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So, blogging in Berlin was hard!  With all of the World Cup matches (nail-biters!) to watch and celebrations to be had in the evenings, reflecting on the days’ events happened, but not within this blogging venue.  Now that I am home and back in school mode, it’s time to capture some of those moments.  Our appointments were relevant to our research, and the people we encountered  left a lasting impression, providing a more meaningful experience for us to take back with us.  To follow up with my most recent post, I wanted to summarize what we learned during our visit with Ms. Gabriele Rohmann, who is the Project Manager of New Faces.  This was our first appointment in Berlin.  The first thing I noticed when we arrived at the Cultural Archive building was the intriguing graffiti art that filled the entire side of one of the buildings in the courtyard there.

Ms. Rohmann greeted us and we quickly began to learn about the objectives that are implemented with the help of this program.

First, New Faces serves as a mediator for various diverse groups and provides opportunities for the exchange of cultural diversity and the strengthening of intercultural competence.  This project promotes recognition of diverse cultures, especially in dealing with current-anti-Semitism.

Second, it seeks to train others how to strengthening others’ perception and recognition of cultural diversity (in the context of youth culture interests) and also finds eligible young people from Israel and Germany who would be good candidates for the program.

The third objective is intergenerational awareness regarding anti-Semitism.

The project works with a range of different methods and approaches the topic of current anti-Semitism in an unbiased and non-threatening way.   Archiv der Jugendkulturen collects various types of media and is really an an archive which can serves as a source of inspiration and means to connect with youth.  The youth culture in Berlin is global and New Faces creates opportunities for students to cooperate and express themselves. Rap, comics, DJ-ing, theater, photography, video, and Graffiti Art are several of the many youthful activities that help New Faces connect with students regarding political education.  Students are able to be creative and the objectives of the project are achieved. In the workshops, the different backgrounds, and various social and physical settings from which the students emerge are taken into account.

The best part was that Ms. Rohmann shared some of the final products of the various workshops, including videos and comic books, and it was really amazing to see how the students used these media tools to communicate a message of tolerance and acceptance and diversity.  Many groups were able to present their products in a multimedia exhibition to the public, either in the school, or in other institutions in the area.

Some additional information we received during this meeting was that this project actually began as a non-government program, but the government of Germany has since given its support of this project.  When asked if there have been less incidents of violence and bullying as a result of these workshops, Ms. Rohmann shared that the project was effective.  The schools whose students participated in these workshops noticed a significant reduction in bullying and discrimination and religious intolerance.

 

 

 

 

 

I started this blog in 2010 to chronicle the adventures of me (a teacher from Arkansas) who traveled to Germany on a study tour with the Transatlantic Outreach Program.  The blog-posting ended, but the experience stayed with me.  TOP has provided me with one of the most rewarding opportunities for professional growth and development and has left a long-lasting impression on me as an individual.  I am truly so thankful to TOP for how it chooses to achieve its purpose.

So, now, starts a new chapter.  Here I am in Berlin, four years after my initial study tour to Germany with a new focus this time.  This time I am traveling with a smaller group of about 10 other educators from around the nation (last time it was 16). The format of the trip is to create one large piece of curriculum with several sub-units to fit into the larger scope.  The concept we are dealing with is multi-culturalism and cross-cultural awareness.  We are working in teams of 2 to create 5 separate lesson plans related to the following:  Immigration, Youth in Germany, History, Sports and Leisure, and Labor. We are using culture as the lens by which to understand these topics.  For example, how has immigration changed the culture of Germany (past and present?)  What was, and is, and is to come in regards to immigration and how does that impact the culture of Germany?  The idea is that this discussion of culture will ignite questions about what it means to be German, what it means to be American, how we understand our own culture and that of others and ultimately, how are these themes realized within our specific topics.  

Our teams will visit the meetings we find most relevant while in Germany and also collaborate to do research in Berlin and Geisa.  Tomorrow morning, we are visiting Projekt New Faces which is a project that works with young people and adults to combat tendencies toward anti-Semitism in an immigration society.  

I will be updating this blog throughout the week to provide some insight into some of our conclusions and the process that brought us to those.  But, this blog won’t be limited to the research aspect of our TOP Alumni because so many components make a great study tour.  You will see those ramblings here too!