Coming from Flörsheim am Main, Eppstein, Frankfurt am Main and various cities in the Hochtaunus district, the participants of the seminar "Brave, Strong, Empowered! " came to Neu-Anspach. Some traveled alone, others in pairs or groups of three. However, they were all united by the common motivation to learn and have fun together with other girls* during the fall break.

The seminar began with a welcome to the participants and various methods for participants and speakers to get to know each other. Creating a safe space was a central concern of the seminar. House rules and common agreements for positive interaction were discussed in order to create a safer space for open exchange.

One of the participants said that at the beginning of the seminar: “I didn't know anyone. I didn't know what to expect. I was nervous about getting to know the girls*. It seemed difficult to learn their names and stories. But as the days went on, I got to know them better, their hobbies and their stories of resilience, how they overcame difficult times, and that was the beginning of how strangers became friends.”

The seminar program was broad and varied. The days began with a welcome and a check-in to assess the general mood of the participants. The facilitators then presented the program each day to give an overview of the upcoming activities. The aim was to create a positive and open atmosphere.

The content of the seminar included topics such as identity and personal strengths, biographical work, the history of women* in politics with a focus on migrant role models, as well as strategies for dealing with difficult situations in everyday life. The various methods used enabled the participants to engage with the content in depth.

Each day ended with a detailed evaluation and clarification for the next day. The feedback from the participants was consistently positive and the joy of the facilitators in accompanying this development process was palpable.

The empowerment seminar offered the girls* the opportunity to develop themselves in a safe space. Aylin Kortel, one of the facilitators of the seminar, summarized her impressions: “The empowerment seminar was a great experience for me. It was four days in which girls, most of whom didn't know each other beforehand, opened up, grew together and had empowering and encouraging experiences together - from dealing with their own strengths and recognizing and appreciating their uniqueness to trying out strategies for standing up for themselves and defending their own boundaries. It was a great pleasure to accompany and help shape this process!”

At the end of the seminar, the girls* wrote a short text in which they summarized what they had experienced during the four days. They began their text with a quote from Maya Angelou: “Each time a woman stands up for herself, without knowing it possibly, without claiming it, she stands up for all women”. The “Brave, Strong, Empowered!” seminar was not only an educational experience, but also a place to grow and strengthen together. The girls* not only returned home with new knowledge, but also with increased self-confidence and valuable experiences.

A huge thank you to the facilitators for your valuable work! With your energy and knowledge, you made the seminar an exciting and inspiring experience. And a special thanks go to Gaby Glaser from the Main-Taunus Youth Migration Service (Hofheim) for her commitment and support in enabling the girls* from Flörsheim am Main, Eppstein and various towns in the Hochtaunus district to take part. We are already looking forward to working together in the future.