The aim of this initiative is to do our part to make the world a better place. By putting our expertise at the service of the public, we as a university can achieve great things through small changes. In doing so, we enable people to reach their full potential and take concrete responsibility for others.
Student Life Cycle: Starting university, After graduation
Target group: Prospective students, current students, lecturers and staff at universities
University: Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences
What does democracy feel like? How does democracy work in practice? What does democracy have to do with me? Democracy is often an abstract concept – but it begins on a small scale, in action, in concrete deeds: in speaking out when discriminatory or misanthropic statements are made. Resolving conflicts constructively. Standing up for others. Naming injustices. Questioning power structures. Especially in times of increasing misanthropic and anti-democratic tendencies, it becomes clear that democracy is not something to be taken for granted. It requires a clear and reflective stance, responsibility, and options for action.
We therefore understand democratic education not (only) as the transmission of theoretical knowledge about the political system and its workings, but as a lived practice – relevant to everyday life, studies, and careers. With our programs, we support students and staff/faculty in strengthening and further developing their democratic competencies and skills. How can we manage conflicts in a way that is sensitive to diversity and critical of discrimination and power dynamics? How can we develop tolerance for ambiguity – the ability to endure and acknowledge multiple perspectives, uncertainty, and conflicting viewpoints? How do we strengthen our critical thinking, empathy, and sense of responsibility?
We implement this in various formats and contexts, for example in the Interdisciplinary Studium Generale. We offer extracurricular or curriculum-integrated workshops as well as international projects (e.g., ERASMUS+ funded projects and excursions to museums or memorial sites).
– Workshop participant
Service learning combines civic engagement with academic learning. The teaching and learning format "learning through engagement" links practical challenges from civil society with scientific methods and specialist knowledge. Students work together with partners from the public or non-profit sector on concrete solutions and thereby assume social responsibility.
Previous projects have included the implementation of a warehouse management system for a welfare organization, the optimization of work processes in facilities for people with disabilities, and the development of mobility and digitalization solutions. Other projects have focused on accessible public spaces, surveys, and the development of digital applications.
Service learning creates practical learning experiences, strengthens social responsibility and enables students to use their knowledge meaningfully and effectively.
– Workshop participant
Natascha Hempel | natascha.hempel@fra-uas.de
Tel.: +49 69 1533-3217
@Frankfurt University
