Excursions to the 'Über den Teichen' workshop in the current summer semester 2025 - insights, exchange and inspiration
Workshops for people with disabilities (WfbM) continue to be the focus of extensive social debates, exemplarily with regard to the realization of participation and inclusion. This semester, a total of 33 students once again dealt with these social debates and the associated foundations of the topic in the course "Das System der Werkstätten für behinderte Menschen (WfbM) - (K)eine Perspektive für Schulabgänger*innen aus vulnerablen Gruppen?" as part of the MAT module in the bachelor's degree course in teaching special needs education/teaching degree for grammar schools and comprehensive schools under the direction of Christoph Burzlaff.
The seminar concluded with excursions to the Über den Teichen workshop in Dortmund, which was visited by students on a total of two days. For many of the students, it was their first visit to a workshop for people with disabilities and they were all able to gain valuable insights into the various areas of the workshop and the everyday lives of the employees. The excursion not only offered theoretical perspectives, but also practical experience and intensive discussions with those involved on site. In addition to visiting a wide range of work areas such as the carpentry workshop, the metalworking shop and digital direct printing, visitors were also able to gain an insight into the vocational training area.
A central component of the excursion was also the personal exchange with the employees and staff of the workshop. Esther Vergara, one of the two managing directors of the Über den Teichen workshop, Stefan Giesecke, head of the educational workshop, and Fabrizio Cozza, representing the employees, spoke openly about their daily tasks, challenges and successes. Critical questions and debatable aspects were not left out in this context, but rather discussed equally.
The excursion left a lasting impression on the participants of the seminar, and the insights gained will continue to inspire reflection beyond the course.
