“We need to do something about this!” was a thought that preoccupied many people in the winter of 2015. The integration of newly immigrated children and young people is a permanently relevant topic. Nevertheless, many schools reported that they were particularly struggling to manage the task of social integration of the new students.

Despite the increasing number of welcome classes established, in which newly immigrated children are prepared for the demands of teaching in regular school classes for usually up to one year, many places lacked not only personnel resources, but also concepts through which the newly immigrated children can also be supported in their social integration in regular school classes.

Based on current findings in psychological research, Prof. Dr. Bettina Hannover and Prof. Dr. Lysann Zander – funded by the Robert Bosch Stiftung - have developed Growing Together (German: WIRwerden), a programme to support teachers in promoting social integration and thus the encounter of newly immigrated children with children socialised in Germany. The project Growing Together results from the evaluated affiliation intervention PAI- Peer-Assisted Social and Identificatory Integration of Refugee Students. 

In the course of the further development and topicality of the subject, the projects Growing Together – digital and Growing Together 2.0 have emerged. 

You can also find more information on the project website (German only).