Bildungsurlaub in Galway – Annika Schindel Champions her Favourite City

Annika Schindel from the Volkshochschule Ostkreis Hannover considers Galway her second home. She visited Galway as a student at Atlantic and went on to do a master’s and lecture at the University of Galway. Over the years, she’s made many lifelong connections. In her capacity as programme manager, she organised a Bildungsurlaub in Galway for adult learners from her work locality to attend an intensive English course in her favourite city.

The participants, who were of varying backgrounds and ages, many of whom in Galway for the first time, enjoyed a blend of tuition, excursions, and immersion in Galway’s daily life.

We spoke to Annika, Doris, and Nathalie to learn about them and how they fared in Galway.

Bildungsurlaub – German Government-Funded Professional Training

Bildungsurlaub (paid educational leave) is a German professional development initiative available in all but two German states. The scheme allows employees to take five days off to attend training and skills programmes.

Annika is part of the team at the Volkshochschule Ostkreis Hannover, offering and facilitating a wide variety of programmes for people from all walks of life. VHS is a municipal adult education centre based in Lehrte, Burgdorf, Iserhagen, Sehnde, and Uetze, delivering approximately 820 courses annually (German, foreign languages, health, politics, culture, etc.). Around 15 of those courses are Bildungsurlaube.

The group in attendance at Atlantic was a typical blend of ages, work backgrounds, and interests. Some participants had previously met at workshops, and the week was the perfect occasion for them to network, get to know one another, and collaborate.

As English skills varied, they joined level-appropriate Intensive General English classes to optimise the learning results.

Dr. Doris Rohans and Nathalie Suppé opted to join the study trip to Galway for different reasons. While Doris, a librarian, wanted to improve her English for daily work tasks, Nathalie, a retiree, felt the need to improve her English for her pet-sitting retirement project.

The two women spoke to me to share their stories and talk about their Galway experience.

For her part, Annika plans on returning to Galway often as part of her work organising Bildunsurlaub in Galway and to catch up with friends and colleagues.