People's Theater prevention project at Offenbach schools to be continued
17.08.2023 – More necessary than ever, the violence prevention project from Offenbach finally got off to a good start again after the difficult coronavirus years. A total of 1,113 schoolchildren were reached in 2022 with educational theater training to promote social skills.
"Anyone who learns how to deal with conflicts and puts themselves in the other person's shoes in role-playing games gains valuable skills to resolve situations without violence that they were previously simply unable to cope with. Clenching your fist is then simply no longer the only way out," says Paul-Gerhard Weiß, Head of Schools and Public Order.
Daniel Krüger from the Municipal Prevention Office, which is part of the city's Public Order Office, adds: "The goal formulated back in 2007 of offering the 'People's Theater' prevention programme to strengthen social behavior almost everywhere in primary and special schools was achieved for years until Corona. However, it was almost impossible to predict what the situation would be like after the pandemic. We are therefore delighted that the project is now back in full swing and will be able to reach as many pupils in 2022 as before the pandemic.
The teachers and children were delighted to see the young teams from People's Theater again. Especially after the long period of lockdowns and homeschooling, social learning could hardly take place in the pupils' living environments. Some children reacted more aggressively after the contact restrictions, while others reacted with behavioral anxiety and withdrawal.
Class situation improved after theater training
After each People's Theater training session, the pupils fill out evaluation forms. Last year, 99% of the children stated that the class situation had improved after the People's Theater training. Solving problems and expressing their own opinions worked better. The favorite topic was friendship and cohesion. The teachers were always impressed that even children who are usually very quiet suddenly got involved.
One reason for this could be the special methodology of the People's Theater. It gives them the opportunity to gain new, experience-based experiences in a protected environment. The theater makes it possible to slip into a different role and take on different perspectives. The young People's Theater teams act as role models and build a culture of discussion that does not see violence as a solution, but instead emphasizes dialogue that is capable of finding solutions.
The People's Theater association has been active in Offenbach since 2001 in the areas of violence prevention, integration and the promotion of democracy.
Financial support from the city and the sponsoring association
In addition to the unique concept, part of the success story is certainly also the sustained financial support that has been provided for over 15 years by the Municipal Prevention Office, which is part of the municipal public order office, and the "Sicheres Offenbach" association. "Thanks to the funding, the project could be offered annually in grades three or four, with only a small contribution from the schools," explains Frank Weber, Head of the Public Order Office and initiator of the close cooperation to strengthen the prevention work of schools, People's Theater, the city and the "Sicheres Offenbach" support association. "The parties involved are thus making a significant contribution to strengthening the resilience of our children and young people by promoting their ability to resolve conflicts and differences of opinion without violence."
Stefan Mohr, Chairman of the Board of the association, is also impressed by the work of People's Theater: "We are delighted that we can now secure funding for the next school year so that all Offenbach schoolchildren can continue to take part in a workshop."
In order to further increase sustainability, People's Theater has developed a new project to provide educational professionals with the tools to continue working independently with the People's Theater training methodology. This means that after the skills training sessions with the People's Theater team, the professionals can deepen the learning content in a more sustainable way. The pilot phase started at the end of 2022. The first test schools, including Mathildenschule Offenbach, gave very positive feedback on the new program. The children were fully involved and were able to strengthen their ability to resolve conflicts. The digital project is to be expanded further this year, which is expected to create sustainable synergy effects in connection with the on-site training sessions.