Press releases

How can integration succeed when children explore nature together, engage in creative activities, and showcase their own talents? Members of the City of Aachen’s Committee on Equal Opportunity and Integration found answers to this question during their visit to the “HirschGrün Community Garden” project at KGS Beeckstraße.

At the January 21 meeting of the Committee on Equal Opportunity and Integration, Barbara Brouwers (artist) and Nina Schneider (principal of KGS Beeckstraße) presented the project “WE KIDS Show Our Diversity in the HirschGrün Community Garden!” which aims to promote the children’s social, emotional, and creative development, strengthen their integration and language skills, and open up new spaces for learning and interaction through weekly workshops in nature as well as complementary interdisciplinary projects.

The Committee on Equal Opportunity and Integration has already provided funding for this successful project on several occasions. Now, the committee members were able to see the results for themselves on site—and they are impressive. Over the course of several months, the third-grade students have been working together with artist Barbara Brouwers and numerous partners in the HirschGrün community garden, in museums, and at their school. The project has not only produced creative works of art, documentation, and a project film, but above all, it has fostered new connections, boosted self-confidence, and created a vibrant sense of community.

The children explore biodiversity in the community garden, learn about bees, plants, and ecological relationships, and at the same time bring their own cultural experiences and languages to the project. The combination of experiencing nature, artistic work, and language development has been particularly successful. Many children take on responsibility, present their findings to the public, and develop new skills that extend far beyond the classroom.

The committee members were impressed by the project’s lasting impact. They particularly highlighted the close collaboration between the school, the artists, the HirschGrün community garden, the Aachen Museum Service, and other partners in the neighborhood, as well as the high level of participation by families.

The project is now regarded as a successful example of how educational, cultural, and integration efforts can be effectively combined. The committee’s visit made it clear that the funding provided has had a lasting impact—on the children, their families, and the entire neighborhood.

Contact: ausschuss-cui@mail.aachen.de