Gütersloh, September 10, 2026. The Liz Mohn Foundation has launched its “Change Crafters” project with a kick-off workshop at the Geschwister-Scholl-Realschule secondary school in Gütersloh. The project focuses on the school’s student council, whose members will attend a series of four workshops throughout the 2026/27 school year.
“Change Crafters” tackles the issues students encounter in their day-to-day council work: How can an idea be turned into a workable project? How can a team organize itself effectively? How do you get others interested in a cause? And how can you make a convincing case for your ideas? Students develop practical skills in project and time management, communication, teamwork, conflict resolution, presentation, and democratic participation.
Students develop new skills and see firsthand how their own ideas can become real projects, bring others on board, and produce tangible results. These experiences can strengthen motivation and self-confidence while showing students that they can make a genuine difference in their school community.
“Student councils give young people firsthand experience of what participation means. They develop ideas, take responsibility, and see what their own commitment can achieve. Those are exactly the kinds of experiences we want to encourage through ‘Change Crafters.’ Students gain practical skills while also building confidence in their own ability to make things happen and bring about change,” says Sheila Schilling, who is responsible for the project at the Liz Mohn Foundation.
The opening workshop, “Making the Student Council More Visible,” was led by Bildungswerk für Schüler:innenvertretung und Jugendbeteiligung e.V. (SV-Bildungswerk), an organization that promotes student representation and youth participation. SV-Bildungswerk’s peer-to-peer approach gives students the chance to learn from other teens and young adults who have firsthand experience of student councils and participation projects.
Workshop leaders and students explored what their student council stands for, how it is perceived by others at the school, and how they can encourage more students to get involved. Participants worked on ways to make the student council more visible, attract new members, and show that getting involved can be both enjoyable and a real way to make change happen.
The remaining three workshops during the school year will be led by KinderRechteForum (KRF), a nonprofit organization that works to strengthen children’s rights and give young people a voice. These sessions will focus on other areas that matter in student council work, including teamwork, project management, and communication. Students will be encouraged to put what they learn into practice straight away in their day-to-day activities.
A joint planning workshop with student council members and advisers Lea Stremmel and Sascha Rieke from Geschwister-Scholl-Realschule laid the groundwork for the series. Together, they had identified the support the council needs and the skills its members wish to develop to make their voices heard more effectively among fellow students. The workshop series was then developed around the student council’s needs and the challenges students face in their day-to-day work.
“Change Crafters” gives students the chance to learn through practical experience. True to its learning-by-doing approach, they are not simply participants, but help shape the content and the project itself. They can try out new methods, develop their own projects, and improve how they work together as a student council throughout the school year. The idea is for them to see their skills grow over time, experience the impact of their efforts, and turn their ideas into reality.
