The municipality of Windeck comprises approximately 19,000 residents spread across 66 villages in the Rhein-Sieg district.
(Photo: © CC-BY-SA, Jiri Hampl/Tourismus Windecker Ländchen e. V.)
All types of families in Windeck should enjoy equal opportunities and participation, with political participation beginning even among the youngest children in kindergarten. Given the high level of cultural and linguistic diversity, programs are designed to be inclusive and integrative.
The municipality has one of the highest birth rates in the district, and about 18 percent of its residents are under 18 years of age.
With its “Workbook on Family-Friendliness,” the municipality of Windeck presents an initiative that consistently takes families into account across all administrative areas. With this, it impressed the jury at the State Award for Family-Friendly Municipalities and was honored in the “Small Town” category.
Here, we’d like to introduce you to some of the municipality’s offerings. Further information, links to the project descriptions, and details about the North Rhine-Westphalia State Award can be found in the sidebar.
Through the website wi-ju.de (Windeck’s Youth), children and teens in Windeck can anonymously submit suggestions, share their thoughts and concerns, and view information about the youth center. The platform is being further expanded in collaboration with young people. The platform also facilitated the participation of children and teens in the decision to build a mobile pump track as part of the Hertie Foundation’s “Youth Decides” project.
From an early age, children and young people in Windeck should be able to participate in political decision-making in an accessible way. To this end, it is important to be aware of opportunities for participation and to practice expressing one’s opinions. In Windeck, kindergarten and elementary school children are involved in planning the play equipment for their facilities. In addition, there are children’s parliaments at elementary schools and daycare centers, to which the mayor is invited.
There are also plans to introduce an “8th-Grade Council,” composed of eighth-grade students, to decide on the allocation of financial resources through a democratic role-playing exercise.
“LiLa-Zeit” is a “Read & Listen” session featuring storytelling and read-alouds. Through play, refugee and newly arrived children of preschool age can engage with stories and words. Stories are brought to life through movement and the use of natural materials, light, and theatrical props. The goal is to firmly anchor reading aloud and engagement with language and storytelling in the children’s daily lives.
The cities of Hamm, Gladbeck, and Brühl; the district of Düren, with its 15 member cities; and the municipality of Dörentrup were also recognized for their innovative, family-friendly initiatives . The projects range from family-oriented intergenerational initiatives to family-friendly city halls.
