How can we foster practical skills, strengthen career guidance, and at the same time preserve valuable experiential knowledge? The Oberschule am Sonnensee in Bissendorf offers an innovative answer: With support from the Friedel & Gisela Bohnenkamp Foundation, the existing makerspace is being transformed into an intergenerational workshop.

Passing Knowledge On to the Next Generation

The project centers on joint learning between young and old. At hands-on learning stations in the fields of metalwork, electrical work, woodworking, robotics, plumbing/heating, as well as design and artificial intelligence, students acquire practical and technical skills. They are guided by senior volunteers who contribute their professional and life experience and pass on their knowledge to the next generation.

The program is supplemented by apprentices from regional companies who introduce their apprenticeship trades and work on specific tasks together with the students. This fosters authentic insights into various career fields and fosters valuable connections between schools, the business community, and the volunteer sector. A distinctive feature of the Intergenerational Workshop is its mobile learning stations. These can be used not only in the school’s makerspace but also in long-term care facilities or at public events. This extends intergenerational exchange beyond the school into the wider region and enables learning in a variety of settings.

Young and old benefit equally

The project not only strengthens students’ practical skills and career orientation; it also promotes self-efficacy, social participation, and mutual understanding between the generations. Seniors remain actively involved, young people benefit from their experiences, and companies have the opportunity to present themselves early on as attractive training partners. The Intergenerational Workshop is coordinated by Christina Suthe. Thanks to her many years of experience in network management, she successfully connects schools, volunteer organizations, businesses, and care facilities, thereby building a sustainable educational project for the region.