Youth Social Work in Schools for Adolescents

Contact

Christina Behle

I work as a youth social worker at the Erlangen Vocational School. My two colleagues, Anna-Marie Körner and Bettina Hösl, and I make up the JaS team at the vocational school.

As an educational specialist and motor skills therapist, I have always been committed to improving young people’s individual opportunities to lead independent and socially responsible lives through early intervention and support.

Since completing my studies, my work at the vocational school has given me the opportunity to guide students on their path to working life through individualized counseling and to enhance their prospects for leading self-directed lives. Identifying individual strengths and fostering self-reliance are key priorities for me in my work with young people.

In addition, I enjoy collaborating with teachers to offer a wide variety of classroom projects that tie in with the students’ interests and life experiences.

Bettina Hösl

I have been part of the JaS team at the State Vocational School in Erlangen since August 2023. Together with my colleagues Christina Behle and Anna-Marie Körner, we support students with their diverse issues.

Young people are—and have been, especially in recent years—increasingly confronted with a wide variety of challenges. My goal is to serve as a mentor and to empower and support these young people through one-on-one counseling and resource-based support. Sometimes all it takes is a little nudge, but I believe it’s important that, even when facing bigger hurdles, there’s someone there who can “lend a hand.”

Contact

Esther Frey

I am a social worker and, together with my colleague Tanja Krauß, I work in youth social services at schools for the Erlangen City Youth Welfare Office at Eichendorff School. My role is to be there for the students on campus and to lend them a listening ear.

Through our low-threshold counseling services, we enable students to turn to us in confidence with their concerns, questions, and issues. Our goal is to support them through difficult life phases, provide guidance, and foster their individual strengths. In doing so, we focus on their lived experiences, resources, and perspectives.

Our work includes not only counseling students but also parent meetings, connecting students with support services, collaborating with teachers, and offering topic-specific activities in classrooms. All of these measures aim to support students in their development and give them the space to flourish in both their school and personal lives.

Contact

Melanie Ried-Nowak

I work as a youth social worker at Ernst Penzoldt Middle School.

Contact

Rebecca Maier (North Building)

I work in school-based youth social work (JaS) at the Erlangen City Youth Welfare Office at Hermann Hedenus Middle School. My colleague Marie Mönius is in charge of the West Building, while I am assigned to the North Building and am therefore primarily responsible for the full-day classes.

My goal is to be a trusted point of contact for the students, to support them in all situations, and to work with them to find possible solutions. In addition to counseling individual students, we offer classroom projects in collaboration with teachers on topics such as social cohesion, self-confidence, violence prevention, and substance abuse.

It is particularly important to me to give young people the opportunity to speak openly about everyday topics such as sexual orientation or mental health issues, etc.

Contact

Veronika Brunner

I work as a youth social worker at Ohm High School.

I support students, parents, and teachers with school-related, family-related, and personal issues and challenges. It’s important to me to work together—and individually—to find solutions.

It is important to me to provide children and adolescents with a safe space where they feel comfortable, can speak openly about their concerns, and are accepted just as they are. Equal opportunity and respectful interaction are fundamental principles of my work. I want to support young people in discovering their strengths, developing self-confidence, and forging their own path.

Contact

Ursula Hartmann

I hold a degree in social pedagogy and work for the Erlangen City Youth Welfare Office as a youth social worker at the Otfried Preußler School—a special education support center.

I support young people, parents, and teachers with issues related to school, daily life, family, and personal matters. My goal is to work together to find solutions for specific life and learning situations.

In addition to my primary role of guiding and supporting students and parents, I collaborate with teachers to offer projects on topics relevant to young people for all grade levels. These include, for example, career guidance, internet safety, media literacy, and experiential learning projects.

Contact

Pauline Schnitzer

I am a social educator and have been working as a youth social worker at Werner-von-Siemens Middle School since the 2024–2025 school year.

I am the point of contact for students who are dealing with worries, fears, or conflicts, and I am available to address any concerns they may have. It is important to me to support young people and their parents through difficult life situations and to work with them to find individualized solutions. To this end, I provide a safe and trusting space in our JaS office at the school where personal issues can be discussed openly. The needs and resources of the young people are my top priority.

In addition to counseling, we offer classroom projects in cooperation with teachers on topics such as social cohesion, self-confidence, violence prevention, and addiction.