«Eine gewisse Kraft durchströmt
uns alle und wird unseren Schulalltag auch weiterhin beleben.
Die Klassengemeinschaft ist gestärkt, die Kinder strahlen. Beim Blick in
ihre Gesichter kommt es mir sogar vor, als seien sie gereift»
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Anja Bömmelt
Lehrerin der Klasse 6B
Brunnmatt-Schulhaus Basel
«Eine gewisse Kraft durchströmt
uns alle und wird unseren Schulalltag auch weiterhin beleben.
Die Klassengemeinschaft ist gestärkt, die Kinder strahlen. Beim Blick in
ihre Gesichter kommt es mir sogar vor, als seien sie gereift»
–
Anja Bömmelt
Lehrerin der Klasse 6B
Brunnmatt-Schulhaus Basel
«Eine gewisse Kraft durchströmt
uns alle und wird unseren Schulalltag auch weiterhin beleben.
Die Klassengemeinschaft ist gestärkt, die Kinder strahlen. Beim Blick in
ihre Gesichter kommt es mir sogar vor, als seien sie gereift»
–
Anja Bömmelt
Lehrerin der Klasse 6B
Brunnmatt-Schulhaus Basel
Combining expertise and passion: Our luminaries in science and culture
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What our distinguished professors, scientists, dancers, musicians, and engineers all have in common is their well-roundedness as human beings. In addition to a profound understanding of their fields, they have a passion for sharing their knowledge with others. It is this intrinsic motivation that captures the imagination of our students and prepares them for new learning experiences. When in the presence of knowledgeable, kind, and charismatic teachers, students discover the power that curiosity can unleash and are willing to go the distance.
OUR PESTALOZZI SCHOOL CAMP LEADERS
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KAMILLA SCHATZ
Kamilla Schatz is the founder and director
of Pestalozzi School Camps.
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After years of working as a violin soloist and chamber musician as well as a professor at two music colleges, Kamilla decided to change careers in 2017. After several further training courses at the CEPS at the University of Basel and at the HBM Entrepreneur School of the HSG, Kamilla founded the Pestalozzi School Camps in 2018. The camps combine her passion for music and her great affinity for science, which was passed on to her by her father Gottfried Schatz. Supporting children is a calling for Kamilla Schatz, which she now follows with as much verve as she once did her music career.
DR. ANJA KRÄTTLI
Anja Krättli heads up
our natural sciences team.
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After completing her doctorate at the University Hospital of Zurich, Anja trained as a secondary school teacher while working full-time. What she particularly enjoys about teaching science is that she constantly discovers new facets of the natural sciences by presenting complex content in an age-appropriate way. In addition to her work at the Pestalozzi School Camps, Anja is dedicated to training future biology and chemistry laboratory assistants at Novartis and at the Muttenz vocational school.
Outside of her academic passion for biology, Anja also immerses herself in nature in her free time. She explores the diversity of nature while snorkelling or on zoological and botanical excursions. These adventures not only offer her a change of pace, but also fresh inspiration and exciting stories for her lessons.
TIMOTHY HOPKINS
Timothy Hopkins heads up
our music team.
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Timothy is a German-American cellist and has given concerts in Europe, the USA and Asia. He has been awarded numerous scholarships and national and international prizes and his CD recording “Salute to the Violin” on the Swiss label Prospero Classical was highly praised by the press and nominated in two categories for the Opus Klassik Prize. Timothy completed his studies in Leipzig with Peter Bruns and in Berlin with Troels Svane. In addition to his work with the Pestalozzi school camps and his career as a cellist, Timothy is passionate about teaching cellists of all levels, from young to old. He is also a founding member of the Trouvaille Trio. Since January 2024, Timothy has lived in Basel, where he leads the art team of the Pestalozzi school camp. The combination of music and dance has a special appeal for him and he sees the teaching of classical music and the young generation's enthusiasm for the arts as a deeply enriching task.
DOMINIK SULSER
Dominik Sulser heads up
our robotics team.
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Dominik has been working in the field of IT and marketing since 2017 and has extensive experience from many school camps. He has been active at the Pestalozzi school camps since 2021 and is intensively involved in training and supporting the participants. He is currently completing the Higher Technical School for Computer Science in St.Gallen, which he will graduate in 2025. Dominik has a wide range of interests and applies his skills to numerous projects, always finding innovative solutions.
DISTINGUISHED INSTRUCTORS FROM AROUND THE WORLD
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PROF. DR. DR. H. C.
MARCEL TANNER
Marcel Tanner helped to make the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute what it is today: an outstanding international institute for tropical medicine and infectious disease. Marcel is especially renowned for his research in the field of epidemiology.
PROF. DR. ALEXANDER HARMS
Alexander Harms researches the molecular biology of bacteriophages. His research is primarily aimed at applying newly discovered processes in biotechnology or to combat bacterial infections. He was awarded an SNSF Starting Grant and is one of the leading researchers of the younger generation.
DR. ALVAR GOSSERT
Alvar Gossert conducted research in the pharmaceutical industry for several years and changed to ETH Zurich in 2017. He uses NMR, a technique that provides fascinating insights into the world of molecules. With his team and partner laboratories worldwide, he is researching new ways to better understand diseases at the molecular level and develop new drugs.
PROF. DR. DR. H. C.
SUSAN GASSER
Susan Gasser is professor emeritus of the University of Basel and a former director of the Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research in Basel (2004 to 2019). In 2021, Susan received an honorary doctoral degree from the University of Neuchâtel.
PROF. DR. BENJAMIN TOWBIN
Benjamin Towbin grew up in Allschwil and studied in Basel, Holland and Israel. He has been Professor of Developmental Biology at the University of Bern since 2019. His research group studies how cells and organs communicate with each other so that they get the right size. His team consists of biologists, mathematicians and computer scientists who together aim to describe and understand the complexity of animal development using mathematical models.
PROF. ROLAND SIEGWART
Roland Siegwart is Professor of Autonomous Systems at ETH Zurich and Co-Director of the Wyss Zurich Translational Centre. After graduating in 1983 and obtaining his doctorate in mechanical engineering at ETH Zurich in 1989, he was a guest researcher at Stanford University and NASA Ames. He then spent ten years as a professor at EPFL Lausanne. From 2010 to 2014, he was Vice President for Research and Economic Relations at ETH Zurich. His research focuses on autonomous mobile robots, including service and space robots, drones and self-driving vehicles, and he is the co-founder of several high-tech start-ups. Siegwart is one of the world's leading robotics researchers.
PROF. THOMAS STOCKER
Thomas Stocker studied environmental physics at ETH Zurich and obtained his doctorate in 1987. After research stays in London, Montreal and New York, he became head of the Department of Climate and Environmental Climate and Environmental Physics at the Physics Institute of the University of Bern. He retired at the end of July 2024 emeritus status. From 2008 to 2015, Thomas Stocker was Co-Chair of Working Group I of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The report, which was adopted by all countries under his chairmanship in September 2013, forms the scientific basis for the Paris Climate Agreement.
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PROF. DR. WANDA KUKULSKI
Wanda Kukulski grew up in Visp and received her doctorate in biophysics at the Biozentrum in Basel. Since 2015, Wanda Kukulski has led a research group at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge (GB). In 2019 she was also elected to the EMBO Young Investigator Program. Wanda Kukulski researches at the interface between cell and structural biology. She is particularly interested in the molecular architecture of cellular membranes and is internationally known for her research.
OLIVER CONDE
Oliver is Head of Technology at Umami in Zurich, where he is responsible for the infrastructure and maintenance of the innovative indoor permaculture ecosystem. He studied environmental sciences at ZHAW and then worked as an instrument and electronics mechanic at SR Technics. At our camps, he teaches students about the interaction between plants, fish, and microorganisms in a lively and practical way, demonstrating how technology and nature can work together harmoniously.
OUR NATURAL SCIENCES WORKSHOP TEAM
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DR. DANIELA
BISCHOF BOESCH
After completing her doctorate in the field of veterinary bacteriology at the University of Bern, Daniela completed her training as a secondary school teacher. Daniela has been working as a research assistant at the University of Education in St.Gallen since 2019. In this function, she is involved in a school laboratory project, which aims to get young people interested in science and technology.
FABIENNE ESTERMANN
Fabienne completed her doctorate at the Biozentrum of the University of Basel. During her dissertation, she researched antibiotic resistance and bacteriophages. She is a passionate science communicator and loves to prepare and convey complex topics in an understandable way – especially to children.
DR. STEFANIA WUNDERLI
Stefania received her doctoral degree at ETH Zurich. Her special field is the biology of the tendon. Recipient of several scientific awards and a participant in various international research projects, including the Human Cell Atlas Project, Stefania is a physical-education teacher and has extensive experience in working with children.
TITUS MEYER
Titus studies biophysics at Bielefeld University. Since 2022, he has been working at Teutolab, the university's student laboratory, where he leads workshops for children in grades 4 to 6. In doing so, he develops creative approaches to scientific topics and gains experience in teaching physics in a child-friendly way. It is particularly important to him to get children excited about science at an early age and to foster their interest in the long term.
OUR DANCE & MOVEMENT WORKSHOP TEAM
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LEONIE HUMITSCH
Leonie is a dancer, choreographer and dance teacher. She studied contempo-rary dance education at MUK Vienna and completed a master's degree in art & economy at the University of Applied Arts Vienna. She has performed on renowned stages in Austria, Germany and Switzerland and has worked with Silvia Costa and Willi Dorner, among others. Since 2019, she has been the director of the freitanz collective and is involved in professional committees in Carinthia. Her teaching work includes contemporary dance for professionals and amateurs, as well as creative activities for children and families.
KAMIL MATSEUSZ MROZOWSKI
Kamil Matseusz completed his dance studies at the Anton Bruckner University in Linz. He is active in various projects and realizes projects that address dance in public space. Kamil also works in Poland, together with Anna Maria Karabela.
AGATA LAWNICZAK
Agata has many years of international experience as a professional dancer and dance mediator. She studied stage dance in Munich and dance pedagogy at Middle Sex University in London. As a dancer she was engaged at the Braunschweig State Theater, Ballet Ireland, Cathy Sharp Dance and the hermesdance ensemble.
STEFANIE STERNIG
Stefanie completed her studies in contemporary dance education at MUK Vienna in 2011 and also studied education and special and therapeutic education at the University of Vienna. Her focus is on the interplay between contemporary choreography, dance and cultural education. She develops formats for children, young people and adults that combine artistic processes with educational work. As a member of the kunststoff collective, she creates transdisciplinary performances for young and adult audiences.
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MICHAEL GABRIEL GROSS
Michael Gabriel studied contemporary stage dance and dance pedagogy at the Anton Bruckner University in Linz. Michael last performed at the Impulstanz 2022 in Vienna and works internationally as a freelance dancer and dance mediator.
HANAN ISABELLA KOHLENBERGER
Hanan Isabella is a music and movement teacher and works at a school in Basel as well as in various dance and music education projects. She is also a guest lecturer at the Hochschule für Musik in Basel.
KARIN HERMES
Karin is an award-winning dance artist. She works as a choreographer, performer, dance researcher and mediator. Karin is currently realizing a national project on expressive dance and its connection to the resistance in World War II. She is co-director of hermesdance, responsible for teaching ballet and lecturer at the Bern University of the Arts.
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AMELIA BURRI
Amelia trained as a music and movement teacher and dancer in Biel, London and Stockholm. Today she mainly works as a lecturer for music and movement and dance improvisation at the Music Academy FHNW Basel and the University of Music HSLU in Lucerne. In addition to artistic and educational project work with children, young people and adults, Amelia is involved in bands as a double bass player and singer.
OUR ROBOTICS WORKSHOP TEAM
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KATERINA PRATSINIS
Kate holds a master's degree in bioinformatics from ETH Zurich and has professional experience in the pharmaceutical industry, where she analysed data and developed applications. Today, she works as a data scientist at hpo forecasting ag, where she focuses on AI-supported data analysis and the development of forecasting models. She combines her passion for technology and education to inspire young people to take an interest in STEM subjects.
BEDA BRUN DEL RE
In addition to his work with us, Beda heads the Regional Didactic Center (RDZ) at the St. Gallen University of Education in Rapperswil-Jona. He studied molecular biology and worked as a high school biology teacher for 15 years. He also acted as an internship teacher for the university and ETH Zurich. In additional training, Beda trained as a Pedagogical ICT Supporter (PICTS) and in this role was able to gain a lot of experience in teaching programming to beginners and the use of IT devices and applications. That's why Beda at PSC not only runs camps on the topic of “natural science”, but also “robotics”.
TITUS MEYER
Titus studies biophysics at Bielefeld University. Since 2022, he has been working at Teutolab, the university's student laboratory, where he leads workshops for children in grades 4 to 6. In doing so, he develops creative approaches to scientific topics and gains experience in teaching physics in a child-friendly way. It is particularly important to him to get children excited about science at an early age and to foster their interest in the long term.
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VICTORIA WOTHERSPOON
Victoria is a member of the TechLabs team in Basel, where she leads the robotics follow-up programme to the Pestalozzi School Camps. She is a qualified language teacher with extensive experience in primary and secondary schools in the UK, Japan and Switzerland. Victoria is committed to providing educational opportunities for young people and volunteers with school children in her area. She is currently pursuing a Masters in Education from the University of Bath in England, which she will complete in 2024.
KATHRIN SCHWEIZER
Kathrin holds a Master of Science in Engineering from ETH Zurich and the Chinese University of Hong-Kong. Kathrin has already taken on responsible tasks for Axpo and is very experienced in teaching robotics topics due to her frequent assignments in the ETH outreach program “Mint & Pepper” at ETH Zurich. She is currently training to become a secondary school teacher, as she really enjoys working with young people.​
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LAURENT NAEGELEN
Hailing from Alsace, where currently lives and works as a secondary school teacher, Laurent is a certified engineer and a highly esteemed expert in robotics with an affinity for 3-D design. Recipient of the prestigious “Olympiades de Sciences de l’Ingénieur” award, Laurent is also a member of the TechLabs team.
DR. AURICH JELTSCH-THÖMMES
Aurich studied in Germany, the USA and Switzerland and took part in various research expeditions. He completed his doctorate at the University of Bern on the role of the carbon cycle in past and future climate change. He then spent several years researching the effects of climate change, including in international projects. He is currently training to become a secondary school teacher in order to devote himself full-time to teaching.
FRANZISKA SUTER
Franziska trained as a secondary school teacher at the PH Zurich and then gained many years of experience at various schools. She also has experience in extracurricular institutions through her work in environmental education. As a part-time sports climbing coach, she also passes on her passion to children and young people.
OUR CLIMATE SCIENCES WORKSHOP TEAM
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OUR MUSIC WORKSHOP TEAM
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GONZALO MARTÍN RODRÍGUEZ
Gonzalo, winner of the International Anton Rubinstein Competition, plays the viola because of its warm, human sound. He studied in Spain, Germany and the USA with Tatjana Masurenko and Kim Kashkashian, gaining experience in renowned concert halls. He currently works with the Freyja Quartet and will become principal violist of the Vienna Symphony Orchestra in the coming season. He is also developing new concert formats, which he is promoting intensively as a TONALi academician.
SEBASTIAN BRAUN
Sebastian is a cellist and the first recipient of the Dominick Cello Award sponsored by the University of Music and Performing Arts in Stuttgart. A member of the globetrotting chamber-music formations Kaleidoscope String Quartet and Trio Eclipse, Sebastian hails from Winterthur and currently lives in Basel.
INEZ ELLMANN
Inez is a classical percussionist with a focus on marimba and baroque timpani. In addition to her solo work, she regularly plays in numerous orchestral and chamber music projects and gives lessons. She also composes and arranges classical works, including for the Duo Carman, of which she is a member.
OUR PHILOSOPHY AND SOCIETY WORKSHOP TEAM
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DR. SUSANNE SCHMETKAMP
Susanne studied philosophy, German language and literature, and Italian, and wrote her doctoral thesis on the topics of respect and recognition. She also conducts research on empathy, attention, aesthetic experiences, film, and grief. In addition, she worked for many years as a cultural journalist and film critic. After holding various teaching and research positions in Germany and Switzerland, she is currently focusing on a book project, regularly hosts readings and also works for the Zurich Philosophy Festival.
DR. FLORIAN WÜSTHOLZ
Florian studied philosophy and sociology in Bern, Sheffield, Zurich and Salzburg and obtained his doctorate from the University of Fribourg in 2017. He then worked as a freelance journalist and photographer for various Swiss media outlets. His book of reportages, «Hoffen bleibt erlaubt» (Hope Remains Permitted), was published in 2024. He has been the media officer for the Swiss Green Party since 2025.
DR. YVES BOSSART
Yves studied philosophy, musicology, and history at the Universities of Luzern, Zurich, and Heidelberg. He received his doctoral degree from Humboldt University in Berlin in 2012. Yves has worked as a secondary school teacher and has been a moderator of “Philosophy Forum” at Swiss Radio and Television (SRF) since 2017. In addition to writing books, Yves played a key role in the realisation of the animated film series “Filosofix – Animated Philosophy”.
DR. BARBARA BLEISCH
Having studied philosophy, German studies, and theology, Barbara received her doctoral degree at the University of Zurich’s Center for Ethics. Since 2010, Barbara has worked as a moderator of “Philosophy Forum” at Swiss Radio and Television (SRF). She is also a newspaper columnist and author. Her latest publications include: “Wanting to Have Children” (written together with Andrea Büchler), “Why We Don’t Owe Our Parents Anything”, “Family Obligations” and “Ethical Decision-Making”.
OUR PHILOSOPHY AND SOCIETY WORKSHOP TEAM
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PROF. ILIAS PARASKEVOPOULOS
Ilias has been head of the elementary school authority of the canton AI since 2022. Before that, he headed the Institute for further education and counseling at the University of Education in St.Gallen for several years. He advises and supports schools in various development projects and has extensive experience in the further training of teachers and managers. In his work he campaigns intensively for privilege-free access to diverse education.