Demographic change is on everyone’s lips. Society is getting older, the young are getting fewer. Gets it thus also already the youth work to traces? "No, we don’t see the demographic shift", says simone kuffner. The social pedagogue has been responsible for community youth work in stegaurach for almost seven years. During this time, she has seen children become adolescents and young people become adults. "It is a constant process. Some go, some come", kuffner notes and emphasizes that there is no problem with new recruits in stegaurach. With ten to 25 children, the children’s club is regularly well attended, he said. "In winter it is a little more, in summer a little less."
Nevertheless, the forsthaus, the stegaurach youth center, is facing a major generational change. The girls’ group, which has been meeting regularly at the forestry office since 2007, has become an indispensable part of youth work in stegaurach. It’s just great how they volunteer, says kuffner. For example at the christmas market. Or at the volleyball tournament of the authorities. Actually, the previous year’s winner had to host this every year. But it has always taken place in stegaurach for the last four years. Why? "Because the madels organize the sale so well", leads the youth worker.
Now "her girls gradually 18, graduate from high school, think about studying or going abroad. "Of course they want to keep in touch. But you just have to see how it develops", says kuffner. At least she has two girls who, at 13, have already outgrown the children’s club for six to twelve year olds, but still feel too young for the youth club, who are already showing such commitment. It is also "working on another group of 13- to 14-year-olds". "Let’s see if we can form a group there again.
No worries about continuity
as far as the continuity of youth work in stegaurach is concerned, there is nothing to worry about. When she recently presented her annual report to the town council, there were a few question marks in the council’s eyes when kuffner reported on the girls’ growing up and the fact that another group, the so-called playground group, which had not long found its way to the forestry center, had already more or less dissolved again. "Because they have gone their separate ways, started their education or because of personal reasons between them."
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