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In the first six months of 2026, the Leibniz Institute for Educational Trajectories (LIfBi) donated approximately 100 CD players to a total of 30 schools and daycare centers in the city of Bamberg. The devices came from the National Education Panel (NEPS) inventory and were provided to and distributed among the institutions through the Department of Education of the City of Bamberg. 

Until a few years ago, the CD players were used in competency tests conducted by the National Education Panel, Germany’s largest long-term education study. As part of the digitization of the surveys and the transition to laptops, the devices are no longer needed. Instead of discarding the fully functional devices, the LIfBi decided to donate them to educational institutions in Bamberg. The Educational Department of the City of Bamberg carried out the needs assessment and coordinated the distribution of the devices. Among others, the Erlöser Middle School received five devices (picture)

“As a Bamberg-based research institute, it is important to us to contribute to the local educational landscape. Although the CD players are no longer needed at NEPS, they can continue to serve a valuable purpose in schools and daycare centers. We are pleased that, together with the Department of Education, we have found a sustainable solution for the reuse of these devices,” says Dr. Stefan Echinger, Administrative Director of LIfBi.

Previously, particularly during its anniversary year in 2025, LIfBi had donated NEPS materials that were no longer needed to educational institutions. Among others, Caritas Bamberg-Forchheim, the Bamberg District Education Office, and the KoKi Early Childhood Network in the city of Bamberg received various toys to distribute to institutions and families.

The fundraising campaign highlights the close collaboration between the scientific community, the city administration, and educational institutions in Bamberg. At the same time, it demonstrates how existing resources can be put to good use and thus utilized in a sustainable manner.