weltwärts
informs
weltwärts
informs
Engagement for life: weltwärts long-term study now published
Seven years of surveys, one result: weltwärts works! And over the long term at that. The now-published longitudinal study analysed the weltwärts programme to find out whether the volunteer service lives up to its claims.
Learning does not just happen at home, at school or in sheltered environments. People who immerse themselves in a foreign culture, an unfamiliar environment or a new context are rewarded – with challenges that shape and build character. This is why weltwärts sees itself as a learning service.
But how does an international volunteering service affect the professional and private lives of participants going forward? Do experiences with weltwärts leave a lasting impression on volunteers, even after returning from assignments abroad?
The longitudinal study, which has now been published, addresses these questions. The investigation is titled “Engaged. Enlightened. Empowered. The long-term impact of the weltwärts volunteer service” and involved surveys of a total of 537 volunteers over a period of over seven years – before, during and after their journeys abroad. The surveys were carried out by uzbonn, the independent polling agency.
“The entire year abroad with weltwärts increased my awareness of volunteer work. Without weltwärts, I don’t think I would have ever developed this awareness.” (respondent who took part in the study)
The findings of the weltwärts longitudinal study clearly show how international service has a positive impact on character, skills and social participation. This long-term study provides a comprehensive breakdown of the programme – and lays a solid foundation for its future development.
Volunteers who take part in a local project frequently forge connections and friendships that last a lifetime. This facilitates real intercultural exchange and a learning experience that stays with volunteers long after returning to their home country. One respondent summed up this learning experience as follows: “Through weltwärts, I’ve been able to learn so much about a culture I knew nothing about before, which has definitely broadened my horizons.”
83 per cent of returning volunteers confirm that weltwärts had a (very) positive impact on their understanding of global interrelations.
weltwärts as inspiration for language learning
The weltwärts programme works both ways: volunteers from Germany are assigned to the Global South and young people from the Global South come to Germany to carry out their volunteer service. The North-South component was analysed previously between January 2016 and December 2017 by the German Institute for Development Evaluation (DEval).
The evaluation from this period showed that weltwärts did live up to its claims as an exchange programme – but a more in-depth examination of the different programme components was needed. This is precisely what has been done with the longitudinal study, which has now been published.
88 per cent have maintained contact around seven years later with people who they met in their country of assignment while participating in weltwärts.
Furthermore, a volunteer service with weltwärts spurs people on to gain long-lasting foreign language skills. Many volunteers already have basic knowledge of English, French or Spanish before embarking. Extensive linguistic knowledge is often acquired through immersion in the local community and the intercultural exchange that a weltwärts service facilitates. The now-published study also shows that the proportion of respondents who would rate their language skills as very good in the return survey is now even higher in 2024 than in 2017. weltwärts acts like kindling for language acquisition.
One respondent in the study described weltwärts as a “huge education programme”. It represents a “huge, unique learning experience” and has continued to have an impact on her “to this day”. Another respondent explained: “It’s important that it’s funded. It turns young Germans into ‘global citizens’.”
By taking part in weltwärts, young people create something lasting in their lives.