Educational mentors for young refugees II

At present, increasing numbers of unaccompanied minor refugees are coming to Germany, who often enter the German school system as so-called lateral entrants in adolescence (approx. 13 to 18 years), attend language classes at general and vocational schools, and live in youth welfare facilities.

In view of very different educational backgrounds and, in some cases, traumatic experiences in the context of persecution and flight, there is a particular need for support (e.g. in school support, vocational orientation and social participation).

Voluntary mentors represent an important source of support for the young people. Within the project, student teachers each take on a voluntary educational mentorship for one young refugee, which is prepared and accompanied in the context of the seminar. In cooperation with the Allgemeine Berufsschule and Fluchtraum e.V., students are matched with interested young refugees in Bremen and receive professional advice.

Through systematic case work in the seminar, the students reflect on their own pedagogical actions. The mentorships are tailored to the individual needs of the young refugees and have different focal points (e.g. tutoring in certain subjects, support in language acquisition by creating opportunities to use the language, creating access to counselling institutions, help in finding information on the vocational education system, etc.).

In the seminar, the students have the opportunity to exchange their experiences as mentors with each other.

The costs arising from the mentorships are financed with the help of the immediate programme for refugees of the Senate of the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen.