On initiative of Gerd Alscher, headmaster of Fachschulzentrums Freiberg-Zug, representatives of german agricultural schools, as well as educational providers and associations active in green education, met on the 23rd September 2014 in order to found a new association.
The common goal of the guests from Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania (Fachschule für Agrarwirtschaft Güstrow, BilSE-Institut Güstrow), Bavaria (Fachzentrum Bildung Veitshöchheim, Verein ehemaliger Triesdorfer), North Rhine-Westphalia (Versuchs- und Bildungszentrum Landwirtschaft Kleve), Baden-Wuerttemberg (Staatliche Lehr- und Versuchsanstalt Weinberg) and Saxony (Fachschule für Landwirtschaft Döbeln, Grüne Schule grenzenlos e.V. Zethau, FSZ FG-Zug) was to revive the idea of a nationwide network in green education, training and learning in Germany by founding the association “EUROPEA Deutschland”.
Similar national EUROPEA associations exist already, under the hood of EUROPEA International, in 25 european countries, even in some non-EU countries. Germany was since many years a white spot in this group. The invitation to Freiberg-Zug was also followed by Henrik Dethlefsen from Denmark, current general secretary of EUROPEA. With many examples he illustrated the potential of the network on an european level. Within the network student placements, student and teacher exchanges, professional skill competitions, common Erasmus+ projects, school partnerships and study visits of all levels of green vocational training are organized and coordinated. For this intensive cooperation, delegates of the national EUROPEA associations meet on invitation of EUROPEA international twice a year, usually in the country assuming the EU-presidency. The new association wants to integrate this cooperation, on the other side it aims also to improve the networking of all the institutions working in the education in the green sector. Gerd Alscher was elected as the first president of EUROPEA Deutschland. He is supported in his committee work by the elected vice-president Rolf Hauser (Staatliche Lehr- und Versuchsanstalt Weinsberg) and from Fritz Vogt (Vereinigung ehemaliger Triesdorfer), who was elected to be treasurer.
Gerd Alscher, headmaster of FSZ FG-Zug
