Respect in schools: Vienna expands successful prevention project!

Respect in schools: Vienna expands successful prevention project!

In Vienna, the “Respect: Stronger Together” project is being further expanded and continued. Since its introduction in 2020, the program launched by the City of Vienna and the Vienna Youth Centers Association has developed into an important initiative that addresses the challenges of living together in schools. How meinkreis.at reports, the project is already supporting 30 schools, with plans to focus on ten more schools next fall.

The two deputy mayors, Kathrin Gaál from the SPÖ and Bettina Emmerling from the Neos, are the initiators of this program. The aim is to transform schools into places of respect where mutual recognition and acceptance are important. The program offers comprehensive support on issues such as bullying, violence and discrimination based on religious or sexual motives, while at the same time aiming to strengthen class cohesion.

Workshop units and positive feedback

In the 2024/25 school year, 318 workshop units were held, which generated 5,912 student contacts. In addition, almost 200 parents or legal guardians and 608 teachers took part in 28 training courses. The positive feedback on these workshops is overwhelming, especially on topics such as violence prevention and discrimination and sexism. It becomes clear how important such offers are in order to promote respectful interaction with one another.

A central element of the program is the training of respect ambassadors. These include well-known personalities such as Virginia Ernst, who is active as both a singer-songwriter and an ice hockey player, and Faris Rahoma, who is known as an actor and screenwriter. They play an important role in spreading the message and values ​​that the program conveys. City Councilor for Education Emmerling praises the effectiveness of the program and emphasizes the importance of bringing support directly into the classroom.

Diverse approaches to promoting respect

The program includes not only workshops, but also theater pedagogical projects, teacher networking and parent work. At the end of the school year, the participating schools receive the “Respect Schools” award. Another focus is on training empathy, resilience and promoting democracy and participation among students. The program also addresses girls and boys in a gender-appropriate manner and aims to break down traditional role models jugendzentrum.at notes.

The Respect Coaches program, funded by the Federal Youth Ministry, operates at around 275 locations nationwide to promote understanding of different world views and to actively counteract extremism and racism. The initiative supports schools in respecting and defending respectful and peaceful coexistence, in the spirit of comprehensive democratic education, such as this Federal Ministry for Family, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth explained.

In summary, it can be said that Vienna is making a valuable contribution to promoting respectful cooperation in schools with the “Respect: Stronger Together” program. The integration of parents and the sensitization of teachers and students help to create a climate of understanding and acceptance.