ungehörig - Sozialwerk für hörgeschädigte Kinder und Jugendliche Freiburg e.V.

The association “unerhört” - Sozialwerk für hörgeschädigte Kinder und Jugendliche Freiburg e.V. (Charity Organization for Hearing-Impaired Children and Young People Freiburg) is a non-profit organization. It mainly supports students of the Bildungs- und Beratungszentrums für Hörgeschädigte Stegen (Vocational Education and Consultation Centre for the Hearing-Impaired Stegen). This includes hearing impaired children and young people who get their care in other institutions and families in the region. This care is in the areas of early intervention (care and support) and special education In the related pre-school, hearing-impaired children are cared for and supported holistically (body and mind). These are the children who are not able to visit institutions in their home community. Until they reach school-age, the children are organized in small groups. They also have specific activities and pre-school support to help them. This gives them the opportunity to: learn how to best use their hearing ability, develop and improve their speaking skills and learn about the environment. They can also experience being a part of a community. In this special community, they can comfortably learn about their skills and weaknesses. They can also practice and develop their skills for social cooperation. After morning lessons, the boarding students (who live in the school’s residence) eat lunch together in their home groups. The external students (who don’t live at the residence) eat their food at the lunch room (Mensa). The external students go home after their afternoon lessons. The institution puts the external students into day-groups. They are offered additional support, for example: eating lunch together, special support activities, support with homework and projects that help with daily life. In the residence groups, the children and their teachers model daily family life. After doing homework, students do various support activities, for example: sportive and environmental study groups, creative activities to develop personality and social skills, bicycle workshop, animal care, student meetings and disco. Education to become independent and self-responsible is important. Regular practical advice from the teachers makes development problems clear. These development problems can be treated from early on. So, working closely with parents is very important.