Education crisis in Corona times | How you can support children & young students in learning
Closed day-care and schools do not only mean a difficult time for parents who have to take care of homeschooling besides their regular job. It is a particularly challenging time for school-age children and young students. They do not only lack social interaction with peers but also miss out on supervised learning. This has developed into a serious education crisis for children during Corona.
According to a study by the ifo Bildungsbarometer, the time children spent on school activities per day dropped by half during Corona, from 7.4 to 3.6 hours. Nearly 60% of all students had shared online lessons less than once a week. Individual contact with teachers was even less frequent. And many parents simply do not have the time for comprehensive and professional supervision.
Especially, the lack of a direct support person to give feedback and assist in learning is a major problem. This is even more challenging for students who are overall less efficient or whose access to education is already more difficult.
Fortunately, there are a number of projects that are dedicated to improving educational chances and equality for children and young students with different backgrounds and needs. We would like to introduce you to some of them here and show you how you can support them easily from home by volunteering digitally.
1 I Become a mentor in digital learning support for children
ONLINE VOLUNTEERING | ADVANCED GERMAN SKILLS REQUIRED
The organisation KinderHelden is looking for volunteers for a DigiTandem to accompany primary school children in their learning and leisure time who cannot be supported by their parents in homeschooling to the necessary extent.
Together with the KinderHelden staff, you will discuss in an initial meeting which child can benefit most from your support. As a mentor, you will then meet your mentee twice a week for 1 hour each time for a digital exchange. The KinderHelden team accompanies you throughout the entire tandem process and supports you with tips and working materials.
2 I Support students as a digital learning companion (possibly as mandatory internship)
Online Volunteering | MEDIUM German skills required
Are you still studying and would like to help a pupil learn and complete your compulsory internship* at the same time (*only for student teachers)? Then volunteering for the Corona School e.V. could be interesting for you.
As a mentor, you give a student virtual and free 1-to-1 learning support in certain school subjects or in the event of difficulties at school. If you want, you can also give group courses for pupils or become a project coach for young participants in Jugend forscht.
3 I Support children in a refugee shelter with homeschooling, homework and tutoring
ONLINE VOLUNTEERING | MEDIUM GERMAN SKILLS REQUIRED
You wold like to tutor children and young people in a community accommodation online and help them with their homework?
Milaa gGmbH’s community accomodation for refugees is looking for volunteers who would like to regularly spend 1-2 hours twice a week working and learning together with the children. The tutoring is especially about German, English, maths and science.
4 I Start a creative computer club (dojo) for children and young people
REMOTE VOLUNTEERING | MEDIUM GERMAN SKILLS REQUIRED
Do you have a knack for organising and want to start your own Coder Dojo in your neighbourhood? Then become part of the worldwide non-profit Coder-Dojo community, which teaches children and young people about the creative and self-determined use of technology and thus better prepares them for the future.
You don’t have to be a technology genius, but you should enjoy finding and coordinating a small team of volunteers, parents, participants and the venue. Tips, experiences and course materials will be provided by other dojos and you will be supported by the community throughout the full process.
5 I Help with the programming of a matching algorithm for volunteer tutoring services
ONLINE VOLUNTEERING | NO GERMAN SKILLS REQUIRED
You know programming languages like C++, javascript, Typescript and want to support the Studenten bilden Schüler e.V.?
Then prove your programming skills and support the development of an automated matching algorithm, which finds suitable students and pupils for a tutoring tandem. To avoid having to start from scratch, you can use the Corona School’s matching algorithm as a basis.
You would rather work with older teenagers and support them on their way to a job qualification?
6 I Take on a sponsorship for a young person with educational disadvantages
ONLINE VOLUNTEERING | basic GERMAN SKILLS REQUIRED
The Vitamin P project is looking for volunteers who can imagine taking on a sponsorship for a person who is in transition between school and work. These are often adolescents or young adults with a refugee background who are happy to have a permanent reference person to support them on this path.
Together with your mentee, you decide what goal you want to set for yourselves and how you will fill the sponsorship with life: from language tandems and support at school to sports and leisure activities, everything is possible.
7 I Get involved as a co-organiser of the education festival for disadvantaged young people
ONLINE VOLUNTEERING | ESSEN | BASIC GERMAN SKILLS REQUIRED
With a four-day festival event and an accompanying mentoring programme, the Bildungsfestival e.V. encourages disadvantaged young people to believe in their own abilities and eventually go their own way.
For the organisation and hosting of the next festival, the association is looking for committed volunteers who would like to work in the areas of workshop organisation, finances, public relations, logistics or support for the mentees. This will sure be a festival that you will certainly not soon forget.
8 I Give maths tutoring for apprenticeship candidates
ONLINE VOLUNTEERING | BERLIN | MEDIUM GERMAN SKILLS REQUIRED
You enjoy mathematics and have a knack for percentages, geometry, fractions and the basics of elementary arithmetic? And you can teach them with patience and in simple language? Then the JOBLINGE programme is the right place for you.
As a mentor, you give maths tuition to young people who are looking for an apprenticeship but lack basic maths skills due to difficult circumstances, a history of refugee or migration, or personal strokes of fate. Mentoring takes place individually or in groups of a maximum of 5 people, either digitally or Corona-compliant at the JOBLINGE office.
Still haven’t found the right volunteering opportunity? Then take a look at vostel.de and discover even more projects to support children and young people on their educational path.
Have fun getting involved! Your team from vostel.de
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