Freiwillige aus europäischen Ländern


Jedes Jahr wird unser Team von einem/r Freiwilligen aus dem Europäischen Ausland verstärkt, im Rahmen des Europäischen Solidaritätskorps (ESK). Sie stellen eine große Bereicherung für unsere Schule dar. In der Begegnung mit den Freiwilligen mit anderer Muttersprache werden bei den Schulkindern tiefgreifende Lernprozesse ausgelöst. Die Freiwilligen bringen ihren kulturellen Hintergrund ein, ermöglichen den SchülerInnen eine Auseinandersetzung mit einer anderen europäischen Kultur und Sprache. Die Freiwilligen nehmen nicht nur Eindrücke und Kontakte aus Österreich mit, sondern auch Erfahrungen mit Reformpädagogik und innovativen Lernformen.

Europa im Freiraum

Durch interkulturelles Lernen wird das Leben in der Schule um eine europäische Dimension ergänzt. Diese jungen Erwachsenen bringen ihren Enthusiasmus für unsere innovative Form des Lernens ein, ihre Kreativität und Offenheit für Neues. Mit ihrem kulturellen Hintegrund, ihrer Sprache, aber auch Musik-, Tanz-, Kocheinheiten, Spiel, Bastel- und Werkarbeiten. Die Dauer des Europäischen Freiwilligenprojektes in unserer Schule beträgt in der Regel 10 Monate.

Das Europäische Solidaritätskorps

Das ESK – Europäisches Solidaritätskorps – ist ein Programm der Europäischen Union. Es fördert das Engagement junger Menschen in Projekten und Aktivitäten, die der Gemeinschaft zugutekommen. Das ESK bietet Jugendlichen (18 bis 30 Jahren), die Möglichkeit sich in gemeinnützigen Projekten im eigenen Land oder im Ausland zu engagieren. Auch Jobs und Praktika in ganz Europa werden vermittelt

Unsere Freiwilligen


Thomas Breulheid 2022/2023

Die aktive und individuelle Begleitung eines jeden Kindes ist meiner Meinung nach für seine Entwicklung unerlässlich. Ich habe schon früh mit Kindern gearbeitet. Als ich 15 Jahre alt war, begann ich, als Animateur nach der Schule und in den Ferien zu arbeiten. Mein Studium beinhaltete zahlreiche Praktika, im Zuge dieser Arbeit achtete ich stets auf die Bedürfnisse der Kinder und erhielt ihre Aufmerksamkeit und ihr Interesse. Vor kurzem habe ich mein Studium als Grundschullehrer in Belgien abgeschlossen.

Aktuell nehme an Projekten im Bildungsbereich teil, um Erfahrungen zu sammeln und meine Vorstellung vom Wesen des Unterrichtens zu verfeinern, bevor ich ins Berufsleben einsteige.

Meine Vision von Bildung und Kindheit deckt sich sehr stark mit der Arbeit im Freiraum, und es ist eine wahre Freude für mich, die Kinder jeden Tag zu besuchen und zu begleiten.


Elena 2021/2022

„During my first year of university I volunteered in a center for children with disabilities and mental retardation, through an NGO called "Dăruim împreună" ("We share together"). I was part of a team of constant observation and close interaction with the children who were in need of more attention and affection. Through this experience I gained more understanding of the system and more compassion towards its victims.

 

As a volunteer I consider myself an involved promoter of multiculturalism with my ability to share my culture with people from other countries, openness and curiosity to experience new cultures, traditions and languages capacity to interact with people from different backgrounds and environment. I am interested in promoting and supporting kids in learning through intrinsic motivation, rather than focusing on obtaining social gratification or school grading ranking or social validation. I am guided in life by the present moment, creativity and spontaneity. In the psychological paradigm, I identify myself in the area of humanistic psychology, personal development and growth by the power of free choice, beyond borders such as origin, past, race, nationality or social differences. Since college I have been interested in human potential, which can be exploited from a very young age, when the environment is favorable, then I decided to write my bachelor's thesis on autotelic personality and flow experience, which helped me more on understanding the complexities of human behavior around peak experiences. I am grateful to be part of the smiling, welcoming, warm and flourishing community of children in Freiramschule, who make me experience every day with them through play innocence, suspense and personal progress in human interaction. I believe that children's curiosity and innocence is boundless and should be supported by smooth guidance, encouragement, emotional support, tolerance and empathy. I am fascinated by the appearance of flow, which is a natural psychological phenomenon, that happened to be more common on kids behavior, to feel the peak experience, when time seems to stop, the identification disappears and the action takes precedence.

I think that kids should be guided and supported on experiencial learning and personal growth, without their innocence, temperament or unique print and behavior to be touched or changed. 

 

 


Perla 2020/2021

I am Perla and I come from Palestrina, a small city close to Rome. In some years of working with kids I have experienced that they never stop to amaze me. I have always enjoyed being around them and to realise how they enjoy life and see the magic in everything.

In high school I have studied Pedagogy, Psychology and Sociology which helps me a lot in my journey here. This school is very different to regular schools! It is special to me to experience how kids learn by their natural human curiosity - it is just wonderful! With the kids and the youngsters I can share my love to nature, animals, photography and electronics and I develop creative design by myself and do so many things for the first time!

Obviously you never stop learning and I hope to continue my studies in the future, but for now I am very happy to be part of this school! Volunteering at Freiraumschule is an amazing experience and it will stay with me forever, I´m sure


Eileen 2019/2020

 

„Hallo! Ich bin Eileen! I come from Brittany in France, where I just got my Bachelor Degree in Breton Language. I have been working as a group leader with children since 2016. My goal is to be able to share my various hobbies – drawing, crafting, theater, singing – as well as my French and Breton culture with the kids! I am also interested in some topics that mean a lot to me such as feminism, fatphobia, ableism, racism, ecology and politics.

 

As I am thinking of becoming either a teacher or a social worker, this volunteering is a marvelous opportunity for me to learn more about alternative pedagogy and to discover how things work out when you let children be free.“

 

 


Andréa 2018/2019

 

Hallo! I’m Andréa from France. I had have different experiences with children. As a basketball coach, supervisor in holiday camps, Aupair/Nanny in different families in Australia, and this year at the amazing Freiraumschule. This alternative school definitely changed my idea of learning and education. The kids learn at they own rhythm in a real peaceful place, they learn from each other and they already know that sharing is caring. They enjoy their childhood and freedom without always someone who managed them every time . I’m so proud to discover this kind of school, that’s a real chance to be there! I’m really impatient to teach them some French recipes, play basketball, also share with them some French sentences and learn German from them. Actually I don’t know who will learn the most from this year, but it‘ gonna be a great time


Chrysa 2017/2018

 

Ι am Chrysa from Greece and I have a Bachelor degree in primary education. Since I remember myself, I have always wanted to become a teacher! I have worked and volunteered several times with kids and I know that alongside them I learn the meaning of freedom, innocence, pure happiness and simplicity of life. I am very excited to be a part of Freiraumschule this year, because in this school children are allowed to be CHILDREN and I am sure that I will learn so many things from the Montessori and Wild educational concepts they have here. A great journey has just begun!

 


Kristina 2016/2017

I believe in human nature and I believe in a great future for the children educated at a school like Freiraumschule! And I really do hope that my children will have this amazing opportunity to study in a similar school, to help them memorize the best time of childhood for their entire life! And if I had the chance I would do the same…! Thank you for the best and funniest experience in my life!“


Marianna 2015/2016

Marianna Zanone stammt aus einem Dorf nahe Turin und hat gerade die Schule abgeschlossen. Da sie immer schon gerne mit Kindern gearbeitet hat, hat sie sich in der Freiraumschule Kritzendorf beworben. Es war für sie ein großartiges Jahr, berichtet sie im Videointerview. Sie versteht nun reformpädagogische Ansätze besser und ist begeistert von dieser Lernform, bei der die Kinder ihre Kindheit bewahren können.


Miguel 2014/2015

I was born in Madrid but I have lived for the last years in Granada, the city of the Alhambra, wonderful places to learn the history of my country and our centuries – old relationship with Austria. I am a great lover of poetry and music, I have played drums in several amateur rock bands and I’m sure children in Kritzendorf will enjoy it too. I love outdoor activities and everything related to games, sports and nature. During my bachelor I had the opportunity to work with different schools and to organize some exhibitions of traditional games, attending hundreds of children in each event. I deeply think that education is not just the accumulation of knowledge, but a process in which people can collaborate and learn from each other. Now I come to Freiraumschule hoping to share something new and to keep on learning day by day. I can promise some good literature, interesting history, lots of games and sports, a bit of Andalusia and Rock and Roll!


Marina 2013/2014

My name is Marina and I come from the north of Spain. Being a volunteer in the Freiraumschule is an amazing experience, both professional and personal. It completly changes your idea of education, and it never stops amazing me how the kids learn following their own rythm, and then even teach the younger ones. There is no competition, and you can really see that they are investing their time in what really interests them in each moment. I am very glad I took this opportunity, and hopefully the kids are learning from me as much as I am learning from them.


Caroline 2012/2013

Bonjour! Ich heiße Caroline, ich bin eine französische Freiwillige. Ich freue mich, die österreichische Kultur kennenzulernen und die Sprache zu lernen und meine Kultur zu teilen. Es ist so großartig mit Kindern zu arbeiten, zu teilen. Ich weiß nicht, wer mehr lernt: die Kinder oder ich! Wir lernen zusammen und das ist wofür das wunderbare EVS-Programm besteht. Ich koche mit den Kindern typische französische Gerichte, ich spiele mit ihnen, sie lernen meine Sprache bei allen Dingen, die wir gemeinsam tun. Ich bin gespannt auf die vielen, schönen Momente, die wir noch zusammen erleben werden.


Emma 2011/2012

This experience is really enriching for me, in a personal and professional sense. Before I started my EVS voluntary service, alternative pedagogy interested me already. It was new and different from everything I knew before. Here in Freiraumschule the kids learn from their own experience and even teach me many things. I’m very impressed about how the school is organized and how the teachers accompany the kids. As I’m Spanish I teach the children my mother tongue through games and other attractive activities. Learning in Freiraumschule is a beautiful intercultural experience!


Zsuzsanna 2010/2011

„Denn mein Leben ist Lernen.“ Ich habe die Möglichkeit mit EVD ein Jahr in der Freiraumschule zu verbringen. Ich komme aus Ungarn und habe Geschichte und Germanistik mit Lehramt studiert. In der Schule bin ich glücklich und ich lerne ganz viel von den Kindern. Ich biete ungarische Lieder und Tanzen an und möchte von meiner Sprache ein bisschen weitergeben.


Cagdas 2009/2010

This job gives me the possibility to get interesting experiences abroad and to get involved in useful social work at the same time. Being a foreigner abroad helps me to understand the behaviour of society, their tradions. In addition there’s the possibility to grow awareness of personal skills by facing situations that are not included in normal routine. I wanted to work at the Freiraum Schule which has a totally different education system from the schools where I come from. Also working with kids makes me happy, e. g. when I come to school and see their energy and smiling faces. They see the world in a different way than we can. This way I learn from them as well. Here I take care of the kids, respect their wishes and needs, help them when they ask me to and help improve their language and sports skills.


Who We Are

Zeynep

 

Türkei 2008/2009

Caroline

 

Frankreich 2004/2005

Our History

Carmen

 

Spanien 2007/2008

Guillaume

 

Frankreich 2003/2004

Silvia

 

Spanien 2006/2007

Helene

 

Frankreich 2002/2003

Alice

 

Belgien 2005/2006