Since 2015, Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG has organised Port Scout tours for a total of 10,000 fourth-grade pupils from Hamburg, giving them an understanding of the historic and current developments of the port

On these one-day excursions, the Port Scouts gain insights about Germany’s largest seaport. They learn more about the historical development of the Port of Hamburg in a playful way accompanied by trained guides who spark their enthusiasm through fascinating stories, quizzes and other activities. HHLA actively oversees the Port Scouts project as part of its sustainability strategy in cooperation with the German Port Museum and the State Institute for Teaching Training and School Development.

The Port Scouts’ adventure starts at Shed 50A of the German Port Museum. Here, in the open storage exhibition, the pupils get insights about port work, the contents and route of a container as well as the development of container ships and their impact on port processes. The highlight of each Port Scout tour is the visit to the world’s first climate neutral HHLA Container Terminal Altenwerder, where the pupils can experience the exhibition’s theory being put into practice. They can observe containers being handled at the terminal’s stations and watch them being loaded onto various means of transport such as ships, trains and trucks. This impressively conveys how many everyday goods are transported and ultimately arrive in the pupils’ households.

Carolin Flemming, Head of Corporate Communications at HHLA: “We’re delighted about reaching this milestone of 10,000 interested Port Scouts. The project is very important to HHLA as we want to show the young pupils how port logistics has developed over time and just how important a seaport is in supplying many everyday goods. The children’s great interest and infectious enthusiasm further underline the importance of the project.”

Prof. Dr. Klaus Bernhard Staubermann, Director of the German Port Museum: “One of the most important tasks of the German Port Museum is to bring the multifaceted history of work at the Port of Hamburg to life and make it tangible. With the Port Scouts project, this has been achieved in an exemplary cooperation together with HHLA and the Hamburg State Institute for Teaching Training and School Development. I am very pleased with the project’s great success and would like to thank everyone involved for their continued commitment.”

Martin Kelpe, Trainer at the Hamburg State Institute for Teacher Training and School Development: “For many years, the Port Scout tours have given fourth-grade pupils the great opportunity to become immersed in the history of the Port of Hamburg, the development of various types of ships and the work that has been going on since the 1960s up until today at the modern container terminal Altenwerder with its fascinating operations. The vivid and interactive experience made possible by trained museum educators enable the pupils to fully understand and apply the knowledge gained in class when learning about the Port of Hamburg. As the person responsible for general studies at the State Institute for Teacher Training and School Development, I consider the Port Scouts to be an excellent example of how committed external partners can support the education of primary school children in Hamburg.”

The Port Scouts project is aimed at primary school classes in Hamburg. The content of the excursion is part of the curriculum for the participating classes. They work intensively with the material in the classroom before and after the visit. Teachers who register their classes for the day trip complete an introductory course beforehand. During the tour of the museum, the pupils are accompanied by a specially qualified educator. At the terminal, experienced and trained guides of the Port of Hamburg explain the processes.

The registration process for the Port Scouts tours is organised by the general studies department at the State Institute for Teacher Training and School Development. Interested fourth-grade teachers in Hamburg can get more information via email at Martin.Kelpe@li.hamburg.de. Registration for the Port Scouts tours in the second semester (April to June 2024) are now open until February 2024.