Preparing for the Arrival of Unaccompanied Minor Refugees

It had been clear since the spring of 2015: Steinmühle would take in young refugees to give them the opportunity to gain a foothold in our educational system. After the necessary organizational and staffing arrangements were put in place over the summer in close cooperation with the Marburg Youth Welfare Office, students and teachers were prepared for the arrival of the new students through a series of meetings held on October 13.

At the faculty meeting, the school administration and Mr. Meineke, director of the Youth Welfare Office in the university town of Marburg, provided information about the situation of the refugees and the plan that has since been developed to help the young students adjust to our educational system and our culture.

Similarly, all classes were prepared that morning for the arrival of their new classmates. Here, too, Ms. Müller—a staff member working under Youth Welfare Office Director Meineke—was able to illustrate the refugees’ situation very vividly, having herself faced this very challenge years ago when she arrived from Eritrea.