Ten stages, 200 kilometres, one goal: two school classes from Frenkendorf hike across Switzerland and reflect on their own future. They were accompanied by a class from Sissach and the Pestalozzi Children's Foundation's radio bus, which captured voices and moods from the journey.
It was a long way: 200 kilometres from Frenkendorf (BL) to Beatenberg (BE). For ten days, the pupils from classes 2A and 2B at Frenkendorf secondary school hiked through Switzerland. With them: hiking boots, sun cream and the radio bus from powerup_radio. The mobile radio studio travelled four times with pupils from the Sissach upper school to go on air with the young hikers.
For Elio, 14, the hike was much more than just a school project: "The special thing is that we are probably the only ones who can do the project in exactly this way," he says. For months, the two Basel classes had been raising money through singing performances at flea markets, craft projects and sponsored runs. The idea: not only to symbolically overcome mountains, but also to face real challenges - such as the career choice that many of them are facing.
Bringing attitude to life
Bottom Up was not only the name of the project, but also the attitude conveyed by the teachers. For Elio, the walk was a form of airing out: "Just thinking about your own career ideas, perspectives and needs - or not." The hike didn't offer any ready-made answers, but it did provide space for important questions: Where do I want to go? What do I dare to do? The stages helped them to sort themselves out, with distance from everyday school life, with time instead of time pressure. "It's not just skills A and B that are taught," says Christoph Gloor, a teacher from Sissach, "but real life experiences. "
The project thus hit a crucial moment: shortly before choosing a career, in a phase when orientation can mean more than information sheets. It was about gaining self-confidence: Step by step, with open eyes and without constant sensory overload. The young people not only learnt what they want, but also that they can have confidence in themselves.
"The young people have learnt to communicate with each other, conduct interviews, take part in the design process and make decisions democratically."
Groups become a community
"You could feel the uncertainty at the beginning," says Basel teacher Judith Burkhart, describing the start. But the two classes soon became a community: "It's really remarkable how we've grown together as a unit."
She particularly enjoyed the moments when the youngsters surpassed themselves, despite blisters, tiredness or sunburn.
Gaia, also 14, has felt this change: "In the past, it was often boys against girls in class. Now we all talk to each other, listen to each other and understand each other better. The existing groups are mixing - I hope it stays that way." The hike not only revealed new places, but also new sides to the classmates. Despite often tired legs, a community came together: They enjoyed dinner together in the countryside, ice cream breaks in between or laps on the solar bobsleigh run, somewhere between Baselland and Lake Thun.
Radio bus as a learning environment
While the young people from Frenkendorf travelled on foot, the radio bus travelled with pupils from the neighbouring secondary school in Sissach. Christoph Gloor coordinated the project: "It's a school of life. The young people learnt how to communicate with each other, conduct interviews, take part in shaping the programme and decide democratically."
Media education was not an accessory, but part of the concept. As flying reporters, pupils reported live from the road: about stages, exhaustion and success stories. The children from the two schools planned, produced and broadcast their reports independently, from interviews to moderation. They not only dealt with technology, but also with topics that moved them personally. In a protected environment, they learnt to express their opinions and talk about their wishes, fears and perspectives. The radio project thus became a training ground for articulation, dialogue and co-creation.
The future needs perspective
The project symbolises what the young people are currently experiencing: they are at the beginning of a path that will lead to their future. "I've learnt that I can take a breather before I concentrate on the essentials again," explains Elio. "And I can trust myself to choose the right thing." The student from the Basel region is aiming for a social profession, preferably as a carer or therapist. Gaia also has specific ideas about her career path: "I want to become a dental assistant because there are lots of opportunities for further training." The hike from Baselland to Lake Thun promoted far more than just physical exercise. It broke through familiar structures, not only geographically but also socially. The Frenkendorf pupils supported each other across previous groups, became more open, more courageous and showed more solidarity. At the same time, their confidence in their own ability to act and their skills grew. Anyone who can walk 200 kilometres is confident enough to take the next big steps in life.
The Pestalozzi Children's Foundation's radio projects, including the joint Bottom Up project with Sissach, create spaces in which young people can develop, have their say and help shape things. They learn to use media in a reflective way, to communicate respectfully and to consider different perspectives in social discourse. At the same time, they are encouraged to accept challenges, act independently and deal constructively with disagreements. While radio projects promote expressiveness and media skills, the hiking project opens up valuable space to think, take a deep breath and grow. In the midst of career orientation, a space of experience is created that enables reflection and opens up new perspectives. Those who master challenges over ten days gain self-confidence. Because not every path is equally difficult, but every step counts.