Help section
Here you will find answers to questions about using our community platform.
Can't find an answer to your question? Please send us an email: support@mint-vernetzt.de
Questions about STEM education
- STEM stands for science, technology, engineering, mathematics. These fields form the foundation for numerous technological innovations and scientific discoveries. The term “STEM” includes the integration of various disciplines such as Art, Design, Music, the Environment, as well as societal or social issues. For example, if an artistic field is included, STEM is extended to STEAM, where the “A” stands for “Art”.
General information about the platform
- Our platform is aimed at stakeholders in STEM education, including: Providers of STEM education programs Employees of extracurricular STEM learning locations Coordinators of regional STEM networks, STEM clusters or STEM projects Advocates for women in STEM professions Volunteers in the STEM field Employees from business and industry who focus on STEM, girls and gender Project developers and funders seeking STEM education providers, role models and projects Anyone interested in STEM
- The nationwide STEM community thrives on exchanging ideas, sharing knowledge, and learning from and with each other. A variety of functions, tools, and opportunities await you on the platform: The STEM world in one place. Find stakeholders with specific skills, organizations in your region, inspiring projects , and relevant events using our filter and search functions. Continue your education and network with other stakeholders. Register for exciting events. Find other event attendees and download presentations. Discover current funding opportunities for your projects in our funding search . Find support for your work through access to the MINT Media Database and our MINT Sharepic Generator .
- Yes, the platform is available free of charge.
- The MINT-Vernetzungsstelle Deutschland, or MINTvernetzt for short, is the central service and contact point for (extracurricular) MINT stakeholders in german-speaking countries. We create networking spaces and offer various free, practice-oriented workshop formats, including topics on target group-specific and cliché-free communication, innovative design, as well as financing and sustaining STEM offerings. MINTvernetzt is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research and is jointly implemented by employees of the Körber Stiftung , matrix gGmbH , the Nationales MINT Forum e. V. , the Stifterverband , and the University of Regensburg . matrix gGmbH is responsible for the development and implementation of the community platform. The MINTvernetzt Community Platform has been live since fall 2022. Our co-creative approach with participatory processes enables continuous development based on the wishes and needs of the MINT community. This is how we continuously develop the platform. You can find out which features are planned next on the platform's homepage under .
Questions about registration and my profile
- We want to make many features freely accessible so that you can easily view content. Not all content is visible when you're not logged in, so we recommend registering. Additionally, you, as well as your own organizations and projects, can only be added after registration. You can also register for events only after you have created a profile.
- With the MINT ID, you can register for the MINTvernetzt Community Platform and the MINT Campus simultaneously. You only log in once and can then use all the features and offerings of both platforms. The MINT Campus is the digital learning platform for the STEM community with freely accessible materials and learning opportunities for educational and project work. With the MINT ID, you save time during registration and then have the option to easily switch between the two platforms. You can continue to use your MINTvernetzt account even without a MINT ID. You also need a MINT ID to use the MINT Media Database . The MINT-Media Database is a constantly growing database of free STEM images and graphics that you can use to make your public relations work appealing and targeted. You will also be able to access the MINT Sharepic Generator with the MINT ID. With the help of the MINT Sharepic Generator, you can easily create graphics for your public relations work for free. 👉 You can find more information about the MINT ID here: https://mintcampus.org/mint-id/
- Please send a message to our technical support: support@mint-vernetzt.de
- Under Settings > Edit Profile – General , you'll see your primary email address. Your login will be handled using this email address. You can create an additional email address here, which will be displayed next to your primary email address on your profile. You can change your primary email address under Settings > Edit Profile – Login and Security . Your login will then be handled using this new email address.
- Under Settings > Edit Profile – General you can create two email addresses. These will both appear on your profile under Contact.
- Go to My space > My organizations . Under “Add me to an organization” , you can search for your organization or network on the platform and add yourself. If your organization or your network hasn't been created yet, you can create it in the next step. To do so, click the Create organization button.
- You can remove yourself from your organization as a team member or admin on the platform. Go to My space > My organizations . Via the three-dot menu on the organization card you can remove yourself from the organization. If you are the only admin or sole team member of the organization, you need to first invite another person to assume your admin or team member role before you can remove yourself as an admin or team member of the organization. If you remain active within the STEM field, feel free to add yourself to your new organization as a team member. Go to My space > My organizations . Under “Add me to an organization” you can search for your organization or network on the platform and add yourself. If your organization or network hasn't been created yet, you can create it in the next step. To do so, click the Create new organization button. If you leave the STEM field, you can also delete your profile. To do so, click Settings . There, under Edit profile , in the “Delete profile” tab, you can remove your profile from the platform.
- In this case, please contact our support team at support@mint-vernetzt.de
Questions about organizations and networks
- Networks on the MINTvernetzt Community Platform are organizations that have specified “Network” as the organizational form in their organizational settings. It is possible to select multiple organizational forms, making them, for example, an association and a network. Furthermore, networks can also have different network forms. Options include alliance, MINT cluster, MINT region, state initiative, and other network. These can be specified by selecting multiple options under “Edit organization.” Organizations are associations, foundations, educational institutions, non-profit organizations, companies, initiatives, or networks. An organization is an independent entity that carries out projects. It has its own structures, processes, and resources. An organization can carry out multiple projects and generally has a long-term existence. Projects are specific activities or initiatives carried out by one or more organizations or individuals. They often have a specific duration and budget. A project can be, for example, a hackathon, a student lab, a project week, a mobile STEM format, a lending system, an online format, an all-day program, and much more.
- A network consists of several member organizations that work toward achieving common goals. Member organizations are the individual institutions that participate in these networks.
- If you are an admin of your organization on the community platform, you can go to your organization and edit it. You can access your organizations via the navigation point My space > My Organizations . A table displays the organizations for which you are an admin. Click on the three dots icon and select Edit . This will take you to your organization settings . Alternatively, you can click on your organization's card (the box with information about your organization). You will then be taken to your organization's details page. Click on the Edit button here. Under “Manage organization” you can then select “Network” as the organizational form and in the next step select the network forms, such as alliance, MINT cluster, MINT region, state initiative, other network. In the next step, you can add your network members by sending them an invitation to join your network. Once they have confirmed the invitation, your member organizations will be listed under “Network” on your organization details page. Network members need to have a profile on the community platform for you to invite them as network members.
- No, you can add network members to your organization by sending them an invitation to join your network . Once they confirm the invitation, your member organizations will be listed under “Network” on your organization details page. Network members need to have a profile on the community platform before you can invite them as a network member.
- As the MINTvernetzt Community Platform, our goal is to make networks visible and thus support the community. STEM practitioners can use the platform to learn about organizations and see which networks they are part of. You can also search and filter for different network types using the search and filter functions.
- You can access your organizations via the navigation point My space > My Organizations . A table displays the organizations for which you are an admin. Click on the three dots icon and select Edit . Alternatively, you can click on your organization's card (box with information about your organization). You will then be taken to your organization's details page. Click on the Edit button here. This will take you to your organization settings . Under “Manage organization” , under the query “Is your organization part of a network?” , you can select organizations that are already created on the platform and request to join the network . As soon as the admins of these organizations confirm your request to join, your organization will be listed as a network member. This is visible on the organization's details page under “Network”, and your organization will also be listed as a network member on the network organization's details page.
- Under Explore > Organizations , you can view all organizations that have been created on the platform. You can choose whether to display the organizations in list or map view. Here you will find information about the map view of organizations .
- Use the filter “Areas of activity”. There you can select “Nationwide” or “International” or filter by a specific location, such as “Saxony” or “Leipzig”. There may be organizations active in the area that are not from the region. Use the map view if you want to see which organizations are based locally. In the map view, organizations are located according to their address.
- You can filter by the following network types: Alliance, MINT-Cluster, MINT-Region, State Initiative, or Other Network.
- “Focus of work” describes the topics an organization works on – e.g. diversity, early childhood education, education for sustainable development, career orientation, and many more.
- Yes. The list or map will only show you organizations that meet all selected criteria.
- Yes. Select a network in the filter, e.g. “zdi.NRW”, and all associated organizations will be displayed.
- In order to increase the visibility of the diverse range of STEM stakeholders in Germany, we have created organizational profiles on our platform based on publicly available information. The aim is to represent the community as comprehensively as possible – including organizations that have not yet created a profile themselves. The information used comes exclusively from freely accessible online sources, including: https://schuelerforschungszentren.de/uebersicht-sfz?q&state&subject&targetGroup&view=list https://mint-community.de/zdi-schueler_innenlabore/ https://mintthueringen.de/mint-netzwerk/ https://www.mint-in-hessen.de/RegionaleAngebote https://mint-community.de/netzwerke-in-nrw/ https://www.mint-bayern.de/mint-regionen/ https://www.mint-ec.de/schulnetzwerk/mint-ec-schulen/ https://mintzukunftschaffen.de/geehrte-schulen/ These profiles are clearly marked on the platform as having been created by MINTvernetzt. They usually contain information such as name, location, web address, and, if applicable, a brief description. No personal data has been transferred. The organization profiles also do not yet have any administrators or team members. The relevant actors can take over their profile at any time and manage it themselves or request the deletion. We explain how this works in the following sections.
- There are several ways to claim the organizational profile of an organization created by us: First, you can click the “Claim” button on the organizational detail page of the organization created by us. Second option: If you find that your organization already exists on the platform as an organization created by us when creating an organization, you can directly claim it and become an administrator. To do this, click on “Claim Organization” . Third option: You can also claim the organizational profile if you search for the organization created by us under My space > My Organizations > “Add Me to an Organization” and click on “Claim Organization” . In each of these cases, an email will be sent to us. We will review your request and grant you administrator access after successful verification. If you have any further questions or need assistance, please feel free to contact us at support@mint-vernetzt.de .
- If you do not agree with your organization existing as an organization profile created by us on the platform, you can request deletion by sending an email to support@mint-vernetzt.de . We will then check whether you are part of this organization and, if necessary, contact you about it. This ensures that no unauthorized persons can initiate the deletion of your organization.
Questions about the organization map view
- Under Explore > Organizations you can choose whether you want to see the organizations in list or map view.
- The map shows you STEM organizations from all over Germany and beyond, whose addresses are stored on the platform .
- You can display which organizations are active in your region. To do this, you can apply the filter “Areas of activity” , e.g. “Saxony” or “Leipzig”. Use the map view to see which organizations are located in a specific region by zooming into the corresponding area. The organizations are located on the map according to their address. Therefore, only organizations that have provided their address are listed in the map view.
- No, you can use the map without logging in. However, if you want to add your own organization to the map, you will need a profile on the platform.
- Only organizations that have a profile on the platform and have also provided their address are displayed. The map grows with each new organization that registers. Additionally, the map also displays provisional organization profiles created by us , whose data we found and verified on external overview pages, such as www.schuelerforschungszentren.de .
- To make your organization visible on the map, create an organization profile on the platform or edit your existing profile. Provide the address, areas of activity, organization type, network type(s), and focus of work. Once the information is saved, your organization will automatically appear on the map. The most important information is the address, which will appear on the map view.
- The map is automatically updated as organizations change their information or new organizations are added. The data for the provisional organization profiles created by us is from August 2025.
- This is usually because your organization profile does not exist on the platform or is not fully completed. Check your profile under My space > My Organizations and complete any missing address information. After that, your organization should appear on the map. Fill in additional details about your organization so that it will also be displayed when the map is used with filters activated. Please feel free to contact us at support@mint-vernetzt.de if you need further assistance.
- Set up the map as you need it (enter search term, set filters). Click on “Embed current map view on my own website.” below the map view. Copy the displayed code for embedding (iFrame code). Paste this code in the desired location in the HTML area of your website. Done – your website now shows exactly the map view you have set.
- Yes. Visitors to your website will see exactly the selection of organizations that you set through the filter before copying the code.
- A little bit: You need to insert the embedding code in the right place on your website – just like with a YouTube video. If you're unsure, the person who manages your website can usually help you.
Questions about projects
- On the platform, you can showcase what works for you, inspire others, and become more visible with your work. Your experience doesn't have to be perfect – it just needs to be practical and helpful to others – because good practice can evolve. This is what this opportunity brings you: You make your work and impact visible – for funders, cooperation partners, and interested STEM actors. Your projects are easily discoverable through filters (e.g., target groups, formats, STEM disciplines). You help others develop or rethink their own formats.
- Under Explore > Projects you can view all projects that have been created on the platform. You can also access projects through the search bar by entering your search term and navigating through the displayed suggestions or by clicking on Projects on the overview page of the results.
- Go to My space > My Projects and click on “Create Project” . First, a draft will be created. So you don't have to have all the information ready right away, but can gradually add it before publishing your project. To edit your draft, go to your project and click on “Edit” . You will then be guided step by step through the form. Describe your project as vividly as possible – this way others will immediately understand what it's about. On your project detail page, you will find the button to Publish .
- Yes, since projects are also carried out by individuals, you can create a project even without an organization behind it.
- When creating the project, you can also add other project participants with profiles on the platform in the “Team” tab. This way, the project will also be displayed on their profiles. This creates visibility and shows collaboration. In addition, you can add organizations involved in the project in the “Responsible Organizations” tab.
- Yes. Under My space > My Projects you will find all your created projects. Just click on the three-dot menu next to your project and select “Edit” .
- On each project page, you will find the contact person or the contact details of the initiators of the project.
- Yes, definitely! Even small or one-time projects can provide inspiration or demonstrate what is possible in a short time. Perhaps an idea for continuation will emerge – or new partners for the future. Please feel free to specify the duration of your project in the “Framework conditions” tab about the timeframe.
- On your project detail page, you will find the button “Hide” after publishing your project. This allows you to turn your project back into a draft that is no longer visible to everyone. If you want to completely delete your project, you can find this option in the project settings under the tab Danger zone” . Select the tab “Delete Project” and follow the instructions.
Questions about events
- Under Explore > Events you will find an overview of all events. Use the filters to specifically search by type of event (On-Site, Online, Hybrid), field of focus, and target groups. Past events can be found by changing the filter from “Until now” to “Past events”.
- Under Explore > Events you will find a list of current events. Select the desired event and click on "Participate". Please note that you need to be registered on the platform to register for an event. If you do not have a profile on the MINTvernetzt Community Platform yet, you can register here . For events with external registration, you will be redirected to external registration pages.
- On the event detail page, you will find the button “Cancel Participation” . This allows you to withdraw your participation. This may free up spots for others. You can find the events you have registered for under My space > My events . Clicking on your event will take you to the event detail page.
- Some BETA users of the platform can create their own free and non-commercial events. If you would like to test event creation as well, please contact us at community@mint-vernetzt.de . Important: Our platform is NOT aimed at children and young people, but exclusively at MINT actors, educational providers, network coordinators, etc., therefore events such as MINT holiday courses or weekly offerings in a student laboratory do not belong here.
- Any questions or ideas for new features? Then feel free to write to us at support@mint-vernetzt.de – we look forward to your feedback!
Questions about the funding search
- You can access the MINTvernetzt funding search via the navigation Explore > Funding or via Resources . Or you can use this link: https://community.mint-vernetzt.de/explore/fundings
- The funding search lists STEM-relevant funding opportunities that are updated every Monday from four funding databases. The compiled funding opportunities can be filtered to get more suitable results.
- Use the filters to specifically search for funding available in your region or that matches the eligibility criteria, e.g., for associations. Example: Imagine you filter for funding and select two options: Funding area: Education / Training Region: Bavaria With an AND connection, only the funding that is available in both the education area and Bavaria will be displayed. Therefore, it is useful to test different filter options.
- We list funding in the areas of consulting, participation, financing, credit/loan, lump sum/prize money, qualification, networking, and grants. However, we also receive entries for funding that cannot be assigned to these categories because the data is not provided on the original funding pages. These are then listed in our funding search under 'Without category' or 'Other'.
- The funding opportunities are automatically compiled from four underlying databases: German Foundation for Engagement and Volunteering https://foerderdatenbank.d-s-e-e.de Funding Finder of the Platform for Social Innovations and Public Welfare-Oriented Companies https://sigu-plattform.de/foerderfinder Funding Database of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action https://www.foerderdatenbank.de Funding Finder by consider it GmbH https://foerder-finder.de Send us suggestions for additional databases to be included in an email with the subject: “Funding search“ to community@mint-vernetzt.de .
- New results from the four underlying funding databases are imported every Monday.
- You can help us fix this error by creating a screenshot and sending it by email with the subject: 'Funding search' to support@mint-vernetzt.de . Ideally, also let us know your browser. Try reloading the page, often the problem is then already solved.
- Yes, very gladly. Send us an email with the subject: “Funding search“ to community@mint-vernetzt.de . We are grateful for any feedback and ideas. This way we can further improve the funding search.
Questions about the MINT Sharepic Generator
- A sharepic is a graphic that you can use for your public relations work — for example, on social media, your website, or newsletter. Sharepics are intended to inform, attract attention, and evoke an emotional response from viewers. The combination of text and image elements conveys facts, quotes, statements, and event announcements in an appealing way.
- The MINT Sharepic Generator is aimed at STEM community members who want to make their offerings visible via social media, newsletters, and other channels. The MINT Sharepic Generator offers a simple, user-friendly interface — ideal for people with little or no experience in design or social media. This allows you to quickly create and download graphics in the appropriate formats.
- You don't need any prior knowledge. The MINT Sharepic Generator is designed to get started right after registration.
- Yes, you can upload your own images (photos, logos, shapes, and stickers) in JPG/JPEG , PNG , and SVG formats. Uploading GIFs and PDFs is not possible. Our servers are located in Germany , so all data protection regulations (GDPR) are adhered to.
- Uploading in compliance with data protection regulations means that your images are processed, stored, and protected securely – in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). ✔️ Server location in Germany Your images are stored exclusively on servers in Germany – in accordance with strict German and European data protection regulations. ✔️ Encrypted data transfer All files are transferred securely using modern encryption technologies (e.g., TLS). ✔️ No disclosure to third parties Your images will not be passed on to third parties or used for advertising purposes. Processing is carried out solely to provide our service. ✔️ Right to erasure and information You can request information about your data at any time and have it permanently deleted – in accordance with the requirements of the GDPR.
- The status “BETA” means that the MINT Sharepic Generator is still being developed. We welcome your feedback on new features or suggestions for improvement. 👉 Send us an email to: sharepic@mint-vernetzt.de
- No, the MINT Sharepic Generator is only available as a desktop application.
- Yes, you can use the sharepics for anything – with one exception: If you use images from the MINT Media Database , they may only be published in a MINT context and with the copyright notice. Don't worry: The correct copyright notice will be automatically inserted into the graphic if you use an image from the MINT Media Database as a background image in the MINT Sharepic Generator. If you use images from the MINT Media Database as foreground images, please include the copyright information in the caption of your social media post. If you use images from the MINT Media Database on websites, in newsletters, or flyers, please also include copyright notices there in the appropriate place.
- You can create all common social media formats. You can choose between predefined formats and your own custom formats. The sizes are specified in pixels.
- Yes, you can save your graphics under a title of your choice and edit them later. 👉 Menu item: File > Save
- You can select various fonts and graphic elements and customize their colors. However, selfly uploaded graphics (logos, stickers, shapes) cannot be recolored.
- Yes, you can download your sharepic as a .spg file. To do this, set the format from .png to .spg in the download button and download the sharepic file. You can share this with team members who can continue working with it once they upload the file into the MINT Sharepic Generator. This works via the menu File > Upload .
- You can easily upload a .spg file via the File > Upload menu in the MINT Sharepic Generator and continue editing it.
- Feel free to send us a message to: sharepic@mint-vernetzt.de . The MINT Sharepic Generator is still in BETA. Bugs may occur – we rely on your feedback to further improve the MINT Sharepic Generator.
Questions about the MINT Media Database
- The MINT Media Database is a constantly growing collection of free STEM images and graphics. You can use these to make your public relations work appealing and targeted to your target group. Within the MINT Sharepic Generator , you can directly access the MINT Media Database and insert the images into your sharepics – without having to register separately. You can also access the MINT Media Database directly: 👉 https://mediendatenbank.mint-vernetzt.de/ You need to register with your MINT ID for this.
Further questions
- Are you a STEM actor, designer or programmer and you are interested in actively shaping the platform? We are always looking for testers and input for new features. Contact us at community@mint-vernetzt.de . We develop the platform as open source software – click here for our GitHub repository.
- We welcome feedback and questions as we aim to develop the platform to best meet our users' needs. Feel free to contact Inga Leffers at community@mint-vernetzt.de .
- We present our current roadmap on the platform's homepage, which is only visible when you are logged out. There you can find an overview of the features we are currently developing and those planned for the future. We will keep you updated on new features via platform updates.
Support
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