Theodor Heuss College

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The Theodor-Heuss-Kolleg supports young people internationally who want to help shape their society as active and responsible citizens. It is a program of the Robert Bosch Stiftung and MitOst eV and is based in the MitOst eV office in Berlin (Germany).

The idea on which the college is based is derived from the concepts

With its program, which includes training, seminars, advanced training, the promotion of voluntary project work and support by mentors, the Theodor-Heuss-Kolleg focuses on the personal development of the individual, strengthening social skills and taking on responsibility. The participants are trained over several months in order to be able to contribute to their society as active citizens. The program also includes multiplier and trainer training and integration into the international network.

Main activities

The Theodor-Heuss-Kolleg does not have its own rooms for educational measures, but carries them out with cooperation partners in different countries at different locations. It organizes qualification programs for political education , civic engagement and the promotion of an active civil society . In different priority regions, it carries out these together with partners in different languages ​​in local or cross-border cooperation:

  • Southeastern Europe with "Balkans, let's get up!"
  • Ukraine / Poland / Belarus with the program "Civic Engagement Workshop"
  • Georgia with Diversity School
  • Azerbaijan with "Time for Development"
  • Armenia with "EcoLab"
  • Turkey, Northeast Anatolia with "Take the Chance"
  • Russia, North Caucasus with "New Horizons"
  • Russia, Siberia with "From Idea to Action"
  • Baltic States with "Bridge It!"
  • Moldova with "activEco - Sustainability in Action"
  • Egypt with "khatwa"
  • Germany with "RuhrstadtTRÄUMER"

Qualification concept

The four-stage qualification concept of the college was developed in order to use voluntary work - especially project work as a qualification field for civic skills. It can be found in the core of every program activity and is based on the development of the competencies of the participants.

1. Ideas

The initial questions for volunteering are questions about personal wishes ("what do you want to do?") And social needs ("what bothers you?"). In colorful groups, a methodology based on the exchange of experiences among like-minded people and the use of creativity techniques enables first answers.

In the transition to the second phase, potentials are analyzed and a more specific framework for a project concept is developed ("what options do you have in your environment?")

2. Specification

Planning is based on this. Teams are formed, supporters are won, finance and schedules are specified. Training courses that take into account the specifics of project management in voluntary projects help the project teams. The basic approach here is independent, self-directed learning .

3. Support and implementation

The project teams are supported during their engagement. The mentoring by experienced project managers - many alumni and even active volunteers - is based on an individual mix of advice and coaching and thus supports self-directed learning.

4. Reflection

The dynamics of the project process from the beginning to the completion serve to qualify those involved in this process for civic action. Therefore, in the reflection phase, the individual's learning successes are evaluated in a targeted manner, the social impact of voluntary projects is discussed and an exchange about future engagement is made possible.

Trainer, mentoring and coordinator training

The activities of the Theodor-Heuss-Kolleg with a focus on project management , intercultural communication , active citizenship and self-directed learning are carried out by specialists (in the field of non-formal education ) who are trained in the following profiles for this purpose:

  • Design of learning processes and didactics of non-formal education
  • Mentoring, which in the Theodor-Heuss-Kolleg means accompanying project teams and people during their engagement.
  • Qualification of coordinators for programs of active citizenship education.

A principle is that former participants in the programs of the college get an opportunity through these qualifications to authentically pass on their experiences ( peer education ), to qualify and to actively integrate them into an international network.

Support and development of the program

The Theodor-Heuss-Kolleg is a program of the Robert Bosch Stiftung and MitOst eV - an association for language and cultural exchange in Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe. It was launched in 2000 by the Robert Bosch Foundation. The Theodor-Heuss-Kolleg works closely with the Heuss family around Ursula Heuss-Wolff and Ludwig Theodor Heuss as well as the institutions commemorating Theodor Heuss : Stiftung Bundespräsident-Theodor-Heuss-Haus , the Theodor-Heuss-Stiftung and the Theodor-Heuss- Museum of the city of Brackenheim together.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Young people from Duisburg learn voluntary work from Fabienne Piepiora . In: WAZ.de. Retrieved October 9, 2015.
  2. ↑ Young people realize ideas from Johannes Bansner . In: WAZ.de. Retrieved October 9, 2015.