Bereiche: Education

Thanks to our joint funding with LEONHARD WEISS GmbH & Co. KG and the energetic efforts of various SIXT teams, the former herb garden at the Wartaweil school camp was transformed into an outdoor classroom with a perennial garden. Among other things, weeds were removed, existing beds and walls were repaired, benches were installed on two levels, perennials and shrubs were planted, and paths were laid. 

The Wartaweil school camp is a place for people with and without disabilities to meet, learn, and enjoy leisure activities. With the new outdoor classroom, which is also wheelchair accessible, guests now have a valuable place to learn and meet for outdoor lessons and educational activities, but also as a popular retreat and place to relax.  

Under the motto "Because every child deserves a chance", the Startchance Foundation aims to give disadvantaged children and young people better prospects for the future, with a focus on individual learning support. At six locations south of Munich, pupils are supervised by teachers and learning coaches in weekly learning groups. 

Thanks to the support of the Regine Sixt Children's Aid Foundation TRÄNCHEN TROCKNEN, learning, play and sports materials as well as important technical equipment could be purchased, both for the playful transfer of knowledge and for digital education and the promotion of media skills. 

The sports and play materials such as footballs and basketballs, table tennis bats, board games and craft sets create moments of cohesion, shared learning and happy togetherness, important building blocks for the healthy development of the children. With the additional iPads and printers provided, the children learn how to use digital devices responsibly, conduct targeted research, print out their projects and present them. In this way, they experience appreciation for their achievements and gain motivation: a benefit whose importance can hardly be overestimated. The enthusiasm is great. The Pullach site reports: "A girl who previously had little access to digital media developed an enthusiasm for creative design through working with the iPad and is now already dreaming of perhaps becoming a graphic designer one day. Without the support, she might never have found this opportunity. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!" 

Founded in 2002, the educational organization "Absolute Return for Kids (Ark)" comprises a network of 39 schools in economically disadvantaged areas in London, Birmingham, Portsmouth and Hastings for around 30,000 pupils. The Ark Start nursery program is dedicated to providing every child with access to quality early childhood education, while families have access to flexible and affordable childcare. 

The new Ark Start Globe nursery serves a deprived area of London with little pre-school provision and has now enrolled 53 children, 73 % of whom are from families in the most deprived quintile of child poverty.

The interior of the kindergarten has been furnished with high-quality wooden furniture and materials to create a stimulating learning environment. This includes a corner for imaginative play, a learning area to promote reading skills and math, a sensory area with sand and water and a drawing area to encourage fine motor skills and creativity. The nursery's new outdoor area also includes several areas, including play kitchens, role-play stores and playhouses, as well as a climbing frame, new balance and pedal bikes and other play equipment.

"When children and families returned from the holidays to see the transformed outdoor area there was great excitement. Children have been enthusiastically engaging with the different areas of the playground to aid their development. We couldn’t be more pleased with the new outdoor area and are incredibly grateful for the support from the Regine Sixt Children’s Aid Foundation which made this possible." (Molly Devlin, Director of Early Years at Ark) 

In May, colleagues from Sixt UK were then able to see the project for themselves. "It was an incredibly rewarding moment to see the joy on the children’s faces as they explored and climbed the equipment, using their full imagination to play.” (Andrew Smith, Senior Vice President Sixt UK) 

The school building in Chharka in Dolpo Nepal is located at an altitude of 4,300 meters. Students were previously taught here for only seven months of the year. In the last three years, the building was converted into a passive solar house. Since then, the children's chances of education have increased, as thanks to the insulation of the rooms and the new dormitories, lessons can be held for 10 months per school year. 

Beds, mattresses and furniture for the primary school students to sleep in were financed. This gives them a safe and warm place to stay as an alternative to the long and difficult journey to school. This not only increases attendance at classes, but also improves their school education. 

“Nepalhilfe Beilngries e.V.”, founded in 1992, is a dedicated team that, with the help of numerous friends and sponsors, has succeeded over the years in providing widespread help and support to the population living in Nepal.

In 18 Johanniter children's facilities in Upper Bavaria and Berlin, the existing reading corners were redesigned and in some cases expanded. With new, colorful cushions and bookshelves, the reading corners became more child-friendly, and in some cases a new bookworm moved in. Reading time with the bookworms is an integral part of the children's facilities and serves to promote language skills, especially for disadvantaged children from socially disadvantaged families or children with a migrant background. SIXT employees actively designed and built some of the reading corners. 
 

Since its founding in 1952, the Johanniter-Unfall-Hilfe has been active in a wide variety of social and charitable areas, including rescue and medical services, disaster relief, care and support for the elderly, the sick and refugees, work with children and young people, hospice work and other forms of assistance. 

The expansion of access was supported in 26 school facilities. These are now barrier-free and child-friendly so that all children can participate in school life. The facilities are in rural areas of Kenya, including one in Kakuma, three in Kalobeyei and 21 others in the region. The aim is to create an inclusive and accessible learning environment through ramps, adapted door openers, handrails and barrier-free sanitary facilities.

The CBM Christoffel-Blindenmission Christian Blind Mission e.V. has been working to break the cycle of poverty and disability in developing countries for over 100 years. In 2022, the organization was active in 44 countries and supported 62 million people in the poorest regions of the world. Thanks to CBM's help, around 360,000 children received access to schooling and better living conditions in 2022.

In August and October 2016, strong earthquakes in the Italian regions of Abruzzo, Lazio, Marche and Umbria severely destroyed many places. Many people lost their homes and kindergartens and schools were no longer usable. The damage has still not been fully repaired to this day. The Andrea Bocelli Foundation is particularly active in providing aid after the severe earthquakes. The reopening of the ABF 0-11 Educational Hub in Sforzacosta is the fourth project to be implemented in the region.

The reconstruction of the entire school grounds included sports facilities and modern classrooms as well as the installation of a music lab. In addition to regular music lessons, the children also have access to the instruments outside of school hours. The music lab is a creative and collaborative space in which the children can explore rhythms and melodies through play and improvisation. The activities that can be carried out in this classroom focus on exploring sound and collective creation and combine music, movement and storytelling. The foundation supported this by funding instruments for the new music lab.

The involvement of local clubs and partners brings the new school building to life, and volunteers use the music lab for children and young people. Experiencing music together strengthens social contacts with the aim of conveying respect for the rules that apply when dealing with others and in small groups. A special focus is on unaccompanied foreign minors, who are supported in leisure and music activities, as well as with homework help.

Young patients who cannot attend school because of their illness are often disadvantaged. Sometimes teaching staff come to the hospital regularly or the children have to catch up on a lot of material. A new, innovative idea allows children to attend classes even when they are in hospital. A small robot, a so-called school avatar, attends classes in their place. Thanks to a camera and microphone, the device enables active participation from the hospital bed.

"My classmates often take me to recess and let me sit with them. Then it's almost as if I'm really there, because they talk to me and tell me a lot. I think it's nice to take part in lessons with the avatar, because you have lessons with your own class and that brings a bit of normality back into everyday life," reports Cara, a young cancer patient.

In autumn 2023, the association Initiative krebskranke Kinder München e.V. launched the "School Avatars" project. We supported the project and so far several young patients have been equipped with avatars. The children and young people, but also the teachers, are enthusiastic.

A new music classroom has been installed at Belle Vue Combined School’s. The school is located in the rural community of Belle Vue in the south of the island of St. Lucia. The community is considered the cultural capital of St. Lucia and was inspired by the highly accomplished and multi-talented musicians who also played an immense role in preserving St. Lucia’s rich and proud cultural heritage.

The room for future music lessons has been extensively renovated and fitted with soundproofing so that the adjacent classrooms are not disturbed. Once the final painting work has been completed, the new instruments can be set up. In addition to various percussion instruments, two keyboards, violins, clarinets and microphones were financed.

To mark the opening of the new music classroom, a thank you meeting was held at the school, which was also attended by SIXT employees. The students are excited about the opportunity to learn to play new musical instruments. Many of them are very talented and show great interest. By playing musical instruments, the students learn important skills such as patience, responsibility and how to balance their studies with extracurricular activities. They increase their self-esteem and discipline and learn about new cultures. The goal is for all primary school students to learn at least one musical instrument. The school is supported in this by the Ministry of Culture and local musicians.

In collaboration with the Center for Child Development (ZKE) in Berlin, we have redesigned the waiting area and created new play and learning opportunities. The ZKE Berlin offers comprehensive examination and treatment options for children and young people with various developmental abnormalities from birth to the age of 18. In addition to medical care, the ZKE also provides therapeutic and advisory support to children and their families, especially in daycare centers if there is an increased need for support. 

The project aims to help parents use the waiting time wisely with their children instead of resorting to digital distractions. By creating new play and learning opportunities, we aim to create a stimulating environment that strengthens the bond between parents and children while promoting child development. 

Many thanks to Stefanie, a SIXT employee, who submitted this project to the Regine Sixt Children's Aid Foundation and thus contributed significantly to the success of this project. 

In the area of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), SIXT India focuses on improving the quality of life of disadvantaged communities near its headquarters in Karnataka.

The aim is to continue the commitment we have begun. The first classrooms in the Government Higher Primary School in Palanajogihall were built and equipped as early as 2022. SIXT India is committed to contributing to the good economic development of the region by supporting the local community.

Thanks to the construction of five new classrooms at the Nammura Government Higher Primary School, children can now be taught in modern classrooms. The rooms were inaugurated in the presence of SIXT India and the school management and are also used for guest lessons by SIXT India employees. This motivates children for IT and gives them an insight into the work of experts.

By providing laptops, the foundation supports the Malterser relief service's initial reception center near Leipzig. This means that children and young people can take part in homeschooling and also take part in educational projects. The focus here is on strengthening IT skills and social media and online skills. Games could also be purchased for class breaks and for the younger children so that they can keep busy together regardless of the weather.

“The expected hope that digital skills can be promoted has been confirmed right from the start and laptops are now an integral part. The teachers will continue to incorporate them creatively.”, Rainer Schumacher, Malteser Relief Service