Children and Youth Office Wolfsburg

Under the motto "Into the future with children's rights", the youth development agency celebrated International Children's Day in Wolfsburg city center on September 20. The area in front of the City Gallery was transformed into a lively play and adventure landscape with numerous stands inviting children to join in and discover. Whether handicrafts, climbing or creative workshops - had something for everyone! The aim of the festival was to focus on children's rights and celebrate the importance of a child-friendly society together with young people.

A special highlight of the event was the ceremonial appointment of the new Children's and Youth Advisory Council. Head of the Youth Division Katharina Varga and City Youth Officer Janik Fuge officially welcomed the children and young people to their new term of office. This is the tenth term of office for the Children's Advisory Council, while the Youth Advisory Council is celebrating its fifth term of office this year. The two participatory bodies offer young Wolfsburg residents the unique opportunity to play an active role in shaping Wolfsburg and to bring their interests and concerns directly into the city's politics. The Children's Advisory Council has set itself ambitious goals for this year. They want to work towards reducing food waste, making the city center more child- and youth-friendly and promoting inclusion in schools. These priorities show how committed the young people of Wolfsburg are to working on solutions for their future issues. The topics that the Youth Advisory Council will deal with in the new term of office will be revealed in the coming weeks. However, drawing attention to the topic of mental health and thus raising awareness of mental health will continue to be a high priority this year.

The youth development department was delighted with the great response to the event. Katharina Varga, Head of the Youth Division, emphasized the importance of the Children and Youth Advisory Board for the city: "Into the future with children's rights is not only the motto of this year's World Children's Day. As a child-friendly municipality, the city of Wolfsburg works every day to ensure that the needs and ideas of the younger generation in Wolfsburg continue to be heard and taken seriously."

"International Children's Day in Wolfsburg is not only a great event full of fun and games for Wolfsburg's children, but also an important sign that children and young people should be actively involved in social processes and given a voice," adds city youth worker Janik Fuge.

The children's and youth advisory councils are accompanied and supported in their work by the city's children and youth office.

We need you as an expert!

On the Children's Advisory Council, you can not only advocate for the implementation of children's rights in Wolfsburg, but also contribute your own ideas and suggestions for improvement.

Here are a few examples of what the Children's Advisory Council has done in recent years:

• Campaigns on sustainability and environmental protection
• Visit to the Lord Mayor to ask questions
• Playground checks and playground participation
• Trip to the Bundestag in Berlin

The Children's Advisory Council runs for one year at a time and always starts with the new school year. We usually meet once a month. Does this suit you?

• Are you between 10 and 14 years old?
• Do you want to implement your own ideas and topics?
• Would you like to help shape your Wolfsburg?

• Register directly online under the following link

We need you as an expert!

In the Youth Advisory Council, you can not only contribute your own ideas and suggestions for improvement for the city of Wolfsburg, but also discuss your wishes and opinions with politicians four times a year in the Children and Youth Commission. This way, adults don't decide about you, but with you!
Your voice counts!

Here are a few examples of what the Youth Advisory Council has done in recent years:

• Actions on the topic of places of fear in Wolfsburg
• Production of the short film "F*ck Sexism"
• Video conference on the topic of "Digitalization in schools"
• Workshops (for example on the topic of "Cyberbullying")
• The Youth Advisory Council runs for one year at a time and is linked to the school year. We usually meet once or twice a month (on site, hybrid or digital).

The Youth Advisory Council runs for a year and always starts with the new school year.

Is this a good fit for you?

• Are you between 14 and 27 years old?
• Would you like to discuss youth-related issues with the administration and politicians on an equal footing?
• Do you want to bring about change in Wolfsburg?

• Register directly online under the following link

The Child-Friendly Municipality is a project of the association "Child-Friendly Municipalities", which is supported by UNICEF Germany and the German Children's Fund.

The project is about the urban implementation of children's rights according to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child with the participation of children and young people. The participating cities can be awarded the "Child-Friendly Municipality" seal during the course of the project. It is valid for a total of four years, after which the city must reapply for the seal.

The city of Wolfsburg has already been a child-friendly municipality since 2014 and is one of the first cities in the whole of Germany to take part in the project.

• Child friendly municipality

The rights of the child were adopted by the member states of the United Nations on 20.11.1989. The United Nations is also called UNO (United Nations Organization). With this, children worldwide get their own rights. These rights were summarized in the so-called Convention on the Rights of the Child, which consists of 54 articles (sections on specific topics). All countries except the USA have signed the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and since then have endeavored to comply with these rights. In Germany, the children's rights have been valid since 1992.

A selection of the most important children's rights:

• Right to education
• Right to parental care
• Right to privacy and non-violent upbringing
• Right to participation
• Right to protection (for example in war and on the run)
• Right to play, leisure and rest
• Right to equal treatment
• Right to health

• Children's rights explained in a child-friendly way
• Children's rights in wording

In and around Wolfsburg there are around 180 playgrounds and ball fields, which are equipped in different ways and are geared to the various interests of children. The playgrounds are looked after and maintained by the city of Wolfsburg.

The Children's and Youth Office is in regular contact with the Green Division and discusses what is next for the playgrounds and ball fields.
In addition, playground checks take place regularly, where the participating children can evaluate the playgrounds they have visited. The results of the playground checks are then taken into account during maintenance, redesign and new planning.

For new playgrounds, playground participations are held so that children can help decide what the finished playground should look like.

• Map with all important places relevant for children and young people

In the children and youth office you will find

Lea Sophie Becker
Social worker/social pedagogue (B.A.)
Phone: 05361 28-2738
E-mail: lea-sophie.becker@stadt.wolfsburg.de

Ida Brandes
Social worker/social pedagogue (B.A.)
Phone: 05361 28-1528
E-mail: ida.brandes@stadt.wolfsbug.de

Yannik Oppermann
Social worker/social pedagogue in the year of recognition
Phone: 05361 28-1990
E-mail: yannik.oppermann@stadt.wolfsburg.de

Mika Krüger
Voluntary Social Year Politics
Phone: 05361 28-2945
E-mail: mika.krueger@stadt.wolfsburg.de

Bianca Liegner
Graduate social pedagogue
Phone: 05361 28-1498
E-Mail: bianca.liegner@stadt.wolfsburg.de

You have finished school?

You are between 16 and 27 years old?

You want to orientate yourself professionally, you want to work with children and young people and at the same time get to know the work with administration and politics? Then apply for the FSJ Politics in the Children and Youth Office Wolfsburg!

You can expect:

• Writing press releases, homepage, Facebook and Instagram contributions
• Preparation, support and implementation of participation projects (e.g. children's advisory council)
• Chance to realize your own project
• Planning and implementation of events (for example, the World Children's Day)
• Collaboration on the action plan "Child-friendly community
• 12 months full of new impressions by September 1
• In addition to the many insights into youth development and the field of work of the Children and Youth Office Wolfsburg, the FSJ offers politics:
• Social security
• Entitlement to child benefit
• Monthly allowance

• Application information

Every year in March, a social worker/social pedagogue joins our team to obtain state recognition.

The year of recognition offers insights into a comprehensive field of work in which the focus is on the realization of children's rights and children's interests within Wolfsburg. For this purpose, there are not only staff resources for child and youth participation, but also for play space planning.

What does the work in the children and youth office entail?

• Participation in the implementation of planning participation
• Representation of the interests of children and young people within the city administration
• Accompaniment and participation in the play space commission and the children and youth commission
• Initiating, accompanying and advising participation projects
• Organization and implementation of committee meetings (Children's Advisory Council and Youth Advisory Council)

Among other things, we offer:

• Independent work in a supportive team
• Creative freedom and realization of ideas
• The possibility of work shadowing in different areas of the city administration
• Getting to know various administrative processes and networking opportunities

For further information, please see the current job advertisement.

• Flyer Children's Advisory Council
• Flyer Youth Advisory Council
• Flyer children and youth office
• Monitoring Report 2021 Child and Youth Participation
• Action plan "Child-friendly community of the city of Wolfsburg - Interim report on implementation 2019 - 2021".
• Child Friendly Community Action Plan 2019 - 2021
• Action Plan "Child-Friendly Municipality 2014 - 2018

• Children's Matters
• Geolino
• ZDF Logo
• Blind Cow
• Kuppelkucker (Children's portal of the German Bundestag)
• Mitmischen (Portal to the Bundestag)
• Click tips
• Outdoor kids
• German Children's Fund

City of Wolfsburg
Children and Youth Office
Youth Division
Seilerstraße 3
38440 Wolfsburg

Telephone: 05361 28-2738 / -1528
E-mail to the Children and Youth Office