‘Voneinander Lernen!’ is a pilot project that strengthens teachers’ digital skills through mentoring. At its core is direct exchange between experienced educators and young digital experts – an approach that fosters mutual learning. In recent months, secondary schools in Gütersloh, Rostock, Berlin and Nuremberg/Ingolstadt developed a range of projects under the guidance of volunteer digital experts. Participants presented and discussed these projects with the two initiators during the event.
In her welcome address, Liz Mohn emphasised the importance of dialogue, engaging with one another as equals, openness and curiosity as essential drivers of innovation and change. During the subsequent interactive ‘walk-around’, participants showcased their work at themed project stations.
Making learning visible: project stations with practical focus
The ‘walk-around’ offered insight into the diversity and creativity of the individual projects developed as part of the programme. The stations demonstrated how young people take responsibility, expand their digital skills and reflect on social issues.
At the station ‘Kurzgeschichte durch die Linse’ (Short story through the lens), participants presented a digital photo story created using Canva. The project combined creative media work with critical reflection on topics such as colonialism, raw materials and bias in the digital world. The ‘Zukunftsschmiede in Wedding’ (Future lab in Wedding) illustrated how schools can strengthen skills for a digital society. Students spoke about their experiences managing the school’s Instagram account while also learning about the opportunities and risks of social media. Teachers reported on AI training courses at their schools, which had encouraged them to integrate digital media openly and meaningfully into their lessons.
Students developed their own tutoring platform, ‘Learnity’ – by students for students. The project not only facilitated the sharing of subject knowledge but also promoted entrepreneurial thinking. Media literacy was at the centre of the station ‘TikTok entlarven’ (Unmasking TikTok), where participants developed a digital tool to verify the authenticity of news on TikTok using a fact-checking application.
At the station ‘Aus altem was Neues gestalten’ (Turning old into new), students redesigned an existing website for booking a team house. The station ‘Brückenbauer – Voneinander Lernen!’ (Bridge builders – learning from one another) highlighted the intergenerational dialogue that had grown throughout the project. Participants reflected on their experiences of collaboration between younger and older generations.
Additional momentum came from projects such as ‘LaseThat. Zukunft wird gelasert’ (LaseThat. The future is laser-cut), in which students established their own company producing laser-cut wooden products, and the station ‘Schule kann mehr!’ (School can do more), where participants recorded a podcast on topics related to the project and the digital transformation of schools. Elke Büdenbender and Liz Mohn praised the diversity of the individual projects and engaged in in-depth discussions with students, teachers and digital mentors during the ‘walk-around’.
A broad alliance for education and dialogue
The pilot project ‘Voneinander Lernen!’ brought together the Ernst Schering School Berlin, the Evangelisch Stiftisches Gymnasium Gütersloh, the Don Bosco School Rostock and the Gemeinnützige Gesellschaft für soziale Dienste Nürnberg/Ingolstadt (Non-profit Society for Social Services Nuremberg/Ingolstadt). They were supported by young digital experts who provided guidance for implementing new digital projects at the schools. Collaboration across schools, regions and professions was a central element of ‘Voneinander Lernen!’ – in keeping with the spirit of vibrant, intergenerational dialogue.
‘Voneinander Lernen!’ created spaces in which teachers, students, school leaders and digital experts could exchange ideas, test new approaches and jointly develop innovative pathways for digital education. The meeting in Berlin concluded the official project phase. What remains are new networks, strengthened partnerships, and fresh momentum for future-oriented education. In the spirit of the initiators, ‘Voneinander Lernen!’ remains an example of how dialogue, trust and shared commitment can sustainably strengthen education, as Elke Büdenbender emphasised in her closing remarks.
