Young people help kindergarten children

A project called "Sponsors for kindergarten children" has been running since 2001. A sponsor is a person who takes care of a child. In the "Paten für KindergartenKinder" project, young people help young children. The young people go to the kindergarten once a week. They play, do handicrafts and talk to the children. They also read stories to the children. The aim is for the young children to learn German better. Then they will be able to understand the lessons at school better later on. Many young children have improved their German.

The young people are at least 14 years old and still go to school. Through their voluntary work, they gain experience in the social field. Volunteering means that they don't get paid for it and do it voluntarily. Their school report then states that they have done voluntary work. That's good if they go to work later.

Teachers from schools in Offenbach inform the young people about the mentoring project. They ask whether the young people want to do it. The young people then go to a kindergarten for a day. This is called a taster day. In other words, the young people see if they like the job. If they do, they do it for a year.

50 pupils were mentors in 2021 and 2022. Dr. Felix Schwenke is the Lord Mayor of the City of Offenbach. He invited the young people to a celebration. The Lord Mayor says: "It's important to help others. It strengthens society. He praises the work of the young people. It's not always easy to go to school and also help others. This voluntary work is very important. The Lord Mayor presented the young people with a certificate.

The idea for this project came from Local Agenda 21, a group of people who are committed to the environment and social issues in Offenbach. Barbara Levi-Wach is a member of this group. She says: "Over 600 young people have taken on a sponsorship in the past 20 years. Many of them are young people with a migration background. They know how difficult it is to learn German. They want to help other children. She is delighted that so many young people are willing to help kindergarten children.