Uncomplicated, individual and flexible

Give away time and education

Support young people from home and use your expertise to create educational opportunities.

We are facing this challenge

Unequal distribution of educational opportunities in Germany

21%

of pupils in Germany live in poverty or are at risk of poverty.

Source: Lietzmann/Wenzig (2020)

25%

of pupils have large learning backlogs caused by the pandemic.

Source: BMBF (2021)

440.000

pupils need school support but cannot afford it.

Source: Federal Statistical Office (2021/2022)
Man over 60 in front of laptop and waving at the camera
A child looking at a tablet and learning German

A volunteer position tailored to your needs

Ü60 regulars' table

Exchange ideas with like-minded people and make valuable contacts.

Register now

Technical consultation

Get support from experienced volunteers in your age group with questions about the digital platform or technology.

Simple process and reflection meetings

After your registration and a video interview, you can get started right away. Around 40 days after the start of your learning support, we offer you the opportunity to take part in a reflection meeting. There you can give direct feedback and ask questions. Together we will reflect on your commitment, give you tips and refer you to support or new functionalities on the tech side.

Register now

Accessible website

Our platform is specially optimized for different needs.

You can make a difference with us!

With just 1-2 hours a week, you can give an educationally disadvantaged child the chance of a better future.

Man over 60 in front of laptop, sitting at desk with pen in handThe members of the Management Board of Lern-Fair raise their hands in the air together.

Our vision

Lern-Fair is an initiative for more educational opportunities in Germany. We were founded as a result of the school closures caused by the pandemic and have been a registered association since March 2020. We use voluntary, digital educational services to try to make the educational landscape fairer and at the same time draw attention to educational injustice through our public channels.

  • We would like to provide pupils, who do not receive the necessary support in the conventional education system, with effective support and targeted learning support.

  • With an easy-to-use technical platform and support services, we offer the possibility of low-threshold, digital volunteering.

  • Our aim is to make volunteering more attractive, more flexible and more inclusive. We are creating volunteering opportunities for young and older generations, for people regardless of their personal situation.

  • Our association statutes can be read openly and transparently

Are there any requirements for the commitment?

You only need to fulfill a few basic requirements to get started with us as a learning partner or course instructor:

  • You have the confidence to work digitally with educationally disadvantaged people
    pupils

  • You have sufficient knowledge of German (at least level B2)

  • After registering, you will take part in a personal introductory meeting with someone from our team

  • You submit a police clearance certificate
    (there are no costs for the application)

prospective teacher or interested in pedagogy?

Digital learning support training

Are you studying to be a teacher/pedagogy but don't feel that your studies are training you well enough digitally? No problem, we have just the thing for you! Learn from our young pedagogical team everything you are missing in your studies:

  • Over a period of 6 months, you will receive practical workshops, coaching and mentoring on educational equity and digital teaching. Alongside this, you will test yourself in practice by providing digital learning support for an educationally disadvantaged student.

  • We organize an in-person seminar for you with live workshops and full catering. There you will meet like-minded people and can exchange ideas with our team.

    Always starts at the beginning of the semester, inquire now!

Lern-Fair Young

Are you in year 9 or older, would you like to become a digital learning guide and learn more about pedagogical professions?

  • At the mentoring program Lern-Fair Young, you will talk to interesting speakers about educational equality, digital tools and much more.

  • Over the course of 3 months, you can attend practical workshops in person and digitally. At the same time, you will test yourself in practice by providing digital learning support for an educationally disadvantaged student.

  • We start our workshops with a face-to-face meeting at the Talenttage Ruhr. There you will get to know our team and like-minded people.

What we have achieved so far

17.000+

Mediated learning pairs

We have already placed over 17,000 learner pairs at Lern-Fair .

*Since our foundation in March 2020

97%

Would recommend us to others

We were able to help the registered pupils in 97% of cases.

*based on 3,000 survey results

1.500+

Courses offered

On average, we offer more than 10 courses per week.

Why should you become a helper too?

  • Flexibility

    Decide for yourself how many pupils you would like to support and over what period of time. You are also free to decide on the content. Have fun!

  • Cooperation with others volunteers

    At virtual meetings, you can exchange ideas with like-minded people, work on ideas together and learn a lot about yourself in the process. Let's go!

    Making a difference

    With your work, you can help pupils with learning difficulties or limited access to education. Great!

  • Certificate

    If you wish, we can issue you with a certificate for your voluntary work. You can add this to your CV and quote it when applying for jobs. What are you waiting for?

    Simple process

    After your registration and a video interview, you can get started right away. You can run the tutoring courses from the comfort of your own home and reach pupils wherever you live. Easy, right?

Digital volunteering adapted to your personal life situation

At Lern-Fair we offer you a commitment that is precisely tailored to your needs

Learning support

Give pupils learning support. The offer is briefly explained here.
Number of pupils
1
Time required per week
60 min.
Duration
8 weeks
Required experience
None
Required training
None
Suitable for
Each:n

Tutoring courses

Support educationally disadvantaged pupils in a subject of their choice.
Number of pupils
4 - 15
Time required per week
60 min.
Duration
4 weeks
Required experience
None
Required training
Voluntary
Suitable for
Each:r

Focus courses

From lectures to social media to mental health workshops - inspire children for a topic you are passionate about!
Number of pupils
4 - 99
Time required per week
60 min.
Duration
Unique
Required experience
Specialist knowledge
Required training
None
Suitable for
Companies, industry experts

Digital learning support training

As a student teacher, you will receive personal support and tips from mentors for your tutoring sessions.
Number of pupils
1
Time required per week
60 min.
Duration
6 months
Required experience
Experience as a teacher:in
Required training
Part of the program
Suitable for
Student teachers

German courses

German language, difficult language? Help foreign pupils to improve their German language skills.
Number of pupils
4 - 15
Time required per week
60 min.
Duration
Unique
Required experience
None
Required training
Voluntary
Suitable for
People with teaching experience

Lern-Fair-Team

Become part of our administration team. Help us develop our services, apply for grants, strengthen our brand and much more.
Number of pupils
None
Time required per week
2-5 hours
Duration
6 months
Required experience
Organizational talent
Required training
Onboarding process
Suitable for
People who prefer to help behind the scenes

Homework help

Be available for pupils spontaneously if they get stuck with their homework.
Number of pupils
1  
Time required per week
60 min.
Duration
Unique
Required experience
None
Required training
None
Suitable for
Each:n

Testimonials

What our volunteers

Portrait of Hannah. She stands in front of a white wall and smiles at the camera.
Quotation marks
It is a great pleasure to support the students and it gives you a great feeling to know that you can help and that this help is gratefully accepted!
Hannah
Helper:in

How you can help

Use the volunteer finder to find the right offer for you

Answer a few questions and we'll know which offer best suits you, your experience and your schedule.
‍Noemails, too many dates or questions. Just answers.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

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How long does it take until I am connected with a learning partner?

Tutoring

The waiting time depends on supply and demand. For helpers, placement often only takes a few days. For pupils , on the other hand, it can take up to several months. In any case, we will inform you by email as soon as we have found a suitable learning partner. You can check the current status of your search in your account at any time and contact support@lern-fair.de if you have any difficulties.

How often do the learning pairs meet per week?

Tutoring

Most of our learner pairs meet 1-2 times a week for a lesson of approx. 45 minutes. Our volunteers set the time frame and decide for themselves how many hours per week they can make available.

How much time do I need to bring with me as a helper?

General

For 1:1 learning support, you should bring at least 2 months of time with you. However, you make the exact arrangements individually with the people you support pupils.

You can set the start and end dates of your courses yourself. Everything is possible here, from individual lessons, intensive vacation weeks to month-long course series.

Our most short-term offer is homework help. Here you can also get involved on a daily basis.

How is contact established between pupils and volunteers ?

Tutoring

As soon as we have found a suitable learning pair, we will inform both parties by email. In our user area, both parties can then write to each other via chat, create appointments for learning support and then talk to each other via Zoom video conference.

Can I register for several offers from Lern-Fair at the same time?

General

Yes, you are welcome to register for several offers with us. Please note that some offers require special prerequisites; you can find more details on the respective project pages on our website. During the introductory meeting, we will also advise you on which offer suits you best.

What topics can I offer focus courses on?

Focus courses

Within our four main topics (Think about yourself, Digital world, Stay tuned and Your future) you can choose your topic freely! It is important that your course is tailored to the needs of educationally disadvantaged pupils . In other words, for children and young people who have less access to educational opportunities for financial, linguistic or cultural reasons.

What support will I receive for the preparation of my "German for beginners" course?

German for beginners

We want to prepare you as well as possible for working with refugees and newcomers pupils . That's why we offer you:

- an asynchronous training course
- a consultation with our expert for "German as a second language"
- ready-made teaching materials in Power Point format for easy transmission on screen
- exchange with other course instructors in our WhatsApp community.

What prior knowledge can I assume from pupils ?

Focus courses

At Lern-Fair , we primarily address pupils from educationally disadvantaged backgrounds. This can mean that the pupils students may have different requirements in terms of their media skills, language skills or knowledge of the world.
When creating the course, you have the option of limiting your course to certain year groups.
If you want to require specific prior knowledge, you should indicate this in the course description.
In practice, however, it is very difficult to achieve a uniform level of knowledge, which is why you should take this into account when leading a course.

How much time do I need to bring with me for learning support?

Tutoring

For learning support, you should bring at least 2 months of time with you, during which you will meet with a student for approx. 1-2 hours per week - you will discuss the exact scope individually in the learning pair. Of course, it is also possible to take a break or reduce the number of meetings in phases. It is important that you communicate your current availability to your learning partner.

How many pupils take part in a course?

Group courses

When creating the course, you can set a maximum number of participants. You can view the registration status in your account at any time.
Please note that often not all registered participants show up for the course. This can have very different reasons in the life circumstances and scheduling of pupils .
If courses are full, you can adjust the maximum number of participants upwards if necessary and admit pupils from the waiting list.

How is the Lern-Fair service financed?

General

The offer is only possible thanks to the voluntary commitment of numerous volunteers . All services are free of charge for pupils . The costs of operating the platform are covered by cooperation partners, foundations, prize money and donations.

Would you like to support our organization? Please feel free to contact us at https://www.lern-fair.de/kontakt.

What happens after registration?

General

After registration, we will send you an e-mail to verify your e-mail address. You can find more information about the next steps in your account, which we will automatically create for you, and on the individual project pages on our website.

How does the introductory meeting for volunteers work?

General

After you have registered, we will invite you to a short introductory meeting on Zoom (approx. 15 minutes). We will explain everything you need to know about Lern-Fair and the various volunteering opportunities. In addition, we will answer any open questions and enter your wishes into our system so that you can support pupils in a way that suits you. 

During the interview, we will also check your identity using your ID card. In this way, we ensure that the information you provide is correct.

I have not received an e-mail from Lern-Fair after registering. What can I do?

General

After registration, we will send you an e-mail to verify your e-mail address. If this e-mail does not arrive in your mailbox within a few minutes, check your spam folder. If you can't find an e-mail from us there either, please contact us at support@lern-fair.de.

I don't live in Germany - can I still register at Lern-Fair ?

General

pupils must be registered in the German school system in order to use our services.
volunteers can register regardless of their current place of residence as long as they can speak German and the time difference, for example, is suitable.

Who can lead a focus course?

Focus courses

Anyone with basic expertise in the subject area of the respective focus month and the ability to communicate content digitally and engage in an interactive exchange with pupils . So far, many focus courses have been led by students, teachers, university staff or members of associations and other institutions.

What are the technical requirements for the courses?

Group courses

A tablet/laptop/smartphone with camera and microphone is required for the courses. The courses run via the integrated Zoom video conferencing system.

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Your contact person
Franziska
support@lern-fair.de+49 1577 3848124

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