Finkenwerder celebrates diversity at the first Streetball Cup in 2025!

Finkenwerder celebrates diversity at the first Streetball Cup in 2025!

Today is June 28th, 2025 and there is a lot to report in Cologne! The local school landscape is thriving with exciting events and initiatives that not only benefit the students, but also strengthen the sense of community.

Hoops & Hustle Streetball Cup inspires enthusiasm in Finkenwerder

Last Friday the first Hoops & Hustle Streetball Cup took place in Finkenwerder, a real highlight that celebrated the diversity of the community. Under the motto “Finkenwerder is colorful”, the tournament highlighted cohesion in the region. Among those taking part were the Cop4Us, members of the local mosque community and students from the high school and the Finkenwerder district school. A total of 14 teams fought for the title and, as Holger Hülsemann from Finkenwerder High School reported, had exciting and high-class encounters.

The day was rounded off with a final between the young people from the Inselperle and the teachers from the district school, where the Inselperle finally took home the STR challenge cup. A second tournament is already planned for June 12, 2026, so sports enthusiasts can already look forward to another great event.

Smoking prevention with “Be Smart – Don’t Start”

Another important issue in the Cologne school landscape is the “Be Smart – Don’t Start” competition, which is dedicated to smoking prevention. For almost 30 years, schools have been trying to keep students away from nicotine addiction. Over the period from November 2024 to April 2025, an impressive 268 school classes in Hamburg took part in this competition. The aim is to motivate students to declare themselves smoke-free and vaping-free for at least six months.

The initiative is organized by the Social Pediatric Center (SPZ) and receives support from well-known institutions such as the German Cancer Aid and the Federal Institute for Public Health. The competition not only aims to prevent people from starting to smoke, but also to motivate students who are already smoking to reduce or give up smoking. It is also scientifically supported so that its effectiveness can be continuously monitored.

Musical talents on big stages

While we're on the topic of commitment, we can't overlook the fact that musical education is also very important. Last Friday around 6,000 children sang in the Barclays Arena in Altona, an experience that will certainly be remembered by many. Under the guidance of teachers and full support from parents, over 120 children from the Müssenredder primary school also took part and impressed with a colorful mix of current pop songs and classics, accompanied by a professional band. The annual “6K United!” concerts are standards for schoolgirl concerts in Germany and always attract large crowds. Sandra Lengwenus, a teacher at Müssenredder primary school, raved about a unique evening in front of an enthusiastic audience.

Student film competition “AAAND ACTION!”

The view of Cologne's educational landscape can be rounded off with the student film competition “AAAND ACTION!”, which is organized by the Stiftung meine Mensch e.V. Schoolchildren from across the European Union have the opportunity to make creative films about European fundamental rights. The best films will be honored with a premiere at the “Film Without Borders” film festival and cash prizes will be awarded in different age groups. This initiative not only promotes creative engagement with relevant topics such as the environment and politics, but also strengthens awareness of basic social values.

Cologne shows how diverse and active the local educational landscape is. Whether in sport, in music culture or as part of preventative initiatives - this shows a good knack for promoting young talent and community projects. It remains exciting to see how these developments will continue to unfold.