iCHANCE

The German Federal Literacy Association (Bundesverband Alphabetisierung und Grundbildung e.V.) has a large network (including adult education centers, career advisors and vocational schools) that works with educationally disadvantaged young adults.

Areas of particular concern

• It is difficult to motivate young adults to take part in traditional literacy and basic education courses following a failed school career.
• There is no workable plan for approaching and consulting with the target group, i.e. young adults.
• With the exception of individual initiatives, there are no literacy and basic skills courses designed to appeal to the younger generation and keep its interest.
• Functional illiteracy in the wider public arena is a taboo issue.

It is becoming more and more urgent to solve the problems of young adults with low literacy skills. A systematic analysis of the current situation, looking at young people's attitudes towards life and education, must be seen through to enable the design of new plans for addressing, counseling and motivating youth. At the same time, an evaluation process must be in place to monitor the progress and success of such plans while they are being implemented. Systematic analysis and data evaluation of this kind hasn't been carried out in Germany so far.

The iCHANCE project looks into what is needed to address the group in question and promote education among functionally illiterate young people and young adults not used to a learning environment. It also works out open, youth-oriented information, consultation and motivational plans that take the reality of the economic situation and employment into consideration, and puts these plans into practice. In an informal setting using multimedia support, the iCHANCE project has also developed and tested ways to offer the target group the opportunity to become acquainted with the idea of basic education and the learning of basic skills.

Our main goals are:

• To gather and review existing plans to address the promotion of (basic) adult education on both a national and international scale.
• To develop, test and publicize innovative methods for raising the public's awareness of learning programs in order to reach people, particularly young adults, who have had little experience with reading and writing courses.
• To encourage and motivate learning in an informal atmosphere by using new media and technologies, such as the mobile phone, creating a link to (informal) learning opportunities.
• To improve the programs available to young people for basic education.
• To promote already existing teaching and learning plans in project area 2: a³: Alphabetisierung. Arbeitswelt. Ausbildung [Literacy. Employment. Education], which focuses on the target group of young people and young adults who are not used to learning.
• To raise public awareness of the needs of people who have insufficient basic education and difficulties with the written word.

Awareness-Campaign
"Don’t write yourself off. Learn to read and write!" The iCHANCE project directly addresses young adults through a multimedia campaign and helps motivate them to participate in basic education programs. According to project director Timm Helten, "Stars are role models for young people. When artists’ are involved with iCHANCE, they promote better basic education and give disadvantaged young people the courage to change something in their lives."

Many companies and artists already support our iCHANCE Campaign, including Google, YouTube, the E-Plus Group, Grey Worldwide, bands and musicians like Peter Fox, Samy Deluxe, K.I.Z., Clueso, Culcha Candela, Beatsteaks, Donots, and Muff Potter, and Viva host Collien Fernandes.

A special YouTube partner channel, supported by Google in Germany, has posted interviews and statements from artists and entertainers encouraging young people to get basic education and improve their reading and writing skills. This idea was launched on International Literacy Day in 2008.

Download
Campaign PDF
Research PDF

Get in touch:

Bundesverband Alphabetisierung und Grundbildung
iCHANCE
P.O. Box 10 02 53
48051 Münster

Timm Helten
Fon: +49 (0)2 51.49 09 96-31
Fax: +49 (0)2 51.49 09 96-33
t.helten@alphabetisierung.de