With the "Zukunft.Aktiv" project, the Friedel & Gisela Bohnenkamp Foundation is committed to providing children - especially those in socially challenged neighborhoods - with better development and educational opportunities. The focus is on targeted exercise programs that strengthen motor, social and cognitive skills at an early age.
Movement as the key to development
The core of the project is the introduction of ball school lessons in which children learn basic forms of movement through play. This is not just about physical activity: movement is deliberately used as a means of promoting language, social interaction and basic mathematical skills. By playing together, understanding rules and experiencing success, the children experience participation and self-efficacy.
Shaping transitions - strengthening education at an early age
A central concern of "Zukunft.Aktiv" is the sustainable design of the transition from nursery to elementary school. Close cooperation between early childhood facilities and schools creates continuity that gives children security and stabilizes educational processes. This creates an early foundation that facilitates access to further learning.
Perspective and networking
In the medium term, the project pursues the vision of establishing "Zukunft.Aktiv" in other districts of Osnabrück and in the Osnabrück district. The aim is to establish a sustainable network of daycare centers, elementary school, secondary schools and sports and leisure facilities. This network is intended to provide children - regardless of their social background - with fair development and educational opportunities and establish physical activity as a permanent component of early childhood education.
"The 'Zukunft.Aktiv' project made a major contribution to ensuring that the new first-graders had a good start to their time at school. Many people at the school were already familiar to the children, and the premises were not new either. Thanks to the exchange opportunities between the school and kindergartens as part of the project, we were able to respond to the children in a much more targeted manner as soon as they started school. Contact with the daycare centers, especially the teachers, was intensified.
Children from daycare centers other than Melanchthon and St. Pius were able to make their first contacts with other children (through the afternoon sessions). The accompanying parents (during the afternoon sessions) were able to get to know the school, ask questions and make initial contact with other parents. Even after the pilot phase, we see the 'Zukunft.Aktiv' project as an important part of our 'bridge year work' between nursery and school."
"The Zukunft.Aktiv. project is a wonderful thing for everyone involved! The children really look forward to the gymnastics lessons every week, they and I as a teacher really enjoy taking part. Doing gymnastics together makes the transition from nursery to school easier for the children and it's really great that the Friedel & Gisela Bohnenkamp Foundation makes this possible for us in this way. A big thank you for that! A big thank you also goes to the trainers, who prepare all the sessions beautifully and react very sensitively to the children in every situation. It is an all-round successful project that is not only very well received by the children and teachers, but also by the parents! To summarize: Keep up the good work!"
