Youngsters in Kleve County Create Urban Blueprints, Reflecting Their Personal Views on City Planning
In an exciting new initiative, the "Children discover their municipality - a city map from a child's perspective" project is set to actively involve children in shaping their living environment. The project, funded by the Ministry for Children, Youth, Family, Equality, Refugees and Integration of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, will take place in eleven towns and communities within the Circle of Kleve and Lower Rhine region.
The aim of the project is twofold: to give children a voice in shaping their surroundings and to provide adults with a vivid insight into perceptions, needs, and wishes from a child's perspective. André Amourette, head of the "Youth and Family" department, expressed that the project promotes the creativity of children and contributes significantly to democratic education, as children learn that their perspectives count and they can co-responsibly shape their city or community.
Over the course of two project days in each participating town or community, small groups of primary school children with and without refugee experience will explore their city or community, highlight special features, express their wishes, and graphically prepare their route. The project managers will form the groups in collaboration with schools, open all-day care, and youth facilities.
The children's results will be prepared and partially made accessible through various formats, such as exhibitions of city maps or "busy pictures" in the youth centres of the respective municipalities or the presentation of the results at the Respectival of the Circle of Kleve. The "Team Raumstation" of "Discourse Lower Rhine" will accompany the children on site, supported by staff from the youth centres or the communal integration centre.
The participating towns and communities include Bedburg-Hau, Issum, Kalkar, Kerken, Kranenburg, Rees, Rheurdt, Straelen, Uedem, Wachtendonk, and Weeze. Potential participants will be specifically approached by the project staff in coordination with the Circle of Kleve and "Discourse Lower Rhine".
This intercultural creative project is a significant step towards fostering a more inclusive and child-centred approach to urban planning and community development in the Circle of Kleve and Lower Rhine region. For precise and current information on the participating towns and communities in this intercultural project, I recommend consulting official regional cultural websites or contacting the administrative offices of the Kreis Kleve and the Lower Rhine cultural offices. These sources typically publish detailed lists of partners and participants for such projects.
- The "Children discover their municipality" project encompasses education and self-development, as it empowers children to express their perceptions, needs, and wishes about their living environment, thereby fostering democratic education.
- The project's results, such as city maps and "busy pictures," serve as a platform for education and self-development, providing adults with insights into children's perspectives and promoting a more inclusive and child-centered approach to urban planning.
