Information on ways to get involved

Several associations and student organizations have also demonstrated their dedication to the cause. Staff members at the University of Bayreuth have also initiated new collaborations in which students can get involved in helping refugees, for example:
 

• Bunt statt Braun – Gemeinsam stark für Flüchtlinge e.V. organizes (often in cooperation with the Student Parliament) regular football games, clothing drives, etc.
  
  
• Since April 2015, Amnesty International – Gruppe Bayreuth has been offering information sessions (held at the Bunt statt Braun headquarters) on the asylum interview process.
  
  
• www.aufeintreffenmit.de: This website provides an overview of volunteer opportunities in Bayreuth in the area of asylum and integration.
  
  

• Pilot project Transcultural Skills and Health: collaboration between the nursing unit of the Bayreuther Klinikum and the University of Bayreuth’s Departments of Ethnology/ Social Anthropology. The purpose of the project is to facilitate refugees’ initial contact with the German healthcare system and to assist the Klinikum Bayreuth in communicating with non-German speaking patients.

• The Project "Sport verbindet", established by staff and students at the  Department of Sport Science offers support by picking up and accompanying refugees to the University’s sport facilities.

• Das Project "SPUNT - SPort ist bUNT", developed by the Department of Sport Science in cooperation with the congregations of the Erlöserkirche, St. Hedwig, and the Friedenskirche as well as various sports clubs in Bayreuth – offers children and unaccompanied minors who are refugees a range of opportunities to play and do sports. Sponsors include the AltStadtTeam which donated over 250 EUR.

• Language support programme: Chair of German Linguistics Prof. Karin Birkner initiated the language support programme. Students at the University of Bayreuth can volunteer to help teach German to the children in the transitional classes at Bayreuth’s Luitpold-Grundschule. It takes a playful approach to helping children who recently arrived from abroad to pick up the German language.

• Career plan advising is also available for refugees. Participants in the German courses also receive career guidance to prepare them for the time after their courses. If you are interested, please contact refugees@uni-bayreuth.de.
  
  

• In Winter Semester 2016/17, Intercultural Music-Making will be held each Wednesday from 7 to 9 p.m. in the building located at Geschwister-Scholl-Platz, most likely in “H1 (Aula)”. It will involve making music, getting to know one another, as well as learning from and teaching the others in the group. For more information, please contact collmus@uni-bayreuth.de.

• Student group "Enactus": this group offers application training for refugees and passes along apprenticeship offers. More information can be found at: http://bayreuth.enactus.de/blog/projekte/empowering-refugees/

• www.daz-portal.de: language support material and opportunities
  
• www.proasyl.de: tips on volunteer work with refugees
  
• www.blsv.de: Integration by getting involved in sports clubs - BLSV offers sports insurance for refugees.
  

More and more refugees are interested in studying in Germany. This poses new challenges for universities and associations for student affairs: what are the regulations relating to asylum and residence status that apply to refugees interested in studying at a university? What should be kept in mind with regard to refugees when it comes to admission and enrolment? What kinds of student funding opportunities are available to refugees? Are there support services that traumatized refugees can take advantage of?

The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees together with the Standing Conference of Ministers, the German Academic Exchange Service, the German Association for Student Affairs, and the German Rectors’ Conference published the brochure "Flüchtlinge an der Hochschule – eine praxisorientierte Handreichung" (PDF) to provide answers to these question.

Many educators in the region provide instruction for refugee children. Regular instruction is generally a real challenge due to language diversity in the classroom. There are usually major differences with regard to age, educational level, and nationality.

The University of Bayreuth has been offering a continuing education programme for educators in German as a Foreign Language since Winter Semester 2012/2013. The programme is made up of 10 modules offered as compact weekend seminars at regular intervals. Students receive a university certificate after successful completion of the programme.

Additional information (module handbook, courses) as well as important documents and contacts can be found on the homepage of the Chair of Teaching German Language & Literature:

http://www.didaktikdeutsch.uni-bayreuth.de/de/Studium/Didaktik_des_Deutschen_als_Zweitsprache/index.html

We look forward to meeting you!

The Institute for Teaching German as a Foreign Language

The University of Bayreuth’s intensive German courses have been operating successfully since October 2015. Many of the 64 participants (as of Winter Semester 2016/17) must travel from many different parts of Upper Franconia, for example Lichtenfels, Gefrees, Neuenmarkt, and Pegnitz. For this reason, the University of Bayreuth has started a fundraising campaign to help cover the public transportation costs involved.

Naturally, these costs vary. However, depending on where the refugees’ accommodations are located and the public transportation options available, the costs range from one hundred to several hundred Euros per month. This is money that the refugees need in order to take part in the language courses and acquire the necessary basis for successful integration and education. If you would like to contribute by making a donation towards these public transportation costs, please direct your payment to the following donation account:

Universitätsverein Bayreuth e.V.
Sparkasse Bayreuth
BLZ: 773 501 10
Account №: 901 585 0
IBAN: DE 37 7735 0110 0009 0158 50

Please enter “Refugees Welcome” as the reference of the transfer, along with your postal address (if you wish to receive a donation receipt). The University of Bayreuth thanks you for your support.

The following persons are responsible for coordinating volunteer activities supporting refugees in Bayreuth and the surrounding region.

Volunteer Coordinator, Town of Bayreuth
Ibukun Koussemou
Phone: +49 (0)921 / 251740
E-mail: ibukun.koussemou@stadt.bayreuth.de

Volunteer Coordinator, Bayreuth (administrative district)
Silvia Herrmann
Phone: +49 (0)921 / 728455
E-mail: demokratie-leben@lra-bt.bayern.de

Asylum Coordinator, Town of Bayreuth
Nancy Kamprad
Phone: +49 (0)921 / 251325
E-mail: nancy.kamprad@stadt.bayreuth.de