Since 2008, the project "Cooking - Creative Design - Communication" has taken place every Friday afternoon from 1 - 4:30 p.m. during school hours at the FIZ open children's and youth center in Quakenbrück. The project is led by a social pedagogue who is assisted by a pedagogical assistant, a cook and an FSJ. Children from Poland, Romania, Togo, the former Soviet Union and Germany are represented in this project. The goal is for elementary school children with different socialization backgrounds to spend their free time together with their peers in harmony and peace, learning from each other and learning cultural techniques such as proper table manners, preparing and following up meals together, as well as healthy eating, reading and dispute resolution. Strengthening self-confidence is also an important concern, as some of the children have experienced a previously disharmonious socialization. The children leave the project at the end of their primary school years, so we can usually accompany them for at least two years, and in some cases even four years.

For more information, visit www.fiz-quakenbrueck.de.