Headphones on, microphone on - and immediately in the middle of it. The radio project week in Trogen was a unique opportunity for the young people from the Schötz upper school to find their voice and start their professional future with new perspectives.
A special radio project week awaited the young people in the children's village. A time in which they dealt intensively with topics such as identity, mutual respect and their ideas for the future after school.
The aim of the week was to give the young people a rucksack full of experiences. As they embarked on a new chapter in their lives, the participants dealt intensively with questions such as: Where am I today? Where do I want to go? How can I achieve my goals?
Between the microphone and self-reflection
Exciting workshops and personal discussions gave them space to express their thoughts and create their own programmes. They researched, discussed and planned radio content together. Not only did the young people learn to critically scrutinise the content and topics, they also took a close look at their own thoughts and actions.
A personal letter, which the young people wrote to their future selves and later received by post, became a written impulse: a lasting reminder of what they want to leave behind and what attitudes, goals or values they want to take with them on their future path through life.
"It was only during the radio project week that I realised how much work really goes into a programme. For me, it was a good exercise in speaking, because I'm usually rather quiet. I gained self-confidence in the process."
Live moments that change
The highlights of the week were the moments when things got serious: Headphones on, take a deep breath - and go live on air. Alessio remembers: "It was only during the radio project week that I realised how much work really goes into a programme. For me, it was a good exercise in speaking, because I'm usually rather quiet. I gained self-confidence in the process."
The opportunity to express themselves through their own voice and be heard was a new experience for many. For Kaya, the week was even groundbreaking: "I think that working in radio and being on air is something for me."
Discovering strength and breaking boundaries
A particularly impressive moment of the week was the so-called breakthrough exercise: the young people were asked to smash a wooden board with their fists - a powerful symbol for overcoming inner blockages and breaking through their own boundaries.
Amelie realised: "If I believe in myself, I can achieve anything. With self-confidence and willpower, nothing can stop me." Alessio also had doubts at first: "I was really nervous and didn't think I could do it. But with the explanation and belief in myself, it worked out in the end."
"If I believe in myself, I can achieve anything. With self-confidence and willpower, nothing can stop me."
The exercise showed that it takes courage and perseverance to push your own boundaries. But if you are determined and believe in yourself, you can turn challenges into real success stories.
It was precisely this courage that was required to sit down in front of the microphone and share one's own thoughts. This moment was about more than just technology or text - it was about showing yourself and taking a stand.
The young people not only found their voice, but also the realisation that their voice can be part of their future: loud, clear and self-determined. The radio project week at the Pestalozzi Children's Village was therefore more than just a stay outside the classroom: it was a journey towards themselves, towards the future - and a personal experience that left its mark.