1. students expand their professional skills with the professional internship abroad. 2. the students expand their language skills in English and French. 3. the students expand their social competences. 4. students develop their independence, self-confidence and flexibility (personal competence). 5. students expand their organizational skills. 6. the students expand their intercultural competence.
The Fachakademie für Sozialpädagogik Maria Stern Nördlingen (FAKS) is a private, Catholic and state-approved training center for educators. FAKS has participated in the Erasmus program for over two decades. FAKS offers students the opportunity for a 3- or 4-week internship abroad with Erasmus+. Several professional internships are required as part of the education. The internship abroad with Erasmus+ is recognized for the training and can be completed as a substitute for a mandatory internship in the home country. In various fields of work (crèches, day care centers, elementary schools and after-school care centers), students abroad expand their competencies in the area of professional education and personal development. The students encounter a foreign culture and immerse themselves in its everyday life for a few weeks. In view of the large number of children with a migration background, educators are confronted with cultural diversity in their practice. Through their own experiences of foreignness, they learn to understand what people in a foreign environment need, what they feel and how important language acquisition is for integration into society.