Award Seminars in Germany: Overview

Basics

1. Like the Award, the Award’s motto “There is more in you than you think!” originates from Kurt Hahn. Award courses are aimed to make more Award leaders deeply understand it’s meaning and thus make it happen for more and more young people.

2. For this aim, Award seminars don’t just introduce into the Award Handbook (and other Award media) and explain its main contents, but also and even more try to offer the participants of these courses a “live experience” of the Award via “Learning by Doing”.

3. Just like Award helpers, trainers in Award courses are basically not supposed to act for themselves but to make the participants act (e.g. short presentations, mini expedition, participants’ interviews & profiles, management game).

4. Courses are more like a project than just a set of different lessons. They need more space, time, resources (e.g. equipment, working materials, photocopier, rural country), trainers, documentation – and (partially) Award participants.

5. In just five years “Alte Bahnmeisterei” developed into just the best place (in the world?) for running this kind of seminars. And the best seminar we are offering here is the International Award Summer School.

System

1. Seminar system according to the German Award System

   1. Award groups (units): Award Leaders Course

   2. Operating Authorities Award Officers Course

   3. …

2. Forms

   1. Courses

   2. Conferences

3. Flexible

   1. Courses can be adopted (“angepasst”) to different kinds of participants

   2. Award leaders can choose from different kind of courses

4. Coherence and Integrity

   1. Courses are managed and lead by NAA

   2. Course leader is supported by local trainers, who are trained and accredited (for three years) by NAA

5. Rules: “Lehrgangsordnung” as a part of the Award license agreement

6. Instruments

   1. Internet

   2. Alte Bahnmeisterei

   3. Summer School