Portugal organizes panel discussion on “climate refugees”

CARE group Germany invites experts on “addiction”

In preparation for the next conference of the Erasmus+ project CARE (from 11-16 March 2022 in Helmond, NL), students from Lübbecke met experts in the field of addiction prevention and therapy. In order to be well prepared for the multilateral meeting with their partner schools from Finland, Poland, Portugal and the Netherlands, which is organised by the partner school in Helmond on the topic of 'Caring for people with addictions', the approx. 20 students of Wittekind-Gymnasium already met Mareike Awolin on 02nd March. She gave a vivid account of her preventive work for the district of Minden-Lübbecke and also explicitly reported on the preventive work organised for the schools in the district. The same day they welcomed Manfred Pallentin from the Diakonie in Lübbecke (https://www.diediakonie.de/de/sucht/suchtberatung.htm). Mr. Pallentin described his work with alcohol-dependent clients in particular.

Finally, on 07th March, the project participants received Lars Hoffmeyer as an expert on the clinical work of the “Mühlenkreiskliniken” with addiction disorders. In a lively conversation Mr. Hoffmeyer explained how huge the need for 'detoxification therapies' is in the district of Minden-Lübbecke and was able to pass on many facts as well as recommendations for action in a lively dialogue with the participants.

After these three meetings, it was clear to everyone involved in the project: this field is not only very interesting, but also immensely important for our student body! The CARE delegation, which will leave for the conference this Friday and will first have to report on the addiction work in Lübbecke in a digital presentation, hopes to get further impulses and that this work will set an important milestone for the implementation of addiction prevention projects at their school. Important contacts have been made: Mrs. Awolin, Mr. Pallentin and Mr. Hoffmeyer are willing to support the school so that the first pilot projects can hopefully be organised this school year. The ideas and addiction programmes of the CARE partner schools, which will also be presented and compared at the meeting in Helmond, can hopefully also help to optimise the work at Wittekind-Gymnasium.

Work experience abroad?

A big problem at Wittekind and Driessengroep in 2021 and 2022!!!

Again! The work placements had been organised, the host families and partners found, friendships had started, the tickets had been booked – and the Covid pandemic made it impossible again. Just like in January 2021 the lockdown situation (this time only in Helmond) made it impossible for the German students to spend a week of their compulsory internship project (January 10-17, 2022) in the Netherlands and for the Dutch partners to come to Lübbecke.

Due to the nationwide lockdown the Dutch students will not even be allowed to go to school after the Christmas holidays. Distance learning – again!

“It's a very frustrating situation for everybody!” says the German coordinator Silke Horst who together with her Dutch colleague Frederique Giesbrecht has put a lot of effort and hours into the project. The aim was to enable the 12 participants to gain work experience abroad and for the Dutch students to get to know the concept of so-called 'school-internships' in the first place. The students had already been looking forward to 'working' at different organisations, institutions and companies. The German students agree: "It would have been a really good change in the otherwise dull Covid-times!“

The teachers and students will at least try to still do the exchange later this school year – but it will involve a lot of extra work and finding the time and the placements for the students could be very difficult and maybe frustrating again, if it will have to be cancelled yet again.

CARE project presented to 18 European school during digital network conference 'in Finland' on well-being

On Friday 7 May 2021, students from all the CARE schools and also students from all the 18 network schools from the European school network 'Education without frontiers' were able to participate in an international conference on "Well-being in Corona times". The conference was organised by the Finnish Care Team and took place via a YouTube livestream and private video conference rooms. It consisted of an introductory lecture by Professor Ville Ojanen of Psychology, two separate workshops each and a farewell ceremony.

Despite the topicality of the lecture and various tips from Ojanen, the appeal was quite general and perhaps a little too elaborate for a Friday morning.

The varied choice of workshops and their individual implementation by the Finnish group leaders, on the other hand, were very appealing. The CARE members chose the topics, like "Healthy Snack", "Treasure Map" and "Dancing". While the discussion on healthy snacks was not as vivid as expected, the introduction to creating a so-called "Treasure Map", with our personal goals, wishes and things that make us happy, was perceived as very inspiring by all the students. Likewise, the "Dancing" workshop was an interesting change from the other everyday distance work at the desk. Here, the international similarities and differences came to the fore, as the group leaders taught all 15 participants a traditional Finnish dance and then offered the participants the opportunity to exchange ideas about local dances.

Although the videoconference could not replace a face to face meeting, all members agreed that it was an interesting experience to participate in such an international videoconference. One could not only discover new topics, but also develop a feeling for other nations. The virtual exchange and cooperation between CARE members from all over the world is by no means a substitute for the planned meetings, but at least it is a great opportunity to take up and continue the theme of being healthy and helping each other even in difficult times like Corona.

While the students were busy working in the various students workshops, the German coordinators of the CARE project, Jessica Stefener and Silke Horst, had the opportunity to present the first results and experiences to the teachers of the European partner schools and to explain how the project would be continued despite the Corona crisis.

Job application training - workshops organized at CARE schools

It was supposed the be done in May 2020 but since most of the CARE schools were stuck at home doing online lessons only, the job application training workshops were mostly organized in (late) autumn 2020 because it was important to do them in class and face to face so that the students could actually do the role-plays as well and discuss and share their ideas and experience in person.