“Football meets culture”: Schalke helps! as a guest at the rainbow school in Gelsenkirchen

“Football meets culture”: Schalke helps! as a guest at the rainbow school in Gelsenkirchen

Imparting skills for life – that is the aim of the integrative educational program “Football Meets Culture” (FtK). Launched in 2009 by the LitCam in Frankfurt, it has been offered throughout Germany since 2012 in cooperation with the DFL Foundation. Schalke helps too! supports the program as part of its social commitment. Last week, the club’s own foundation visited the Schalke Rainbow School in Gelsenkirchen.

The non-profit organization LitCam shows how education, sport and culture can set the course for a successful education and life for young people through successful passing. “Football meets culture” not only conveys educational content and strengthens the motivation to learn – the combination of remedial classes, football training and cultural activities improves the social and communicative behavior of children and conveys important values ​​such as respect, tolerance, fairness and team spirit. The project includes a total of 35 program groups in 23 cities, including the Schalke Rainbow School.

“We are pleased that with ‘Football Meets Culture’ we are supporting a program that has set itself the task of having a positive influence on the development of children in need. Because that’s exactly what we want to achieve here in Gelsenkirchen.”

 “In addition to the Schalke Rainbow School, the Friedrich Grillo School and the Berger Feld Comprehensive School are also part of this great project.”

Sebastian Buntkirchen, Director for Fans and Sustainability at Königsblau and Managing Director of Schalke hilft

During a visit to the Schalke district, the association’s own foundation met enthusiastic and motivated children.

“The anticipation of the remedial lessons, which take place twice a week, is particularly great among the 24 participants in the 3rd and 4th grades,”

 Teacher Bernadetta Lamch

Together with a colleague, she has taken over the program management at the elementary school. As with football, the remedial lessons are divided into two halves of 45 minutes each. While one group starts in the classroom, the other half can start soccer training in the gym.

In German class, the students dealt with the planning of a training session that day. Together they considered which exercises are necessary to improve endurance and shooting techniques. The enthusiasm for football enabled lively lessons in which all the children participated diligently. In the gym, too, everyone was having fun and zealously involved. After a warm-up game, the group practiced passing, dribbling and shooting to end up playing two teams against each other.

“Our FtK program at the Schalke Rainbow School started in 2011. Whenever I visit the program location, I am always happy to see how positively the children are developing and how much fun they are with it.”

 “It’s also great for me to see all the teams play at the big final tournament and to experience their enthusiasm.”

Karin Plötz, director of the LitCam

This tournament is also a highlight for children who love football. To this end, the rainbow school will travel to the Ruhr Games in Duisburg on June 8, where it will play against other elementary schools from all over Germany for victory.