30 fsj and culture - bmfsfj - startseite · anne, nicole and social pedagogue ines (from left to...
TRANSCRIPT
FSJ AND CULTURE30
In Magdeburg, Anja produces a regional youth television pro-
gramme, Sebastian helps theatre groups in Saxony-Anhalt with
proper stage equipment, Daniel makes a film in Berlin with
mentally and physically handicapped young people, and Esther
helps a painter lead an art project for the blind in Hanover.
Whether it’s working in art and music schools, theatres,
museums, radio/TV studios, rock music initiatives, cabarets or
youth clubs, the voluntary year of social service in the field of
culture has offered young people a wide range of opportunities
since September 1st, 2002. For those who have completed
school and have not yet entered into a professional career or
studies and wish to do something practical or who would like
to spend a year as a volunteer helping others or even for those
who want to get some professional direction in the field of cul-
ture, this is the way to go.
The various federal states offer a large number of assignment
locations. Volunteers can choose just the right place according
to their own preferences, abilities, and interests.
The opportunity to spend a year as a
FSJ volunteer in the field of culture has
created great interest. Under the motto
“Go Into Life” a colourful range of cultural
activities has developed.
“ A C h a n c e to Prove Yourself”
FSJ AND CULTURE 31
“After taking my A-levels I asked myself, what do I do now?
I knew that I wanted to integrate my hobby, art, into my
professional career, but I didn’t know how. I wasn’t aware
of all the opportunities there were in the field of culture.”
She heard about the FSJ at the job centre, on an informational
event explaining what the programme was about. In Hanover
“…I was able to express myself creatively,” she says. In addition
to the “Touch” project for blind youth that she helped create,
she also worked at exhibitions and art initiatives, and herself
took courses from drawing to sculpting. Through contacts
with artists throughout the year she was able to make her
dream career a reality. She will now study to teach art.
He decided to participate in the FSJ programme and went to
the Auslandsgesellschaft Saxony-Anhalt in Magdeburg. There
he organised a three-day event called “Cosmopolitan Saxony-
Anhalt” for some 20 member groups. “Since I was interested in
politics prior to this, I took to the assignment like a fish to
water,” he says. And after gaining all that practical experience
there, he now is more confident about what he wants to do in
FSJ AND CULTURE32
Twenty-year old Esther from Bad Harzburg found her
assignment location at “workshop hanover.”
“I had to decide whether to pass my A-levels with
pretty mediocre grades or find an apprenticeship,”
says Peter, 19, from Oldenburg.
Career orientation and history lesson – preserving historical monuments, another facet of the FSJ culture programme.
FSJ AND CULTURE 33
Today he’s very happy about the coincidence that put him
on that track. “I’m from the countryside,” he says. “I had
absolutely no idea of the vastness of opportunities in the
field of culture.” Culture encompasses more than just thea-
tres and museums. His assignment location for one year was
the office of the Landesvereinigung für kulturelle Jugend-
bildung, or LKJ, in Magdeburg. Benny, who “didn’t even
know much about the Internet before,” put together all of
the city’s media projects for the youth server ProMix and
created a comprehensive list of links.
He also helped his FSJ colleague Anja with the technical
production of the weekly TV broadcast of “The Island
of Youth.” I think it’s good to go into the FSJ programme
right after school,” says the budding technician today.
“It’s a real glimpse into the working world. It lets you learn
about different careers and about yourself.”
the future. “I’m interested in the job of an event or PR
manager or a political sciences teacher for young people.”
Benny, 18, first applied for the FSJ programme out of
need. “I just couldn’t find an apprenticeship and at first
didn’t want to get involved with cultural activities.”
Cultural activities with children – Karolin works at the “riesa efau” initiative in Dresden-Friedrichstadt.
FSJ AND CULTURE34
Not only did he learn to constantly deal with new people,
“…whether they’re ministers or interest groups…,” and to look
at organisation and procedures from different angles, but also,
above all, “…to stick to one thing no matter how long it takes.”
“You become much more independent and learn to take
on responsibility,” says Peter.
“Usually school is over at 2 PM; you go home and have some
free time. Here it could be five or six o’clock and a lot of times
you work into the evening. But you don’t just sit around all day
sorting papers. The work is fun.”
“It’s a real change from school,” says Esther.
– A game with masks –
Theatre workshop in Berlin through
the FSJ culture programme.
During his FSJ in the field of culture,
Daniel makes a film with the mentally
handicapped at the special Finkenkrug
school in Berlin. The young people organised
everything themselves: actors, prop buying,
equipment, and catering.
FSJ AND CULTURE 35
During one year the participants
have the opportunity:
• to learn about working in a cultural institution, to get to know
interesting projects and to meet interesting people
• to create and manage their own projects
• to acquire abilities that can be used in all careers and in
education
• to discover and expand their abilities as well as to recognise
their limitations
• to become active socially and culturally for others
• to find out for themselves if a job in the field of culture suits them.
Throughout the year, country-wide meetings with other volunteers
allow them to exchange experiences. All participants in the FSJ
culture programme receive advice and guidance in their practical
activities, especially as they carry out their own cultural projects.
What’s the FSJ in C u l t u r e A l l A b o u t ?
Those who are interested can apply
at the LKJ or the BKJ (see appendix for addresses). Application forms
and additional information about the FSJ culture programme can
be found on the Internet at www.bkj.de/reininsleben
A p p l i c a t i o n s
Go Into Life – The homepage of the BKJ:
www.bkj.de/reininsleben
“No, we don’t need any advertising for what we do,”
says Nicole. The Young Beat Bus is a well-known sight in the region.
For three years now the brightly painted Mercedes van has been
touring throughout the Meissen region stopping at youth clubs,
village greens, school yards and disco halls. Nicole has been with
the group for almost a year. She’s spending her social service year
with “Hafenstrasse e.V.” in Meissen.
The bus is full of equipment and instruments that a good rock band
needs: guitars, bass, drums, amplifiers, loud speakers, microphones,
lighting. Wherever they go, they set up their equipment and get
down to business. “At first I didn’t think it would work,” says Nicole.
Just putting instruments into young people’s hands and turning on
the equipment. The 19-year-old is trained in classical piano “…and it
was really hard with all the practising I had to do.” Today she’s con-
vinced it’s a good start. “Music is something that touches everyone
and in the workshops, the young people get the experience of organ-
ising something on their own, doing something together instead of
fighting against each other. And they find out there are useful ways
to spend their free time.”
“It’s not a passing fancy,” explains Ines Jubelt. She is a social peda-
gogue at the Hafenstrasse association and a contact person for the
FSJ volunteers. “We’ve noticed that the young people we’ve visited
remain active. We get invitations to open air parties, people ask us
about possible gigs for up-and-coming bands, and we’re called on
to mediate when the mayor tries to spoil things. There is a strong
network among the scattered villages.”
Rock Culture in the C o u n t r y ?
FSJ AND CULTURE36
FSJ AND CULTURE 37
who works to expand opportunities for children and young
people at the “riesa efau” Kulturverein in Dresden.
So the FSJ programme isn’t a waste of time. “It’s a chance to
test yourself.”
“Hardly anyone wants to go into
training or start studying right
after school,” says Karolin,
Lena, 19, Lower Saxony: “If I had to make the
choice as to whether to go into the FSJ culture
programme over again, I would do it again.”
The volunteers are supported during the year by the LKJ
and there are special people to guide them, support them
and give them advice at their assignment locations.
In addition, there are meetings throughout the country for
the FSJ volunteers during which they have the opportunity to
share their experiences. So the FSJ programme doesn’t just
offer a wide range of experiences, but also many new contacts
and motivation.
The “Rock Ladies” with their Young Beat
Bus: the bus carries everything that a band
needs to make music.
Anne, Nicole and social pedagogue Ines
(from left to right).
FSJ IN SPORTS38
For Michael, who works at the youth sports club in Berlin, the
expansion of the volunteer programme to include sports was
important, “…otherwise I wouldn’t have done it.” The trained
industrial manager was previously unemployed. He sees this
year as a sort of practical for a new career direction. “I want to
learn something and possibly I’ll carry on in this field of work.”
For Yanin it’s already paid off. The 19-year-old works at the
Children’s and Youth Riding Club in Berlin-Zehlendorf. There
she helps riding beginners from the age of three and looks
after the horses. After that she wants to be a horse breeder.
Her voluntary year will count towards her three-year education
requirement. And she already has a training vacancy waiting for
her thanks to the contacts she’s made at the club.
“A real success story,” smiles the youth counsellor at the Berlin
Sports Association.
Michael is spending his FSJ on a climbing
wall or a bridge – at least part of the
time. From there he abseils whole school
classes, more than 30 feet down.
The 22-year-old is one of seven volunteers
that have joined the FSJ sports program-
me in Berlin since September 2001.
Climbing As a V o l u n t e e rFSJ – Now In Sports
FSJ IN SPORTS 39
The FSJ sports programme was made possible after a trial
period set up by the Federal Youth Ministry to expand partici-
pation in the FSJ programme through sports for children and
young people.
Clubs profit from the FSJ volunteers: they generally gain
motivated and pedagogically trained workers. In Berlin, an
element of the FSJ sports programme is the granting of a
coaching licence for popular and youth sports from the Landes-
sportschule Berlin. FSJ volunteers, like all social service volun-
teers, receive some pocket money and an allowance for room
and board.
Kim has found her FSJ assignment location at
the Bayer Wuppertal sports club. The 19-year-old wanted to
know if she would like working with children and young
people. She has always been interested in sports, but could it
become a career?
Today her working day almost resembles that of a professional
coach. She uses the time before noon to prepare her courses
which she gives in the afternoon. She receives encouragement
FSJ IN SPORTS40
A Day in the L i fe of K im
Horses give a sense
of strength and self-confi-
dence – Horseback therapy
helps young people with
behavioural problems and
disabled persons.
FSJ IN SPORTS 41
and literature from her mentor. She uses this information on
her own to develop lessons for children of certain age groups
and then puts together the appropriate exercise programme.
If she has any questions or problems, the physical education
teachers are always there.
“And then I go into the gym and apply everything that
I planned in the morning,” she says. Kim is pleased with her
FSJ. She can do things that interest her and learn quite a
bit from them. “I don’t have to learn any more maths and
I can involve myself in sports all day, which is something
that wasn’t possible at school.”
says Kim, "because I can put into practice what I’ve learned
right away and don’t have to sweat over some formula in
chemistry that I will have forgotten two days later.”
(Source: www.dsj.de)
Melanie, 19, has taken her A-levels and would
like to get into a career in Therapy or Medicine. Her assign-
ment location, IG Therapeutisches Reiten Rhein-Main e.V., was
originally a sports club, but now offers daily insights into both
fields. Melanie cares for handicapped children and young
people through therapeutic riding together with a doctor,
physical therapist or physical education teacher and works in
integrated horseback exercising as part of riding for the handi-
capped. The club offers ‘hippotherapy’, i.e. physical therapy on
horseback. People with orthopaedic and neurological illnesses
can be helped through this therapy. This treatment, using
specially trained therapy horses, is highly effective for those
Riding For T h e r a p y
Learning in the FSJ programme is obviously
much different than learning at school:
“I’m much more motivated,”
• The FSJ programme usually begins on September 1st of each year.
It lasts for a minimum of six and a maximum of twelve months.
• A sports assignment involves clubs and institutions that regularly
organise games, sports and extracurricular activities for children
and young people, such as sports clubs, sports associations, holiday
camps, exercise programmes for kindergarten children, sports
schools, activity centres for children and young people.
• Duties and activities may include working with clubs or associa-
tions, game or sports events, activity or game outings, adventure
sports events, skating parties, adult-children tournaments, or other
interesting areas in the field of sports.
• All FSJ participants have a right to receive professional guidance
and educational training at the assignment location as well as a
series of accompanying seminars.
• The FSJ involves a full day’s work and the working week is
38.5 hours. Those under 18 years of age are subject to child
labour laws.
• Volunteers are allowed 24 vacation days during their year of
service.
• A monthly allowance will be paid.
• Payment of child benefits will be continued during the FSJ period.
• As the FSJ host, the Landessportjugend will cover the costs for
health and social insurance, pension schemes, as well as personal
liability insurance.
• If free housing and care are not available or desired at the
assignment location, a monthly allowance for board and lodging
will be paid.
What’s the FSJ in Sports A l l A b o u t ?
FSJ IN SPORTS42
FSJ IN SPORTS 43
Julia and Anna from the
TV Breckenheim practise roller
hockey with school children.
Beach volleyball: activity games at
kindergartens are also a
part of the sports FSJ.
who are spastic or people who have lost their sense of balance
following tumour surgery. In addition, remedial riding and
horseback exercises are offered as part of a holistic programme
supporting those with emotional, mental or physical handicaps.
Melanie was involved in these activities during her year as a
volunteer. (Source: www.dsj.de)
“I used my FSJ in sports to be trained as a skiing and
snowboarding educator. Use these opportunities to
get to know yourself, to go in different directions and
just be able to experiment.”
Sina Katrin (Source: www.dsj.de)
Information about the Voluntary Year of Social
Service in sports can be found on the homepage
of the Deutsche Sportjugend: www.dsj.de
FSJ OR FÖJ ABROAD44
“It was one of the best decisions I ever made in my life,” says
Julia, looking back. The 20-year-old spent a year in England. She
worked at a boarding school for physically handicapped children
and youths in Westerham. In spite of the stressful work, she has
never regretted her decision. She was especially impressed by
the energy and zest for life of the children and youths suffering
from muscular atrophy. “Even though they knew they only had
a few years to live, they radiated with the pure joy of living,”
says Julia. It made a profound impression on her.
France and Great Britain are the main countries of assignment,
followed by Poland, Russia, and Ireland. The amount of pocket
money depends on living expenses in the host country and,
therefore, differs for the various countries. A total of 60% of
volunteers working abroad are satisfied or very satisfied with
their financial situation according to a survey.
Spending a year abroad is the dream of
many young people. And for many this
dream does come true. Of the approxi-
mately 15,000 young people voluntee-
ring every year in social, ecological or
cultural areas, some 500 travel abroad
for six to twelve months.
Benef its for Easta n d W e s t
FSJ OR FÖJ ABROAD 45
FSJ OR FÖJ ABROAD46
The decision to volunteer for social service abroad is mostly
based on a number of reasons, such as the desire to help
others, to improve language skills, to get insight into foreign
cultures, to fill the time before entering into a professional
career or further studying, or to have your volunteering period
counted as practical time for further education.
Sara, who is now studying social pedagogy, can have her social
service year counted as practical time. She worked in Preston
(Northern England) in a household with four severely mentally
handicapped women. After overcoming some initial problems
in understanding each other (“The English are much more
direct than Germans”), Sara has found not only colleagues, but
friends and support as well.
It was the same for Ina. She integrated quickly into the school
in Sevenoaks near London. She helped handicapped children
with their school work and their bodily needs, and she helped
blind children get around school on their own. On top of that
she spent one day a week at a kindergarten. There she expe-
rienced the death of a four-year-old who
succumbed to the effects of his severe
handicap shortly after Christmas.
“It brought up some serious questions
for me,” recalls Ina. “But even this
experience had its benefits!” Working
with the blind taught her to value her
own health more. Since her FSJ Ina
Opened to the world:
new legislation makes it possible to
spend a FSJ outside of Europe.
FSJ OR FÖJ ABROAD 47
feels she is more patient and no longer makes “…a mountain
out of a mole hill.” Although she will not pursue a career in
social services (she is studying Japan with a minor in law and
sociology), she wants to remain active in social service work.
Hejo Held, counsellor for the FSJ programme at DRK, is happy
about that. “Of course we hope that young people will continue
to act socially responsible after they finish their year of volun-
teer work,” he says. However, the educational opportunities for
volunteers are to the fore. Since 1995 the DRK has offered the
FSJ in England. The DRK receives up to 500 applications each
year for the approximately 30 foreign assignments. Since 2002
the DRK has also made it possible to spend a year as a social
service volunteer in the Ukraina or Romania.
Participation in a Voluntary Year
of Social or Ecological Service is not dependent on one’s nation-
ality. Interested young people from foreign countries are also wel-
come to do a year of voluntary service in Germany. Young East
Interested young volunteers
from abroad can also come to
Germany to participate in the
FSJ programme.
Far left: The Brussels Town Hall.
It’s for Young F o r e i g n e r s T o o !
FSJ OR FÖJ ABROAD48
Up and Away – Ro a d s A b r o a d
Europeans count for the majority of applications. The DRK has
observed a noticeable East-to-West trend when it comes to those
interested in voluntary service from abroad. Whereas young
East Europeans are very open to doing volunteer work in the
West, during the last few years, for example, only four or five
volunteers came to Germany from England.
Gebhard Ruess, educational director for the Initiative Christen
für Europa (ICE), can attest to that “yearning for the West”. If
they bring a spirit of commitment with them, young people
can be of great benefit in their working areas in Germany.
The International Youth Exchange and
Visitors Service (IJAB in German) is an
important starting point on the road
abroad. There is information at
www.ijab.de and the brochure “Youth in
Europe” provides a comprehensive list of
addresses.
The OneWorld Jobs database at
www.oneworld-jobs.org makes things
even easier: just enter your preferred
country, qualifications, age, area of
interest, and length of stay, and start
searching. Your computer will display
all the available opportunities, which
are updated daily.
FSJ OR FÖJ ABROAD 49
It’s the same the other way round.
Initially, most young Germans want to do their FSJ in a foreign
country in the West. After an orientation seminar at the ICE
where the individual projects and different countries are pres-
ented, a lot of them are prepared to go to the East as well.
For well over half of the volunteers their year of social service
influenced their career choice. This is according to surveys com-
pleted by ICE participants at the beginning, middle and end of
their period of service. That’s just how it was for Julia, too. She
is now studying to be a teacher for English and religious educa-
tion in Paderborn. “I would never have imagined it before,” she
says. She wants to continue participating in social projects
during her vacations.
In the case of the voluntary year abroad, the legislator specifies
that the activity must also be one carried out on an all-day
basis. Another requirement is the provision of pedagogical
seminar support by the host organisation. Accommodation,
food, working clothes and appropriate pocket money must all
Major Influence on C a r e e r C h o i c e
The Rynek, the Wroclaw Town Hall.
Those who spend their FSJ in this lively Polish university town can
make a lot of new acquaintances.
FSJ OR FÖJ ABROAD50
be provided and the organisation’s main headquarters must
be located in Germany. In this context, individual organisations
have focused on one or several countries. (See addresses on
page 81.)
The Voluntary Year of Social Service abroad is supported finan-
cially by the federal government and is subject to strict legal
stipulations. The maximum age limit is 26 years.
The FSJ programme abroad offers special advantages when it
comes to social security.
Statistics show that most young people who spend a voluntary
year abroad are female A-level graduates and come from a
large city. But the FSJ programme also offers young people
without degrees excellent opportunities. To provide more infor-
mation about the FSJ programme abroad, four former FSJ volun-
teers from the DRK in Hamburg have recently set up an infor-
mation centre (phone: +49 40 41 17 06 21, e-mail: efd-projekt@
drk-hh.com). They especially encourage young people without
a degree to apply for a Voluntary Year of Social Service.
says Nora as she sums up her experiences as a social service
volunteer in England. “I would recommend spending a year as
a volunteer to anyone.”
FSJ in England: Nora from Halle
with a handicapped boy at a
Christmas party.
“Overall I think the year has made
me more independent and given me
a stronger sense of self-confidence,”
Voluntary service abroad can be done under many different condi-
tions and in many different ways: summer camps, several weeks at an
educational centre, international youth institutions, peace activities,
foreign aid.
The difference from the standard voluntary year of social service is
that these ones are not legally regulated. That means that the terms
for this service must be negotiated by the volunteer and his/her host
and a contract must be drawn up stipulating, for example, questions
related to guarantees of insurance.
For example, the Europäische Freiwilligendienst is a part of the
“YOUTH” initiative programme of the European Commission. It offers
young people between the ages of 18 and 25 the opportunity to
spend from three weeks up to twelve months as a volunteer in a
European or non-European country working on a non-commercial
project. There are opportunities for in-depth learning: about another
country, another culture, and another
language. Not as an employee or doing
civilian service, not as a professional
teacher or counsellor, but as a volunteer
receiving a certain amount of pocket
money, and for a limited period of time.
Find out more on the Internet at
www.webforum-jugend.de
O t h e r O p p o r t u n i t i e s f o r Voluntary Service Abroad
FSJ OR FÖJ ABROAD 51
Living, learning, working in Europe –
this brochure provides information on many
opportunities where you can gather
experiences in European countries.
Order a free copy at www.universum.de