For 30 years, Peer Leader International, based in the East Frisian town of Ostrhauderfehn, has been working in close cooperation with partners in Germany and abroad as a volunteer agency and «Recognised Extracurricular Learning Site» of the Ministry of Education in Lower Saxony.
In order to find solutions to the problems of our society, young people need a new kind of preparation, support and guidance. With informal education concepts and projects, they should acquire holistic competences and develop their potentials – regardless of social background or (learning) need. The association wants to empower them to think sustainably and actively shape their future.
Therefore, the association develops alternative learning concepts. The projects initiated by Peer Leader International are developed by the young people themselves, from the initial ideas to their systematic implementation. The young people learn the necessary skills under the guidance of experienced peers and voluntary supporters in order to courageously and self-confidently try out different areas, to get to know their limits or to grow beyond them and thus gain valuable experience for their future lives.
In Ukraine, for example, eight centres were set up for internally displaced children and young people, where sports, yoga or forest movement are offered to help them cope with their war experiences. In another project, the «Future Peers», motivated and independent children and young people guide others to create a more sustainable future. This happens in networks at school and beyond and is coordinated and documented via a digital platform.
Working at eye level, according to the peer-to-peer principle, is very important to the association. The focus is on networking on a horizontal level – with other peers locally and internationally – and on a vertical level – with decision-makers and shapers in the state and civil society. The young people are supported and accompanied to take responsibility for their future and to participate democratically in shaping the future. Open forums accessible to all and spaces free of judgement without pressure for good grades, in which it is allowed to fail in order to learn from failure, are important to the association. In this way, the personality of the young people is promoted in the formation of values and resilience.
Information how to vote here: Award of the Donors
Proposed by Henning Neugebauer
