Geislingen Children's Center

Current program of the children's center

Agapedia K19 - A Matter of the Heart Children's Center

Jürgen Klinsmann, together with his former youth coach Werner Gass from SC Geislingen, had the idea of getting involved for children in the heart of Geislingen. In several meetings in 2017 and 2018, they mobilized a consultation process together with the city administration in Geislingen and Mayor Frank Dehmer as well as the schools, clubs and child and youth welfare providers to determine the optimal use of the premises of over 500 square meters for the children in Geislingen. Five working groups identified the need for a children's center for children aged 6-12 with a community focus. The children's center was financially supported for three years by the SWR Herzenssache and is therefore called "Agapedia K19 - Herzenssache Kinderzentrum".

Other projects of Agapedia Germany

"The way children experience the world is the way they will face the world as adults"

The K19 children's center is a place where everyone is welcome, feels comfortable and can feel like they belong. Tolerance towards all and protection for all form the basis and provide space to shape and realize individual interests. At K19, children of all origins and religions are welcome. At K19, children have the opportunity to spend their free time in a meaningful way, make friends and receive support. Our program is supplemented by project weeks, excursions and much more. Voluntary participation is a core principle of our work, so that every child can take part in the activities on offer at K19 according to their interests and wishes. Since opening in December 2019, 120 children have been visiting the children's center every week to spend their free time in a meaningful way in the afternoons. K19 is also a meeting place for clubs and non-profit organizations that use the premises for their activities.

ESF Plus "Ways out of poverty - empowerment through information and education"

The ESF Plus project "Ways out of poverty - empowerment through information and education" is currently being implemented at the K19 Children's Center (2023-2025). As child and youth poverty is above all family poverty, our project focuses on three levels:

Career orientation for 14 children from the 5th grade onwards

At least four career guidance events will take place each year. At each event, a career profile is presented and made tangible through practical exercises. The job profiles are based on the opportunities and wishes of the children and young people. The activities are carried out in cooperation with local companies in a learning and education partnership and, where possible, are led by trainees.

Preventive everyday offers

The selected children will be integrated into the regular program of the K19 Herzenssache Kinderzentrum. They attend the weekly K19 playtimes and take part in the programs on offer. This allows a relationship and trust to be built up with the children and young people. This relationship serves as a basis for teaching social skills and basic social values.

The educational program for parents at K19.

A low-threshold parents' café and a language course are held weekly as part of the educational project for parents. On the basis of the interests surveyed in the parents' café, topic groups are developed together in which project-oriented educational offers take place in the areas of everyday life (career, school system, applications, nutrition and health topics, parenting issues, etc.). The project is intended to give parents the opportunity to experience K19 as a non-formal place of education and to find a trustworthy contact person.

We see a link between the preventative work with the children and young people and the parents' project, in which the women are empowered to improve their situation by introducing them to help systems and practical tips, as a great opportunity to counteract poverty and the risk of poverty. At the same time, we are looking to the future with the career guidance project and want to introduce the children and young people to the world of work at an early age and help them to discover their talents and skills.

The ESF Plus project is co-financed by the European Union and the Ministry of Social Affairs, Health and Integration.