„You Want to Get Involved, We Help You“ – Mentoring
As part of this project, which was carried out in five phases from 01.06.2021 to 28.12.2021, young people were able to develop their skills in leading projects and in working with children and adolescents. The participants began with a one-day start-up, at which they got to know one another as well as the supervisors and learned about the schedule and the organizational details of the project.
In the second phase, Module 1 (five days), the participants received intensive training in important subject areas of youth work. Workshops and seminars covered, among other things, leisure opportunities, motivational techniques, youth protection, hygiene, and the use of digital media in working with young people. This phase laid the foundation for the young people’s understanding of responsible work in child and youth care.
Afterwards, all participants took part in a first-aid course, which strengthened their practical skills in emergency management.
In the fourth phase, the project part, the young people carried out projects independently, which they led in teams. In doing so, they developed topics from their own interests, which they implemented with groups of children and adolescents on the association’s premises. This fostered not only their organizational and social skills, but also their commitment and creativity. Topics such as international cooking courses, reading clubs, or waste separation were planned and carried out by the young people on their own.
In the final phase, Module 2 (five days), the focus was placed on intercultural and interreligious competence. The young people engaged with various cultures and world religions and learned how important intercultural understanding is for working in a multicultural society. The topic of emergency management was also explored in greater depth.
An important component of the project was to motivate the young people to become socially engaged over the long term. They were therefore encouraged to apply for the youth leader card, which officially recognizes their qualifications and their commitment.
The aim of the project was to strengthen the young people’s self-confidence and to turn them into active, responsible members of society. The intensive engagement with social and intercultural topics as well as the practical experiences in project leadership are intended to encourage the young people to remain committed in the future as multipliers and mentors. We would like to express our heartfelt thanks to the Landschaftsverband Westfalen Lippe (LWL), whose funding made it possible for us to carry out this valuable project.
