New youth program development by the former East Germany

New youth program development by the former East Germany.

OVERVIEW

The following description of evolving youth programs is found in a January 27, 2000 article by Haig Simonian in a supplement of the Financial Times, published in conjunction with the International Youth Foundation.

When East and West Germany reunited, the Robert Bosch and Freudenberg Foundations considered the challenge of creating an effective youth program for schoolchildren of Eastern Germany who studied from 8 am to 1 pm. The former German Democratic Republic had, in fact, developed extensive youth programs designed, however, to develop citizens loyal to communism. Now the goals were to develop democracy and self-reliance.

Whereas education (and ministries of youth, family, and culture) in western Germany is the responsibility of its federal states, one ministry was in charge of education, youth and social issues in the GDR. Former skating champion, Heike Kahl, was head of the German Children and Youth Foundation (GCYF).

The basic premise of these programs was to get young people to take the initiative in setting up projects, "to help young people take charge of their lives…The aim was not just to provide goods, such as a video or a computer a school could not afford, but to come up with something that would allow school children to develop their own initiatives and take responsibility for themselves."

Ms. Kahl explains the philosophy of this program:

‘Why should school stop at 1 pm? Our idea was to have something for the kids which was focused on the place they had already spent their morning and where we could make use of the existing facilities.’

The GCYF’s Schülerclubs (school clubs) include a whole array of activities. Students, often with teacher help, may

• Fix up an underused space as a clubroom.
• Deal with racial and the integration of non-German children.
• Give students training in specific areas and help them prepare for job interviews.
• Setting up and running a cafeteria.
• Establish small businesses.

Some 600 clubs nationwide have 30,000 students participating.

The program certainly is not without difficulties. Teachers may resent the extra time until they see how valuable it is for students and themselves. Annual budgets are difficult to maintain. Several administrative issues can hamper the clubs. And, they say, "everything in Germany is an insurance issue."

Word of mouth from successful clubs has helped overcome obstacles. In some cases projects that started out as "school companies" ended up as successful businesses for former students. "Now virtually every state in Germany is setting up school clubs."

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION AND DISCUSSION

1. What can you learn from this article and program?
2. What are the strongest points of the program described?
3. What do you think was missing? What would you like to suggest or add?
4. How could such a program be adapted to your own situation?

IMPLICATIONS

1. The programs of the German government and church are very well thought out and sophisticated. They are very much worth a visit and discussion.
2. The subcultures of German youth and movements such as weekend Rave dances are important to study.
3. Germany has been willing to put real resources into youth work of many different types.