The numbers for 2019 were more than okay, but in the meantime Vhs Eching has also been caught full of Corona.
Nevertheless, managing director Doris Fähr is optimistic about the future.
Eching - In the past year, the world was still okay for Vhs Eching, even very okay.
Because the local educational institution presented one of the most successful semester plans in its 50-year association history.
At the general meeting postponed to autumn due to Corona, managing director Doris Fähr summed up impressive numbers for 2019.
5449 participants in 505 courses
505 courses with 5449 participants took place, offered by 184 freelance course instructors.
As Fähr explained, the social, political and social issues of our time as well as the changed professional needs are reflected in the thematic priorities such as climate, environment and sustainability or the “Action Alliance against Racism” and in the constant reorientation of the course program Education, family life and leisure behavior.
In this context, she mentioned the initiatives for “Urban Gardening”, which has meanwhile established itself as an independent “Community Garden” project, and the pilot event organized by the Vhs for the award of the community as “Fairtrade Town”.
Another highlight with a local and historical reference was the well-attended lecture “In the footsteps of the past” in the community center, in which the sensational archaeological finds during the development of the new Eching-West building area were examined.
There was a lot of recognition from all sides for the EU event "Eching in Europe" in spring 2019, at which the political parties and groups promoted voting for the European elections and provided information about their European political orientation.
And so it could have happily continued in 2020. The lockdown from mid-March initially forced an abrupt interruption of the courses in the spring semester, which ultimately had to be "settled".
Some of the participants donated the course fee that had already been paid, a gratifying sign of solidarity.
The uncertain development "in the absence of reliable information with completely unclear future framework conditions", according to Fähr, has demanded the highest degree of flexibility and spontaneity from the four-person Echinger Vhs team to this day.
This resulted in a combination of online and outdoor strategies, both supported by great commitment and creativity on the part of the course instructors, who are also willing to embrace new “hybrid formats” (combination of face-to-face and digital courses).
Got the necessary certification after all
The pandemic also made the certification (EFQM) required as part of European quality management, a mandatory requirement of the Free State for the promotion of adult education institutions, considerably more difficult.
Despite all the adversities, the time-consuming procedure was completed in the summer and Vhs Eching was awarded the “Committed to Excellence 2 Star” seal.
To the regret of the adult education centers in Eching with Fahrenzhausen and Allershausen, on the other hand, Neufahrn and Hallbergmoos have discontinued their joint efforts to create a network between the four neighboring adult education centers.
The Bavarian Adult Education Association not only advocates such mergers into larger units, but also supports them with funding for consulting services and working hours that have been used in the southern district for over two years.
With this “bundled professionalism”, relatively small local adult education centers should be set up in a future-proof and effective manner in order to be able to reliably achieve the minimum size required by the association.
Together with Allershausen's Vhs manager Angelika Muth, Fähr is currently “knitting” a “small” network solution in order to formally connect Allershausen more clearly to the Eching adult education center, which is of course now made more difficult by the corona pandemic.
Corona as a "burning glass and accelerator"
Fähr did not want to go unmentioned an interesting pandemic effect: In the case of targeted (further) developments, Corona also acted as a “burning glass and accelerator” at adult education centers.
The focus is on such different challenges as the provision of sufficient course space, the revision of the program booklet and the media appearance of the Vhs, especially in social media.
