Listening Clubs

With the support of the Hans Hermann Voss Foundation, the Oberberg Education Office has established the concept of Listening Clubs from the Zuhören Foundation at the following six elementary and special schools in the Oberberg district: Heier Elementary School Marienheide, GGS Hülsenbusch, Wiehl-Marienhagen Elementary School Association (at both locations), Grötzenberg Community Elementary School, as well as the Oberwiehl Community Elementary School and the Language Special School in Wiehl, which share a Listening Club.

Listening Clubs create a safe space where children can consciously experience stories, radio plays, and other listening formats. They promote focused listening, language skills, creativity, and exchange about what has been heard. The offerings can be used both in lessons and in open all-day programs, providing all children with low-threshold access to language.

As part of the project, six school locations were equipped with a Listening Club by mid-2026. This included setting up appropriate Listening Club rooms, acquiring technical equipment, and training educational professionals through workshops by the Zuhören Foundation. The organizational and professional support of the project was undertaken by the Oberberg Education Office.

The Listening Clubs complement other measures of the Education Office in the field of continuous language education, such as the Oberberg Reading Initiative. Previous experiences show that the offerings are very well received by both children and educational professionals, making a valuable contribution to language education.