10.-16.11.2014
From November 10th to 16th, 2014, 28 students met at the wannseeFORUM for a training seminar for student representatives. The participants, aged 11 to 17, were students of the Wilmersdorf Secondary School as well as the Gutenberg High School from Hohenschönhausen.
The aim of the seminar was to provide impetus for student representation work at the local level, to develop new ideas for their own schools, and to shed light on the topic of democracy in school and everyday life. The students were able to take responsibility for the seminar itself, for example by moderating plenary sessions or independently preparing and carrying out the evening program.
To approach the topic artistically, the students could choose between black and white photography, dramatic reading, and theater. Working in mixed-school workshop groups, they then continued until Friday, preparing their results for a final presentation. Parents, teachers, and principals from the participating schools were invited. The results were then presented in the theater hall of the wannseeFORUM to the attentive eyes of the guests.
The theater group presented a roughly ten-minute play entitled "It Doesn't Matter," which explored the topics of voluntary marriage and migration. Afterwards, the photography workshop invited participants to tour their specially curated exhibition. The exhibition featured photographs that examined various aspects of democracy, such as freedom. The event concluded with a dramatic reading that questioned whether Germany has truly achieved gender equality. Scenes from both a domestic setting and women's soccer were presented. Following the reading, seminar participants, instructors, and guests were invited to enjoy coffee and cake together.
On Saturday, the students, with the support of the teaching team, independently conducted a role-playing exercise on student representation. In preparation, the moderators were coached for their roles, and the basics of good discussion were clarified with the other students.
At the meeting of the student council, three motions were submitted and put to a vote. The students engaged in a lively debate about the extent to which cell phones should be used during breaks. Additionally, a motion was put forward to establish a self-organized information platform and to support victims of bullying through monthly class counseling sessions and a mediation team.
The seminar concluded with a lovingly prepared evening buffet and a final disco, where the last of the participants' energy was burned off.
A follow-up meeting between the two participating schools is planned for January.