„Verstärker“ – An open network of the Federal Agency for Civic Education (Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung) focusing on political education for and with young people

Since March 2024, High Art Bureau has been the official coordination office for the project “Network-Activating Educational Work – Verstärker.” On behalf of the Federal Ministry of the Interior and the Federal Agency for Civic Education (Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung), we will oversee the coordination, organization, and further development of the network and its associated projects over the next two years.

Established in 2011, the open network Verstärker addresses multipliers and organizations involved in youth work, social work, and education, as well as teachers, academics, and administrative professionals. At the intersection of civic education and social work, the shared focus of network participants is working with young people who, due to their life circumstances, leisure activities, topic interests, and media usage, are not or only partially reached by traditional methods of civic education.

Through professional exchange and consultation, active network participants receive targeted resources to support their daily work. The development of strategies and model project ideas aims to empower young people and actively involve them in social and political life.

The work style of Verstärker is characterized by a high degree of engagement and participation. Responding to the needs and wishes of its members, new products, key topics, and projects emerge. Importantly, young people are actively integrated into the network, for example, through free hands-on formats where they can express their interests and find an entry point into the “political.”

By assuming project coordination, High Art Bureau manages the overall organization, maintenance, and support of the Verstärker network and coordinates all network activities (both online and offline).

Starting with the creation of the annual detailed work plan for all events and activities, we design and organize a variety of events such as working group meetings, network gatherings, one- and multi-day workshops for young people, as well as method workshops for professionals and multipliers. Additionally, we coordinate a modular training series for multipliers, consisting of six modules covering areas such as argumentation training, youth lifestyles, project management, and social media.

Beyond event management, our responsibilities also include press and public relations work, such as writing press releases, newsletters, and mailings, as well as managing the Verstärker Facebook group.

High Art Bureau also supports the network in its professionalization and transformation process toward greater awareness of discrimination. Within the framework of Verstärker, all participants are encouraged to reflect on their own societal positions and embrace openness toward other societal perspectives. This includes embedding power and racism-critical approaches as cross-cutting themes in their work as civic educators and within the network.

Project Contact: Rita Sosedow rita@highartbureau.com