My name is Linda Stuckmann and I have been part of the world of child and youth welfare for almost 10 years now. I started out as an educator in the elementary school sector, then dedicated myself to child and youth welfare and my studies in social work. Finally, I became fascinated by the school system. For about 4 years now, I have been working as an integration specialist in the secondary school sector at a special school with a focus on learning and emotional social issues.
It gives me great pleasure to accompany the small and big (learning) successes of the children and young people, to encourage them in their skills and to give them courage for what they have not yet practiced so well.
In addition, the profession of social worker offers me the opportunity to use my strengths such as openness, flexibility, creativity and empathy in my daily work and in the team.
My colleagues are grateful for my view of the children's needs and issues. I help them to assess the children's level of development and prepare their lessons accordingly. They appreciate my didactic and methodological approaches and involve me more in the lessons.
By closely accompanying the pupils and engaging in an intensive exchange with the parents, I was able to gain experience in working with parents as well as in counseling and help plan discussions.
As part of my work, I was also able to gain insights into the school's cooperation with other youth welfare institutions, external counseling services (KJP) and the youth welfare office.
During the lockdown, I was able to help out in the 5 day group at CJG Haus Miriams and got to know other child and youth welfare structures there.
For about a year now, I have also been providing support on issues relating to sexuality. This January, I completed my further training as a sex educator. In my opinion, sexuality and the associated topics should be given attention in every age group, for example through preventative projects.
Youth centers in Germany are open to young people aged 12 and over. The children can move freely around the premises and come and go as they please.
Young people between the ages of 12 and 21 lived in this youth hostel. The adolescents were unable to live at home due to family problems. Some of them also had challenging behavior and needed support to manage their everyday lives.