Young people

Education at all levels has become an increasingly important part of the Possehl Foundation’s work in recent years. In close cooperation with the town council, and in dialogue with other foundations in Lübeck, we want to help ensure that nursery schools, schools and youth clubs in Lübeck are able to offer children and teenagers in Lübeck a wealth of opportunities to enjoy learning and acquire life skills – regardless of their social or cultural background.

AZUBI Kolleg

Joachim Herz Foundation  and Possehl Foundation developed and implemented college for apprentices in the Lübeck area “AZUBI Kolleg”.

Germany´s dual system of vocational training is unusual in comparison with other countries and represents a success story. Its vital contribution to training the next generation of qualified specialists and tradespeople makes it an important element of German society. With the “AZUBI Kolleg” our aim is to encourage the apprentices to discover in the course of their apprenticeship the potential that their personality holds and take deliberate steps to make the most of it. The scholarships are awarded by a jury with expertise in the field of vocational training and personal development. The selection process starts in the first year of the apprenticeship and from the beginning of the second year a range of educational opportunities is on offer, including seminar weeks and weekends and networking events. “AZUBI Kolleg” ends with a formal ceremony where certificates are awarded.

Sponsorship of theGRC Swimming Offensive

The number of non-swimmers in Germany has doubled in the past five years: one in five children under the age of eleven cannot swim. There are many reasons for this. Swimming baths had to raise their prices for swimming lessons because of high energy costs, whole cohorts went without swimming at school because the baths were closed during the covid lockdowns, and a general shortage of qualified staff also affects the number of instructors available.

The consequences of this deficit are dramatic: the number of people who drown remains high, although the volunteer lifeguards from the German Red Cross (GRC) and the German Lifeboat Association (DLRG) who monitor sea and lakeside beaches are able to prevent many serious accidents.

So the GRC in Lübeck launched a Swimming Offensive in spring 2023 to improve the situation. Thanks to these additional courses, nearly 300 more children learnt to swim in Lübeck in 2023.