The term empowerment can be understood as the strengthening of one's own possibilities for action through solidary forms of recognition. In contrast to concepts such as help for self-help, empowerment means the independent acquisition of power and thus distances oneself from external determination and deficit orientation.
The Griffbereit and Rucksack KiTa programmes recognise the actors - i.e. the children and families, parent guides and educational professionals - with their respective expertise. Within the framework of the programmes, experts in education, growing up and development, institutional education, family culture and family language(s) come together on the basis of flat hierarchies.
[1] In flat hierarchies, all stakeholders are involved in communication and decision-making processes - this form of organisation thrives on the participation of all stakeholders.
In this sense, empowerment can be understood as encouragement to be visible, audible and present and to actively participate in the implementation of the programme. Especially for the parent guides and parents, the Griffbereit and Rucksack KiTa programmes offer a high identification potential as well as opportunities for exchange and networking. Other empowering effects can be an increase in awareness of parenting issues, encouragement in one's own role as a parent and as an individual, or the experience of expanding and sharing one's own knowledge.
Griffbereit and Rucksack KiTa also strengthen the multilingual concept of educational institutions. This increases the representation of multilingualism in people's everyday lives and conveys appreciation.
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