The project goals are aligned with both the foundational subject matter and the newly introduced specialized topics, known as cross-cutting tasks, within educator training. Participants in the project are expected to engage substantively with these themes and proactively drive their own professional development. Central activities during the project implementation involve translating fundamental socio-pedagogical knowledge, skills, and abilities into practical application under guidance. The first international internship places emphasis on observation and documentation procedures. In the second and third internships, the focal points shift towards planning, execution, and reflection of pedagogical actions. The third internship also introduces pedagogical-conceptual aspects. The project participants contribute to the implementation of cross-cutting topics such as participation, inclusion, prevention, language development, value communication, and media pedagogy. On-site subject research and the development and testing of suitable didactic-methodological units are central to these activities. The aim of project implementation is for the participants to successfully navigate the internships in Europe, along with their diverse and multifaceted demands. This is to enable them to adeptly apply their experiences to confidently address the requirements of future professional practice within an international context.
The background for the proposed project stems from the successful European activities conducted in the field of educator training for the past 25 years. The experiences accumulated there have coalesced into the realization that establishing a European-compatible foundation for socio-pedagogical practical expertise is immensely beneficial, particularly in the realm of educator training. This brings forth numerous advantages for the respective project participants, as well as for a Europeanized job market within the field of social pedagogy in the future. As a crucial educational objective within the European strategy of the Neumünster School of Social Pedagogy, fostering the exchange of individuals from diverse backgrounds holds paramount importance. We perceive this exchange as an opportunity not only for personal growth at an individual level but also for the advancement of groups and organizations (such as institutions where our graduates will later work). Educational stays abroad contribute to the development of both learners' and educators' intercultural competencies. The state of being foreign, the state of being different, thereby loses its aura of peculiarity and transforms into an everyday occurrence. Guided by this perspective, the graduates of our school carry with them, into their future workplaces, an approach that aids in fostering tolerance and understanding. This is of special significance to us, given the societal progressions within Germany and Europe.