STADT STAUFENBERG

The Staufenberg Children's and Youth Office is an educational institution. There are two employees who, together with the young people from Staufenberg, are considering how to spend the young people’s free time in the afternoons, evenings, and on weekends. The activities are always about the young people being able to deal with other young people in their leisure time. It should be about what interests the young people (not the adults). Our two most important objectives are: 1. We organize activities that are based on the interests of the young people’s interests and in which they can participate actively. 2. The activities take place in free time. So participation is voluntary. Anyone who wants can join in. But nobody is obliged to participate. The offers take place in the "Youth Center Offline" usually. This name was determined by the youngsters themselves. They think that many young people often meet on social media such as WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat etc. In the youth center, however, they have a place (a house) where they can meet in real life - not online, but offline. The „Offline“ consists of 3 rooms: In one room there are comfortable sofas, a small counter with drinks, a game console, and a play shelf. Here you can chill, chat, have a drink, and play together. In the second room there is a kitchen with dining tables. Cooking evenings take place here. The dining tables can also be used for games or other activities as well. In the third room there are only tables and chairs. This room is used for learning groups. The young people call it a „learning room“. Older students meet here often to prepare for school exams. There is a group of young people who take care of all „Offline“ matters: They determine when the „Offline“ is open, arrange drinks, plan activities, and ensure that the house stays clean and tidy. The youth group was chosen by all young people from Staufenberg in a democratic process. The task of the employees is to support the young people in organizational matters of the „Offline“. Also the employees are available as persons for all questions regarding growing up. But why do we do this? There are many rights for young people in Germany. These rights are written down as laws in “Sozialgesetzbuch VIII”. The first paragraph of this law states that every young person has the right to be supported in growing up. Young people should also be educated to act independently and to find a place in society. Another paragraph (§11) states that there should exist activities, projects, events, and measures for young people. The aim of these activities is to support young people to develop their personalities. The activities are developed by educational institutions like the Staufenberg Children's and Youth Office.