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