"First we had to manage the shutdown, now we're looking ahead with creativity," says Petra Hofstätter, managing director of the Adult Education Center (VHS) Herrsching. And need makes you inventive. Many adult education centers expand their offerings with online formats. Including Herrsching.
Herrsching - The Volkshochschulen in Bavaria collect offers from various Volkshochschulen under the keyword "vhs.daheim" and now make them available to their students free of charge. The offer is collected across Bavaria and updated weekly. The community colleges in the district are currently working flat out to offer and continue as many of the current courses as possible from their own programs online.
"The adult education center offers a cloud for this, to confer or to hold courses," explains Petra Hofstätter. That is why there is currently “an unbelievable amount” to be done, so that even the 70th anniversary of her facility has become an insignificant minor matter.
The current year in Herrsching is not just about celebrations, but also about change. As soon as the new municipal councils start work, the representations of the member municipalities will also be filled. That is one. And in September Petra Hofstätter will hand over the management to Michaela Wirries. "But that's currently all subordinate," says the managing director.
"We are currently trying to put our courses online," says Hofstätter. And that had to be discussed with each individual lecturer. “The situation opens up space for all of us to experiment and gain new inspiration. Now is the chance to familiarize yourself with online tools. "With the already existing, extensive and extensive webinar and livestream program on topics such as photography, finance, technology, religion and languages, we can bar the social distance online," said Veronika Wagner, managing director of VHS Würmtal.
Occasionally, solutions were quickly found in Herrsching. Pilates trainer Andrea Herold, for example, offers face-to-face classes, the photos of which she sends by email. Your running group provides you with interval training and route descriptions. “Your participants think that's good. They are all excited, ”says Petra Hofstätter. A lecturer for Feldenkrais, in turn, is considering sending audio data. "There are no limits for your creativity."
The Herrschingen managing director would also like to continue literacy and integration courses after Easter at the latest. "We are currently examining the technical possibilities," she says. For example, to strengthen the networks in the accommodations. "We have already asked who has old cell phones in the drawer", because not every asylum seeker is technically optimally equipped.
The VHS Starnberger See wants to continue part of the language and health courses online from April to bridge the gap. In Herrsching it should be ready after Easter at the latest. The exchange is possible via "vhs-home" and the VHS cloud - "also as a chat," explains Petra Hofstätter. Of course, everyone has to get used to it first. "We're working on it," she says.