Hello, a little about me: I'm Justus Kiese and I've been doing my voluntary service at the wannseeFORUM Foundation since September 2025. The place is by no means unfamiliar to me: I visited on school trips early on and joined the youth advisory Since then, I've had increasing contact with the foundation and everyone there.
Why do voluntary service?
Starting my Federal Volunteer Service was a rather spontaneous decision. While I didn't want to go straight to university after graduating from high school, I'd briefly forgotten about the possibility of doing it. It wasn't until friends suggested I at least give it a try that I remembered it. But what can I say? Although I haven't been doing it for very long, I can proudly say that I don't regret my decision one bit. Quite the opposite! In my time so far as a volunteer, I've already learned and gained so much: experiences, friendships, and skills. In my entire school career, I probably learned only half as much about life as I have during my Federal Volunteer Service. That doesn't mean it's all sunshine and roses; I also face new challenges, whether it's living on my own or establishing a work-life balance.
And what about the work at the lake?
Working at wannseeFORUM is incredibly diverse. You could say I've specialized in graphic design, but I've never been denied the opportunity to explore other areas. In other words, all doors have always been open to me. But honestly, what I enjoy most is leading the seminars. Working with young people is fantastic. Facilitating artistic workshops is also a way for me to deepen my own understanding. It's simply incredibly rewarding to support people in creating such cool and interesting seminars.
My ideas in the wannseeFORUM
As part of the foundation's new corporate identity, I created several documents and templates and supported their social media efforts. In this way, I'm already making my mark.
During my federal voluntary service, I would like to develop a project. My initial idea was to create a guide for the youth council to help new members integrate more easily into the group's work. Recently, I've also invested a lot of time in an idea from the educational team that I find exciting: a card game for student participation in schools. My goal is to develop both ideas into a single product, or at least to the point where my successors can work on them if they wish.
"School Hero"
That's the title of the card game.
The principle is simple: Players receive project cards. These can be projects I implemented during my school years, or projects planned or implemented by other students at their schools. Players use these cards to complete tasks. These tasks can focus on equality, participation, animal welfare, and many other topics. The goal is to use the project cards to present possible solutions to the task cards in a short pitch.
My wish is that after playing games, the students will feel more comfortable presenting and implementing new projects. Often, the first hurdle with a new idea is presenting it to a group.
The “Youth Advisory Board Guide” and thank you
The youth advisory board has been a part of my life for a long time, and sooner or later I won't be a part of it anymore. That's why I want to give something back to the newer members and leave my mark here as well. In 2024/25, we met many new faces on the youth advisory board. They need a way to familiarize themselves with the work of the youth advisory board – that's what this guide is for. Here, our projects will be explained, work processes broken down, and fundamental principles outlined. I want to make it easier for everyone interested in participating to get involved with the youth advisory board. Removing barriers is key.
Volunteering has been one of the best decisions of my life so far. I've never had so much freedom or so many opportunities for personal growth. I would like to take this opportunity to officially thank the team at wannseeFORUM!
