91桃色

The name is a metaphor: we want to help people set their sails for life. It鈥檚 not about accompanying them forever, but about making their start easier so they can sail off on their own. For us, education is the key to that. 

Our goal is to provide children and young people from socioeconomically disadvantaged families with better access to education, enabling them to lead self-determined lives. What unites us is a strong sense of community: we are a club where students are genuinely present on the ground and see what鈥檚 happening firsthand. 

Currently, we have four ongoing projects. We support Lichtblick Hasenbergl, an organization that provides one-on-one care for children. During the science project week, we do experiments with kindergarteners, for example, inflating a balloon to power a small car. We also offer tutoring for students transitioning from third to fourth grade. In addition, there鈥檚 the 鈥淜inderuni鈥� (Children鈥檚 University), where we aim to inspire students with engaging lectures on topics that go beyond the regular curriculum, for example, explaining how a rocket works. Another project, called 鈥淲ellenbrecher鈥� (Wave Breaker), will launch this fall for secondary school students. We will support them with workshops focused on career orientation. 

I study Informatics, which isn鈥檛 exactly known for being a diverse field. Of course, there are women in Informatics, but the majority are men, and many tend to think quite similarly. What I find great about diversity is that it brings entirely different ways of thinking 鈥� thanks to the various perspectives people contribute from their life experiences. When you combine that diversity, you always get better solutions than if everyone thinks in the same direction. 

At Sailsetters, almost every discipline is represented: medicine, law, business administration, economics, education, German studies, informatics, mechanical engineering, mathematics, and many more. Working directly with the kids and young people has also opened my eyes to new perspectives. I鈥檝e encountered very different realities that I otherwise wouldn鈥檛 have come into contact with. That experience has also made me more humble. Diversity holds tremendous potential 鈥� but we need to actively foster and consciously embrace it. 

I was very impressed by the conversations with Lichtblick Hasenbergl, an organization which provides intensive support to children from kindergarten age through to the completion of their vocational training. There, I learned how important it is to support young people throughout their education. Often, both parents work all day, and the teenagers take on a parental role themselves by caring for their younger siblings. 

This responsibility is enormous 鈥� and often invisible from the outside. Schools might only see that someone is frequently absent or sick, but behind that often lies a heavy burden at home. At the same time, the expectations of others play a significant role. For example, if no one in your environment ever thought you would pursue vocational training, you might not even consider trying. 

There鈥檚 a striking statistic comparing children from academic and non-academic families: who completes a bachelor鈥檚, a master鈥檚, or a PhD? The differences depend heavily on the educational background of the parents.

It wasn鈥檛 always easy. I tried to motivate the children and young people without imposing anything from the outside. One feels responsible, yet at the same time does not assume the role of an educator. What helped me was being on the same level as the kids because I鈥檓 around their age. 

Working with the club was almost even more challenging. I learned that responsibility only works if you also allow room for creativity and initiative. The more I succeeded in doing that, the more rewarding it was to see people engage deeply in their areas. The first year involved a lot of organizing. The second year was about showing people they can do it 鈥� that they can step out of their comfort zone, for example, speaking in front of 500 people at a lecture. Those moments were very valuable to me: I felt like I was making a small contribution to helping others grow, discover new things, and become braver. 

Absolute equality is an ideal we will never fully achieve. But it is the state鈥檚 responsibility to create a baseline that ensures equal opportunities. At first, I wondered whether I should get involved politically. For me, though, the idea of helping directly on the ground felt more tangible 鈥� you can immediately feel the impact you鈥檙e making. 

That said, the issue needs more political attention. It鈥檚 important that our society is fair. An even stronger argument is that, as a society, we waste incredible potential. How many great engineers, doctors, artists, or craftsmen are lost because we don鈥檛 give them the chances they deserve? 

From an economic perspective, investing in education and equal opportunity is the right move. Every euro invested in education is valuable 鈥� because its impact lasts a lifetime. That's why educational equity isn't just about fairness 鈥� it鈥檚 also a smart economic investment. 

I believe a major sticking point is the tripartite school system, where children are placed into different types of schools after fourth grade. At such a young age, this placement says nothing about what they might achieve later. I find it problematic that the school system decides so early on which path a child will take. 

In general, I think we should question whether it鈥檚 necessary to give grades as early as elementary school. Of course, comparability needs to be established at some point 鈥� but how we do it matters. We need to be aware of the image we鈥檙e sending children about themselves. 

Another big issue, in my view, is German language instruction 鈥� especially for kids who don鈥檛 grow up speaking German at home. Many problems in the education system stem from exactly this. If you haven鈥檛 mastered the language yet, it鈥檚 obviously hard to follow lessons. That鈥檚 why early intervention is crucial. Being able to truly learn the language is probably the most important thing of all. 

My biggest takeaway from this experience is that so much is possible when you get involved and just start doing it. For me, it was a powerful experience of self-efficacy 鈥� and I realized how much I enjoy empowering others. 

If you can achieve a lot and have the chance to attend great universities 鈥� I鈥檓 about to start my master鈥檚 at Oxford, for example 鈥� that鈥檚 of course amazing. But I also believe that with this privilege comes a social responsibility: you should use your opportunities for something meaningful and give back to society. 

Above all, I want them to believe in themselves. To know that they are amazing people and that they can achieve everything they set their minds to 鈥� even if their environment tries to tell them otherwise. They are better and stronger than they or others think!