VHS Kandern: Future workshop for new course offerings in autumn!

VHS Kandern: Future workshop for new course offerings in autumn!

The Kandern Adult Education Center (VHS) has put together a diverse program that ranges from cooking courses to karate for children to lectures on living wills. According to a recent report by Black Forest messenger The educational offering also includes language courses. This enrichment for the region has come a long way; The VHS was founded in 1921 and belongs to the Baden-Württemberg VHS Association. The VHS Kandern recently received the ZBQ (Certified Educational Quality) seal of quality for the third time, which speaks for the high quality of teaching.

However, Christina Fräulin, the head of the VHS, sees challenges ahead for the institute. In a strengths-weakness analysis, clear processes and a good image were identified as strengths, while an unclear vision of the future was viewed as a weakness. To counteract this, Fräulin is planning a “future workshop” that will take place in the fall. This workshop is aimed at VHS course leaders, citizens of Kandern and local councilors in order to work together to develop new priorities and define the future direction.

Decrease in number of participants

One of the biggest challenges facing the VHS Kandern is the declining number of registrations Jaumann publishing house reported. While 1,586 participants and 2,034 teaching units were recorded in 2019, the number of participants fell to just 818 in 2024 and the number of teaching units to 1,084. This development is due, among other things, to the volatility of participation behavior, which began during the pandemic and continues to this day. Miss estimates the numbers will not return to pre-corona levels, but remains optimistic about a gradual recovery.

The VHS also faces competition from digital learning offerings. But instead of replacing face-to-face courses, online offerings, especially in the area of ​​vocational training, should supplement the options. Collaborations with other adult education centers for online courses, for example in the language area, are currently being planned. While no paid online courses were offered in the past, expansion in this area is now being sought.

Hygiene and safety in focus

The VHS Kandern met the challenges of the corona pandemic with various measures. The events were initially suspended to take into account the uncertainties regarding hygiene regulations. The Report from the German adult education centers However, shows that after two difficult years there is a small upward trend. Despite the difficulties, the VHS and its course leaders hope that the increasing demand for courses will continue in 2023.

With a 100th anniversary still being planned, several events are also planned taking hygiene regulations into account. The VHS Kandern is planning special events, such as an “open day” and an anniversary exhibition, to present the rooms and offers - but this time in smaller groups instead of large events. The course leaders, who mainly work part-time, hold on with their largely limited financial losses and support the development of the VHS so that the region can continue to benefit from a lively educational offering.