Summer holidays that have an impact

Photo:(back row, from left) Daniel Großbröhmer, Municipal Foundations, Dr. Meike Schäffler, Member of the Executive Board of the Westfalen Group, and Dr. Falk Schulz, Chairman of the Executive Board of the Piepenhorst Foundation, join the Deutschsommer children and the Deutschsommer team in celebrating the successful launch of Deutschsommer Münster 2025.

“The program works like a charm. That’s just one of the many positive comments made by teachers in elementary schools when they observe the children at school after the German summer program. Now the ninth Deutschsommer has started with 50 children from 19 primary schools. The three-week language camp, organized by the Bürgerwaisenhaus Foundation, is aimed at pupils from Münster who have just finished third grade. The Deutschsommer curriculum includes grammar, reading, and lots of theater.

“During Deutschsommer, children improve their German skills in a playful and demonstrable way,” emphasizes Daniel Großbröhmer, head of the municipal foundations office. “Last year, two children even doubled their results in the evaluation. We can therefore confirm that Deutschsommer has a real impact.”

Since the project was launched in 2016, almost 360 children have benefited from the Deutschsommer program run by the municipally administered Bürgerwaisenhaus foundation. This is made possible by the ongoing support of the Piepenhorst Foundation and the Westfalen Group. “Better educational opportunities are essential for a successful life, not just in terms of employment,” says Dr. Meike Schäffler, member of the Executive Board of the Westfalen Group. “That's why we are now supporting the project for the ninth time. Deutschsommer Münster is and remains a project close to our company's heart.” For Dr. Falk Schulz from the Piepenhorst Foundation, Deutschsommer is an integral part of the foundation's funding portfolio: “The positive evaluations speak for themselves. We are very happy to continue our support in the future.”

The third-graders who come to Deutschsommer have a good command of colloquial German, but still need support in German. The children are unsure about grammar and find it difficult to read and understand more difficult texts. Speaking in front of the group is also not easy for many children. During the learning vacation, the focus is on the conscious perception and application of the German language in all its facets. The Deutschsommer children are thus prepared for the transition to the crucial fourth grade.

Cultural diversity is once again shaping Deutschsommer this year. Although almost two-thirds of the children were born in Germany, most of their parents were not. Of the children who were not born in Germany, most come from Syria and Ukraine. However, there are 11 other countries of birth represented. In addition to lessons in the green classroom, the children enjoy games, excursions and, as a highlight, a joint theater play to which parents, grandparents, siblings and the children's class teachers are invited. Despite an extensive curriculum, Deutschsommer remains one thing above all else: learning with fun.

About the Bürgerwaisenhaus Foundation

The Bürgerwaisenhaus Foundation, with its Mitmachkinder program, is part of the Münster Municipal Foundations. Mitmachkinder receive financial support, mentoring, and language training during the Deutschsommer. Deutschsommer is supported by the Westfalen Group and the Piepenhorst Foundation and is a model project of the Polytechnic Society Foundation in Frankfurt am Main. All information about Deutschsommer and the Mitmachkinder program is available at www.mitmachkinder.de.