17-22 May 2015: "Our profession is encounter"
A Franco-German professional exchange took place on the shores of Pohlesee: In cooperation with the Strasbourg-based educational institution CPCV-EST and the BEST-Sabel Vocational Academy Berlin, and funded by the Franco-German Youth Office, the wannseeFORUM hosted a Franco-German seminar in May on the topic of "Interculturality and Diversity in Educational Practice in France and Germany." As part of this pilot project, aspiring animators from Alsace met with students of early childhood education from Berlin.
The seminar combined intercultural encounters with professional exchange. The focus was on practical pedagogical issues arising from the participants' training and professional lives. Working with diverse groups plays a significant role in the participants' lives, whether for the aspiring educators in Berlin, living in a multicultural and diverse metropolis, or for the French activity leaders working in a cross-border region in eastern France. Particular emphasis was placed on discussing and exploring the similarities and differences in educational methods, pedagogical concepts, and professional practices in both countries.
Participants experienced firsthand how well communication and interaction can function despite language barriers through the interactive methodology of German-French language animation and activities from the field of non-formal, diversity-conscious education. In guided tours of various Berlin neighborhoods, prepared by students of the BEST-Sabel Vocational Academy, the participants explored different areas together. Visits to exemplary practical sites (the KiJuKuZ in the Alte Feuerwache eV, Villa Comenius eV, and the Phoenix multigenerational center) rounded off the program and provided ample material for discussion afterward.
At the end of the five stimulating and intensive seminar days, there were tears of farewell and the widely shared desire to continue the exchange in a follow-up project.
Photo impressions from the seminar on Flickr.com
Supported by the Franco-German Youth Office:
