The Paulsen Gymnasium, the Wilma Rudolph High School and the Willi-Graf-Gymnasium In February 2018, they participated once again in the SV seminar at the wannseeFORUM foundation for seven days. The central theme of the week was: (In)justice.
On the first day, the young people were able to discuss justice and injustice in their schools and in society, as well as introduce their schools to each other. They reported on the progress of their student council work and pointed out areas where improvements were still needed at their schools.
Afterwards, they went to the five art workshops where they worked until Friday, the fifth day of the seminar. On Friday, February 23rd, family, friends, and teachers from the schools were invited to watch the 60-minute artistic presentation of the results.
The theatre, Rap-, black and white photography, comics and Film group (2 filmsThe presentations depicted various forms of injustice in schools and society. They highlighted everyday situations that students encounter, such as job interviews, TV casting shows, or street encounters. Categories like gender, sexual orientation, and (perceived) origin were explicitly mentioned. All participants and guests found the presentation very successful.
On Saturday, a student council simulation was held, in which each workshop group submitted a proposal to the student council of the fictional Wilma Countess von Paulsen School. Some students took on the roles of meeting chair, parent representatives, or teacher representatives. Topics included proposals for all-gender restrooms in schools, a school-wide lottery for room assignments on seminar trips, the grading criteria for art and physical education, and school uniforms.
Every evening, the students were able to vote on and organize an evening program together – highlights included the evening around the campfire and the Jeopardy quiz night. After a closing buffet and party on Saturday, there was a final plenary session on Sunday to reflect on the week, the workshops, the student council meeting, and the leisure activities. After the traditional group photo overlooking the frozen lake, everyone said their heartfelt goodbyes.
We hope all participants take these experiences back to their schools and advocate for greater fairness in those areas where they feel unheard. We look forward to seeing you again next year!