The YUFE team at the University of Bremen has links with several institutions and projects in the region and can provide interested students with the appropriate contacts. Applications are open until March 1, 2022. Contact: Charlotte Simmat, email: charlotte.simmatprotect me ?!vw.uni-bremenprotect me ?!.de 

 “Volunteering not only helps many people, but also develops multiple skills such as teamwork and communication skills, a sense of responsibility, solution-oriented working, organizational skills, the ability to handle conflict, and self-reflection,” says YUFE worker Charlotte Simmat, who oversees the project at the University of Bremen. “For students, these are valuable experiences that they can bring to their studies as well as to their future careers.” In addition to strengthening soft skills, some volunteer activities allow students to apply the knowledge they have gained during their studies.

What kind of volunteering projects does YUFE offer?

In Bremen, the university’s YUFE team works together with the following projects and institutions:

• In the Citizens Science Project GINGER at the University of Bremen’s Center for Work and Politics, citizens and academics work together on research questions on the topic of “social cohesion” with the help of digital tools. GINGER is hoping to involve students from the social sciences or media and communication studies in order to enable citizens to actively participate in the research process. Possible focus areas include the conception, implementation, and evaluation of participation formats, teaching the basics of social science work for different target groups, and joint research activities with Citizen Scientists. www.uni-bremen.de/ginger
• The Bremer Tafel (Bremen food bank) and Bremer Suppenengel (Bremen Soup Angels) distribute food to people in need. The Soup Angels strive for an international exchange of experience with aid initiatives and organizations and would love to receive support from students. www.bremertafel.de/ und www.suppenengel.de/
• In the “Aktives Begegnen” project from the Senator for the Interior, students from the police college meet up with people from refugee backgrounds to break down prejudices. Students with refugee experiences (or whose family have experienced it) organize recreational activities together with police students so that they can get to know each other better. Examples include a joint cooking group and a fitness group. www.pufii.de/nano.cms/initiativen?xa=details&id=580
• The Waller Umweltpädagogik Projekt WUPP carries out environmental education work in the Walle district of Bremen. Students can support various environmental education events, such as children’s groups or environmental education vacation programs. They can also help with the maintenance of the nature area. www.wupp-bremen.de
• The Bremen Volunteer Agency offers a range of projects, such as the “PULS Camp” for young volunteers and the “Balu und Du” mentor program. The “PULS Camp” is a somewhat different vacation camp. For one week, young people can discover various volunteer activities in Bremen. Students who decide to become mentors in the “Balu und Du” project support elementary school children in Bremen during a one-year partnership. Through joint activities, the mentor (“Balu”) becomes an important bonding figure for the schoolchild. www.freiwilligen-agentur-bremen.de/unsere-projekte/

YUFE Certificate for Volunteering

This volunteer work is recognized with a certificate from the YUFE Alliance, known as the YUFE Civic Star. It is part of the YUFE Star system which recognizes student involvement in the areas of volunteering, mobility, language learning, professional training, and job shadowing.

About YUFE

The YUFE  Alliance is supported by the EU, the DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service), and the State of Bremen. It is one of 41 alliances selected in summer 2019 to shape a European university. The network already gives students the opportunity to take academic courses at their respective partner universities in pilot projects. Further opportunities include language courses/tandems/cafés, professional and social skills training, civic involvement activities, physical, virtual, and mixed mobility opportunities, international internships, and support for entrepreneurial initiatives. The alliance also offers exchange and training opportunities for staff from the areas of science, administration, and technology. The first YUFE post-doc positions have already been awarded. In addition, there are opportunities for events and further training for all university employees. YUFE also aims to connect the respective cities and regions while promoting cooperation and exchange.

In addition to the University of Bremen, the network includes the Maastricht University (Netherlands), the University of Antwerp (Belgium), Carlos III University of Madrid (Spain), the University of Eastern Finland, the University of Essex (Great Britain), Nicolaus Copernicus University Torun (Poland), the University of Rijeka (Croatia), the Tor Vergata University of Rome (Italy), and the University of Cyprus.

Further information:

YUFE Civic Star: YUFE Civic Star Fact Sheet:
https://yufe.eu/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/YUFE_CivicStarFactsheet.pdf  
www.uni-bremen.de/yufe  
www.yufe.eu

For any questions:

Charlotte Simmat
YUFE-Team Universität Bremen
Arbeitspaket YUFE in our Cities, Innovation & Entrepreneurship
E-Mail: charlotte.simmatprotect me ?!vw.uni-bremenprotect me ?!.de