The ESM's outreach program consists of various assistance and support programs for charitable purposes. In addition, it promotes initiatives aimed at establishing contacts and forms of exchange with people locally, in Europe and with countries outside the European Union.

Participation in the outreach program is a valuable and enriching aspect of learning and growing up. Students are given the opportunity to test their resilience and adaptability as well as develop self-confidence, a sense of responsibility and their own identity. Active participation in the form of building knowledge, imparting information, organizing charity events and exchanging personal experiences helps to bridge the gap between cultures and nations.

The focus is always on social aspects: To promote friendships, understanding and mutual support across borders as well as continents and to show a willingness to learn from people who grow up in a context other than the European School.

The program belongs to the extracurricular projects and offers students a wide range of charity events and cultural activities in addition to their school duties. It promotes their social and emotional skills on an intercultural level, a sense of community as well as global understanding. These are all important skills that help students to become balanced, curious and open-minded individuals and solution-oriented personalities.

The Parents' Association and the ESM founded the Förderkreis ESM e.V. The registered association manages the donations of all existing aid and charity campaigns of the school and the members can vote on new projects where funds are needed. It is possible to become a sustaining member of the association. The coordinator of the outreach program is Annette Widell.

The following activities are currently running or planned:

  • Meetings are held every week on Tuesdays in the 5th and 6th hour in the GS12 workroom (focus: various craft activities, exchange, planning, etc.).
  • Once a month, the kiosk opens in the GS assembly hall during the short break from 10:45-11:05 and in the 5th and 6th hour. Home-baked and home-made goods are offered, and from time to time there is a mini clothes market or a mini book market. The kiosk is run by the outreach children.
  • If a class would like to hold a bake sale, the class can register for any day and the sale will then take place during the short break in the HS auditorium. The contact person here is Maggie Banatte-Schuster. 
  • Raffles with prizes are planned and organized by the students. One will take place at the kiosk on 12.12. and a second, somewhat larger one during Europe Week.
  • A workshop will take place on 27.11. Together with the Ukrainian pupils and Iryna Shabaiewa, we will be making "Montankas", protective little dolls from an old Ukrainian tradition. The little "dolls" are a symbol of hope, an important amulet or gift! 
  • "Christmas in a big package" takes place in cooperation with the children's homes Clemens-Maria-Kinderheim and Salberghaus in Putzbrunn. This year they have asked for a large gift box for the facilities. Colleagues and classes can choose what they would like to give from a wish list from the respective children's homes. They have until 12.12 to fulfill the wishes. Then the parcels are delivered to the children's home. 
  • On the evening of December 7, when the Advent concert takes place, we sell homemade Christmas items and cards. The book market is also open that evening.
  • Book market (different languages, focuses, genres) from 4.12-8.12 and during Europe Week in May. Contact person is Sonja Vagner.
  • Deposit bottle collection: There is a yellow garbage can in the entrance area underneath the representation plan screen where deposit bottles are collected. These bottles are handed in by Outreach children and the money is paid into the account of the Förderverein with the other revenues.
  • Activities during Europe Week 2024 include a charity run, a second-hand clothing market and a large book market in the ESM rooms, cake sales and various activities with other departments.

Through various activities, we are able to donate considerable amounts of money to our projects. Many thanks to everyone who contributes and gets involved!

The Outreach Programme is divided into three parts, defined by the projects' regional focus:

  • ESM meets Bavaria
  • ESM meets Europe
  • ESM meets the world

ESM meets Bavaria

The "ESM meets Bavaria" Outreach Programme projects have a regional focus.

Salberghaus - Putzbrunn

The Salberghaus in Putzbrunn near Munich offers in- and outpatient services as well as day care centres for children as young as two weeks old up to 10 year-olds. It focuses on their therapeutic and personal development, while at the same time providing shelter for children and support to families. The ESM donates the entire proceeds of a specially organised Christmas bazar to this institution.

In the past, there have also been donation campaigns for refugees.

ESM meets Europe

The "ESM meets Europe" Outreach Programme projects have a focus on European countries.

High School "Blessed Clementii Sheptytskyi" - Ukraine

This school has 200 students from both high and low socio-economic strata. In the past, it participated in the international, interdisciplinary partnership project PLATO, including an exchange with the ESM. Due to lack of financial funding, the facilities and equipment of the school are in poor condition. Donations from the ESM can help to improve the sports' ground, to stock up the equipment in the natural science department and to do general maintenance work.

Support was also given to the non-profit association "Scuola in mezzo al mare" (School in the middle of the sea), which organises activities for pupils on the volcanic island of Stromboli in southern Italy when it is not possible for them to travel to a school on the mainland.

SOS Children's Village Athens

SOS Children's Villages is an association that helps children in need. It is active in 136 countries. There are 16 Children's Villages in Germany and four in Greece.

You can find more information about SOS Children's Villages Greece here: https://sos-villages.gr/en/sos-home-english

ESM meets the World

The "ESM meets the World" Outreach Programme projects have a global focus.

Haiti Kinderhilfe e.V. - Haiti Children's Aid Association

The association "Haiti Kinderhilfe" organizes among other things school and home projects, food and medical care for poor children. Its aim is to enable children to help themselves. In this way, they enable children to attend schools. They also support the search for internships and training positions. In addition, the association trains Haitian teachers as well as the educators and pedagogues in orphanages. It also organises the teaching materials needed for the lessons and participates in building the necessary infrastructure. The ESM strives for a long-term partnership in the form of sponsorships.

Zinduka - Education against Mutilation - Kenya

Zinduka means glimmer of hope in Swahili. The initiative aims to support young women and girls in Kenya. Among other things, this is done through educational work and the creation of safe places. Traditional female genital mutilation is still widespread in the country, although it is also illegal in Keina. Child marriages and teenage pregnancies occur, also because sex education is often not taught. To counteract this, the association regularly visits schools and organizes seminars with girls, mothers and fathers.

Previously, the non-profit organizations "LaunchPad" and "Nkosi's Haven" in South Africa, "Blink Now" in Nepal and the "Lahore Grammar School" in Pakistan were also supported for many years.