Can I manage the time, financial, and emotional strain of balancing caregiving and studying? The reality for students with caregiving responsibilities looks completely different from that of their fellow students. Many think carefully before starting a degree: Can I or should I leave my family to care for my chronically, multiply-disabled brother on their own? How can I afford an apartment if I barely have time for a part-time job while caring for my mother with dementia? Is it even possible to reconcile long commutes to my university with caregiving responsibilities at home?
And above all: Am I really a caregiver? Many young people would not even consider themselves "Young Carers" because there is little awareness or discourse around the circumstances that officially classify someone as a caregiver for family members.
According to data from the “Survey of Students in Germany” from the summer semester of 2021, about 12 percent of students reported providing care for someone close to them in their personal environment. This makes the group of caregiving students larger than the group of students with children (8 percent). However, caregiving students remain largely invisible within the German higher education landscape. Sociologist Anna Wanka, who researches caregiving students at Goethe University Frankfurt, referred to them as leading "hidden lives" in a FAZ article. Caregiving students often lack time for activities with fellow students. Additionally, caring for family members is often associated with shame. This, Wanka argues, can lead to caregiving students feeling isolated and alienated from their non-caregiving peers. As a result, many instructors and fellow students are unaware of the dual burden faced by these students.
In this workshop, we will focus on the needs of students with caregiving responsibilities. We will provide an overview of what Young Carers are and the unique challenges they face in their daily lives. We will also support participants in recognizing their own caregiving role, understanding what it means for their personal identity, and exploring the potential risks this might pose for their studies, for example. The workshop will also present networks where young caregivers can find opportunities for exchange, as well as regional and national support and counseling services.
Speaker: Petra Schmieder-Runschke from the digital project "Young Carer Coach" by the An Deiner Seite Foundation.
The event will include a presentation as well as ample opportunities for experience-sharing and questions. You are welcome to bring all your concerns.
Note: This event will take place exclusively online via Zoom.
https://fh-potsdam.zoom-x.de/j/62498727923?pwd=NFxXy8G9kOAgadGyDThmxgtviMQ9af.1
Meeting ID: 624 9872 7923
Passcode: 80889748
Dial-in: +49 69 389 805 96 (Germany)