Projects
There’s a lot going on here
In addition to our 10 daily groups, we at Hispi have developed further projects to better integrate people with a refugee background into our society: Hispi LAB, integration workshops, art workshops in cooperation with the cultural office, conversation groups, as well as joint excursions and activities.
You can find more information in the individual project descriptions.
House of Friends – powered by LHD
With Hispi, House of Friends, a pilot project for immigrants will launch in September 2024, aiming to achieve a new level of support and integration. By creating a productive and safe living, working, and learning environment, diverse coexistence is to be fostered.
The HISPI, House of Friends project values diversity and actively promotes integration. It is being developed in close cooperation between the City of Düsseldorf (LHD) as the client, “Hispi – Support for Linguistic Integration” of Sophia Akademie gGmbH, and various cooperation partners from the gastronomy and hotel sectors.
Hispi for U – RE:Match
In cooperation with the City of Düsseldorf, we carried out a 7-week program for 15 Ukrainian women as part of the RE:Match project, providing support and information about life in Germany.
For this purpose, various workshops and German language courses were held. Another component involved invited experts who provided information on topics such as the job center, the school and social system, banking, and health insurance.
Hispi for U – Donation project
In cooperation with the City of Düsseldorf, Hispi voluntarily coordinated the acceptance of donations for the municipal distribution center “Düsselshare.” There, people in need received clothing and other items such as household goods, depending on their needs. Actively supported by citizens of Düsseldorf, migrants, and refugees from many nations.
Erasmus+ project in adult education “Creative FEM-Power”
As part of the “Creative FEM Power” project, four workshop modules were developed that used creative methods to provide migrants with new experiences in their individual development opportunities regarding language mediation and employment. The 24-month project, funded by Erasmus+, involves Eurocultura (Vicenza, Italy), DISORA (Maribor, Slovenia), Teatterimuseo (Helsinki, Finland), and is coordinated by Sophia::Akademie gGmbH, Hispi division, Düsseldorf, Germany.
With the participation of migrant women, the project partners developed:
… a guideline for implementing creative language mediation. It helps strengthen language skills, stimulates interest in the new language through personal achievements during the course, and promotes further self-directed learning.
… a guideline for a workshop on identifying and developing career potential through creative methods.
… a compendium—a collection of applicable creative methods.
… a handbook that describes the workshops and provides a curriculum for working with migrant women.
Düsseldorfer Wollengel e.V.
Every Friday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Düsseldorfer Wollengel provide a space for knitting together and conversation. Talking, listening, and being creative is the motto here.
Anyone interested is warmly invited to drop by.
Integration workshop
At Hispi, an integration workshop was developed in October 2015 to provide newly arrived migrants with more information about our constitution and way of life. There is an active exchange about the differences and similarities between legal systems and ways of life in their countries of origin and in Germany.
The workshop is continuously developed to meet current needs and takes place every six to eight weeks.
Art workshops in cooperation with the cultural office
Guided and supported by a professional artist, participants explore working with oil paints and other materials and learn more about European art history.
Photography project in cooperation with the AJA project
The AjA project provides historically underrepresented youth and communities with a platform to harness the power of creative self-expression. Through a process of participatory photography, participants are encouraged to reflect on and critically analyze their personal and social environments. Together with Shinpei Takeda, participants explore photography. The works are currently being exhibited at Hispi in the form of banners.
Hispi goes Volunteering
The “Hispi goes Volunteering” project supports our advanced participants in transitioning into volunteer work. There, they can apply their newly acquired language skills while also doing something good along the way. Depending on their personal interests, we support future volunteers in finding a suitable role and provide assistance with the application process. Encounters and getting to know each other help both sides reduce possible inhibitions and prejudices, discover common ground, and better understand differences.
“Hispi goes Volunteering” is funded by the German Postcode Lottery.
