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Social Voluntary Service in Germany

“Freunde der Erziehungskunst
Rudolf Steiners e.V.”


Staying in Germany for one year as a volunteer, working in a curative education center, living together with the people there and gaining experiences; in short: doing a voluntary service.
People from all over the world are invited to apply for a voluntary service in Germany, which is offered by the “Friends of Waldorf Education”.
The volunteers work as co-workers in an institution for social therapy or a curative education center and share the life with the community, as they are usually accommodated within the institution during the voluntary year.
The voluntary service is intended to be a combination of learning and helping. We recognize the volunteers as learners within a new cultural context and a new work place. The voluntary service is supposed to be a form of intercultural exchange and contact with the unknown. At the same time the volunteer contributes with his/her personality and voluntary work to the life of the host institution.


Organization and Assistance
The voluntary service is organized and assisted by the association “Friends of Waldorf Education”. Our association aims to support initiatives that work on the base of Waldorf pedagogy and Anthroposophy all over the world. One way we do this is to enable international voluntary services.

As responsible institution for the voluntary service, the “Friends of Waldorf Education” coordinate the formalities regarding the service, ranging from insurance matters to helping during the process of visa applications. We inform and consult applicants and assist the volunteers and host institutions during the stay. The “Friends of Waldorf Education” provide courses and seminars for the volunteers after the arrival, during the service and at the end of their stays in Germany. Our role is also to mediate and support in cases of conflict or crisis.

Host institutions
During their voluntary service the volunteers work in a social non-profit institution the so-called host institution. At the moment, most of our host instititions are in the field of social therapy, curative education and the care for the elderly. Hence the tasks of the volunteers are usually related to the needs of people who are disabled or elderly and “in need of special care”.

All host institutions within our voluntary service scheme work on the basis of anthroposophy. Many of them are located in a rural environment.
Normally the host insitutions are organized as communities where the employees live together with the persons to be cared for and arrange their everyday lives together. The volunteers are also integrated into the life of the host insitutions.
An insight about anthroposophy and curative education is provided on the homepage www.anthromedia.net

Conditions of Participation
The voluntary service is principally open to all people whose permanent residence is located outside of Germany. They have to be willing to engage with mutual differences, to gain experiences, to learn during the service, bring along a strong motivation for voluntary work, and be ready to share their lives with a social community.

A special education or other formal qualification is not required (with exeption of Waldorf schools and Waldorf kindergartens: in these host projects normaly only people with pedagogical experience or former Waldorf students are placed). It does not matter if someone just has left school, has already finished a study or vocational training or is alreay working.

All applicants, who have no practical experiences in the work with disabled or old people have to do a short internship (at least one week) in a suitable institution in the home country. The internship can also be done be completed after applying. The “Friends of Waldorf Education” can help with providing contact addresses of appropriate institutions.

The minimum age is 18. An age limit does not exist. However, some host institutions have determined age limits.

Since experience has shown that the ability to communicate in German is an important condition for the success of the voluntary service, basic knowledge of German is a precondition. The requirements differ according to the host projects. The language knowledge should be proven by certififcates or in other appropriate ways if possible. In addition the willingness to improve ones German knowledge before and during the voluntary service is assumed.

Time frame
The voluntary service starts in August or September and entails a 12-months stay in the host organization. The time for personal preparation for the voluntary service before the start in Germany has to be added to the 12 months. During the service the volunteers will participate in four accompanying seminars (one week each). These seminars give the opportunity to discuss all the questions the colunteers might have about the organization, the content, and about culture.

Benefits and Costs
During the service the volunteers receives the following benefits:
- a personal allowance of at least 150 € a month
- free room and board, normally in the host insitution
- free health, accident and third party liability insurance
-20 days of seminars (free of charge) after the arrival, during the service and at the end of the stay
- help and assistance from the “Friends of Waldorf Education”

There is no participation fee.
Travel costs to and from Germany have to be paid by the volunteer.


Further Information - How to apply?
You want to know more about the voluntary service in Germany? Please contact the “Friends of Waldorf Education”, preferably via email or phone. Your contact person is Claudio Jax. Information about the application procedure and the required application papers can be found online on www.freunde-waldorf.de

Informationsblatt zum Freiwilligendienst in Deutschland

Internationaler Freiwilligendienst der „Freunde der Erziehungskunst
Rudolf Steiners e.V.“

Information about application deadlines and the application form can be found on www.freunde-waldorf.de