To mark the 30th anniversary of the EU youth and education programs, an interview was conducted www.jugendfuereuropa.de Six stakeholders from program practice and administration discussed the perspectives for Erasmus+. Roman Fröhlich, pedagogical director of the youth education center Stiftung wannseeFORUM, was one of the discussion partners:
YOUTH for Europe: Mr. Fröhlich, what is there to celebrate from the perspective of young people?
Roman Fröhlich: For us at wannseeFORUM, it's a cause for celebration that, thanks to Erasmus+, we've been able to organize international youth exchanges with young people from five EU countries for several years now. As a youth education center, it's especially important to us that young people come not alone, but with their peer group. Our methods and arrangements are quite demanding. They initiate a creative process that is highly participatory. Starting with overarching themes, the young people are encouraged to find a way to express their concerns artistically, while keeping political discourse in focus. This is a process that's only possible if everyone engages with it. And then the result is just as rewarding. The young people are ambitious; they want to see a fantastic outcome, which they then present at the end of the week-long exchange – an integral part of our approach. And the more friends they bring along, and the more friends of others join them, the better they can meet these challenges. Together, the groups create something truly amazing. Young people can experience a very special week with us, combining cultural and civic education.
The entire interview, led by Dr. Helle Becker on behalf of YOUTH for Europe under https://www.jugendfuereuropa.de/news/10458-wir-w-nschen-uns-dass-es-mindestens-so-weitergeht/
More interviews about the Erasmus+ anniversary can be found at [link to interviews]. „"Voices on the anniversary: Erasmus+ is a program for civil society and education alike“ jugendfuereuropa.de/news/10459-stimmen-zum-jubil-um-…
Photo: Tilman Hurlin from the seminar „Bridges and Borders“, October 23-30, 2016, International Youth Encounter with participants from Germany, Norway, Bulgaria, Turkey, Italy and beyond, funded by Erasmus+