This week, we visited the “Walther Rathenau” Europagymnasium in Bitterfeld and, together with the school and several committed partners, implemented a diverse European project day. In total, five Year 7 classes took part in the programme, rotating through a range of interactive workshops.
The central element of the project day was our Europe Rally, which introduced European topics to the pupils in a playful and age-appropriate way. The focus was not only on factual knowledge, but above all on European values, cohesion and the question of how Europe concretely influences the everyday lives of young people. Co-operative task formats specifically promoted teamwork, communication and a change of perspective.
A particular highlight of the day was the music workshop with Berlin-based rapper Matondo. Using creative methods, he conveyed key ideas around teamwork, tolerance, fairness and creativity, and demonstrated impressively how cultural education and political values education can be meaningfully combined.
The programme was complemented by a workshop led by Marion Sängerlaub from the organisation futureins, held under the motto “Living Democracy”. In this session, the young people engaged with democratic principles, participation and social responsibility.
A further workshop on democracy education was supported by the City of Bitterfeld-Wolfen and delivered by the organisation connect people. This cooperation clearly illustrated how local authorities, civil society and educational initiatives can work together successfully.
The project day therefore made a concrete contribution to the political education of young people in Saxony-Anhalt. It strengthened democratic competences, promoted European awareness and made participation tangible. For the federal state in particular, this form of educational work is of great value: it supports schools in developing key future skills, fosters social cohesion and strengthens democratic culture at local level.
