Oberberg Education Office presents prizes to the winners The Oberberg Education Office once again honored the commitment to Reading Day 2025 with a raffle and has now presented the prizes to the winners.

In 2025, numerous daycare centers and schools in the Oberberg District once again participated in the Nationwide Reading Day. More than 70 reading activities were held on Nationwide Reading Day 2025 in the Oberberg District, reaching over 6,000 children, teenagers, and adults through the Oberberg Educational Network. The Oberberg Education Office once again honored this commitment with a raffle and has now presented the prizes to the winners.

Eine Gruppe von sieben Personen steht in einem Raum mit einer dekorativen Kulisse, die Bäume und ein Haus zeigt. Zwei Personen halten ein Dokument hoch. — Official award ceremony at the Heier Elementary School in Marienheide: (from left to right) Katja van Wickeren, educational staff member at the Oberberg Education Office; Birgit Steuer, head of the Oberberg Education Office; Claudia Knoche, principal of the Heier Elementary School; Verena Brand and Katja Hötzel, teachers and organizers of Reading Day at the Heier Elementary School; Peter Lenz and Vera Zielberg from AggerEnergie (Photo: OBK)

The main prize was awarded to the Heier Elementary School in Marienheide: a hot air balloon ride by AggerEnergie. On Nationwide Reading Day, the school organized a diverse program: students were able to choose from various reading activities and sign up in advance. The day was conceptualized and implemented by Verena Brand and Katja Hötzel, who will now also redeem the balloon ride. “For us, reading is far more than a single event in the year. It opens access to language for children, strengthens their understanding of stories, and creates shared experiences that have a lasting impact on everyday school life,” emphasizes principal Claudia Knoche. “We are always happy to support Nationwide Reading Day in the Oberberg District each year, as (reading aloud) is simply an important cornerstone for education,” says Peter Lenz, Head of Corporate Communications at AggerEnergie.

Additional prizes for daycare centers and schools

In addition to the main prize, other institutions were recognized: The Johanniter Daycare Center Bielstein received a reading box from the Reading Foundation worth 250 euros. There too, Nationwide Reading Day was organized with great dedication. “The children participated in the reading activities with great enthusiasm,” says educator Jessica Popp.

Mehrere Kinder betrachten und halten verschiedene bunte Bücher. Die Szene zeigt Hände, Bücher und teilweise Oberkörper der Kinder. — The children enthusiastically unpacked the box and immediately began browsing through the new books. (Photo: OBK)

The reading box for elementary schools was awarded to the Community Elementary School Nümbrecht. There, Reading Day was designed with numerous activities related to different books. The children not only listened but also got creative: matching craft projects were created based on the stories, which they proudly shared afterward. “Reading becomes especially vivid for children when they can actively participate. The combination of stories and creative crafting led to significant participation and visible joy,” said class leader Anna Lauer. Additionally, four trips to the Picture Book Museum in Troisdorf were raffled off. The reading boxes and trips were made possible by the Hans Hermann Voss Foundation. The raffle was supplemented by tickets to regional museums.
The next Nationwide Reading Day will take place on November 20, 2026. In 2026, daycare centers, schools, and other institutions are again invited to participate with their own activities and set an example for reading. Registration is already possible:

Website for Reading Day in the Oberberg District