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From September 5th to 9th, 2022, student council members and interested students from the Fritz-Reuter High School, the Friedrich-Ebert Gymnasium, and the Robert-Jungk High School gathered at the wannseeFORUM for a student council retreat. This year's theme was: "Student Council for All?!" – how can student council be open to all students, how can the entire student body be reached and involved in project work, and how can class representative elections be revolutionized so that not just the most popular, but the most interested students are elected?
On the first day, each school had the opportunity to get to know each other as a group: How does the student council operate, what projects are underway? They also had the chance to evaluate these projects in terms of existing problems, potential, and upcoming goals. The schools presented their respective schools to one another and were able to discuss the issues that mattered to each other. There was also a lot of direct discussion about the seminar topic, including issues such as popularity contests and unmotivated student council members. It became clear that many of the student council issues faced by one school were similar to those at other schools, or that solutions had even already been found. These discussions led to the emergence of thematic clusters for more in-depth work in the coming days.
On the afternoon of the first day, the students split into four creative workshops. Through a collaborative process, each workshop group agreed on its own thematic focus, which was then developed artistically throughout the week and ultimately presented to an audience.
The audio/podcast group explored a wide range of topics, including education about drug abuse and sexual and gender diversity. Working together in small groups, the students created short podcasts, which they recorded, edited, and produced themselves.
In the black and white photography group, the students were introduced to analog photography and engaged intensively with this medium. The uncertainty and limitations of analog film, in contrast to digital photography on smartphones—always accessible and easily altered—were also addressed. The participants developed their own photo series on the topic, exploring themes such as group dynamics, exclusion, and inclusion, and translating these into artistic expression.
In the comic, the students developed their own storyline, drew it, and colored it. The animal characters in the third installment of the Amir series explored the qualities of good class representatives and how to avoid popularity contests.
In the dance theatre, a piece was staged that dealt with feelings of exclusion, discrimination, but also community and participation, and finally, after a fictitious class representative election, named concrete wishes for strong and open student council work.
On the final day of the seminar, the workshop results were presented to the other participants and even visiting school principals, and subsequently evaluated. The presentation was a resounding success, sparking further conversations and discussions. It also prompted a final evaluation within the school groups, allowing for the development of concrete next steps for the student council's day-to-day work.
We wish all participants every success in implementing their newly acquired skills and project ideas.
The seminar was funded by the Senate Department for Education, Youth and Family.
