Two months of observation at the wannseeFORUM
The following text was translated from English to German using artificial intelligence.
I participated in the Cross Culture Program scholarship, which is funded by Institute for Foreign Cultural Relations (IfA) The internship was carried out, with my main internship taking place at the wannseeFORUM Foundation. The aim of the scholarship was to explore operational models of European youth centers and youth education centers, as well as to gain a deep understanding of the Council of Europe's quality standards for youth centers.
I participated in the Cross Culture Program Fellowship implemented by Institute for Foreign Cultural Relations (IfA), with my core placement at wannseeFORUM Foundation. The fellowship aimed to explore operational models of European youth centers and gain an in-depth understanding of the Council of Europe quality standards for youth centers.
In addition to my internship, I participated in study visits to several German youth organizations as well as international events, including the International Youth Festival in Varna, Bulgaria, the "Quality Open Badges" training in Magdeburg, the education forum for youth centers with quality seal and the LevelUp network room for educators in Bremen.
Alongside my placement, I took part in study visits to several German youth organizations, as well as international events including the International Youth Festival in Varna, Bulgaria, the „Quality Open Badges“ training in Magdeburg, the Educational Forum for Quality Label Youth Centers, and the LevelUp Networking Space for Civic Educators in Bremen.
At wannseeFORUM, I gained deep insights into the center's educational model and working methods. A particularly valuable experience was engaging with the workshop principle, a five-day creative process in which young people choose an artistic discipline (theater, media, painting, comics, or music) to explore a specific topic, such as an article from the European Convention on Human Rights, and present their work to a group of peers, parents, and invited guests. This method fosters creativity, self-confidence, a sense of responsibility, and the ability to present in front of an audience. I also observed the team's participant-centered educational approach, which promoted learning by creating a supportive and trusting environment rather than imparting knowledge in the traditional sense. Furthermore, I became acquainted with the wannseeFORUM's youth advisory board—a participatory governance mechanism through which young people contribute to organizational decision-making processes, with two youth advisory board members serving on the board of trustees.
At wannseeFORUM, I gained in-depth insight into the center's educational model and working methodologies. A particularly valuable experience was exploring the workshop principle — a five-day creative process in which young people choose an artistic field (theater, media, painting, comics, or music) to explore a specific topic, such as an article from the European Convention on Human Rights, and present their work to a jury of peers, parents, and invited guests. This method fosters creativity, self-confidence, responsibility, and public presentation skills. I also observed the participant-centered pedagogical approach of trainers, who facilitates learning by creating a supportive and trust-based environment rather than transmitting knowledge in a traditional sense. Additionally, I became familiar with the wannseeFORUM Youth Council — a participatory governance mechanism through which young people contribute to organizational decision-making, with two Youth Council members serving on the Board of Trustees.
My next steps are to share the Council of Europe's quality standards with representatives of the Armenian youth sector, to establish a youth council at the youth initiative center, and to test the workshop principle and other instruments of non-formal education in the work of my organization.
As next steps, I plan to share the Council of Europe Quality Standards with Armenian youth sector representatives, establish a Youth Council at the Youth Initiative Center, and pilot the workshop principle and other non-formal education tools in my organization's work.
I would like to express my sincere thanks to the wannseeFORUM team for the warm welcome, the professional support and the inspiring learning environment.
I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the wannseeFORUM team for their warm welcome, professional guidance, and inspiring learning environment.
Lilit Gevorgyan