article created by: Fulda UAS
