Monday, January 15, 2024, 9:40 a.m
Brandenburg Education Minister Steffen Freiberg visits DKMS school registration campaign
Tübingen/Hohen Neuendorf – The Minister for Education, Youth and Sport of the State of Brandenburg, Steffen Freiberg, took part in a DKMS registration campaign at the Marie-Curie-Gymnasium in Hohen Neuendorf. In recent years, the school has held several action days with the DKMS, where young people were able to register as potential stem cell donors. A particularly important effort, as last year alone around 125,000 donors left the DKMS stem cell donor database in Germany for reasons of age. The file therefore urgently needs new potential donors. Here, students take over the baton of the older generations when they register. By holding an in-school day of action, schools not only create the opportunity for students to register, but also hope for people suffering from blood cancer. Every year, schools across Germany show strong community commitment to support DKMS in its mission to defeat blood cancer.
On Friday, January 12th, 2024, a DKMS registration campaign for upper school students took place once again at the Marie-Curie-Gymnasium in Hohen Neuendorf. As part of the DKMS school project “Your type is in demand”, a total of over 550,000 students across Germany have already registered and are therefore available for the global search for a stem cell donation. To date, over 6,000 students have actually been able to give someone suffering from blood cancer a second chance at life. Since around 135,000 registered stem cell donors will be removed from the database for reasons of age in 2024 alone, it is all the more important that more people, especially young people, register with the DKMS as potential stem cell donors and take over the baton from the older generation.
Learning and social engagement are ideally combined through the DKMS school project. Modern, curriculum-based teaching materials and individual event formats that can be easily integrated into everyday school life create real added value for teachers and their students. As part of the school’s internal registration campaigns, in which young people aged 17 and over can register, the students learn to position themselves on socially relevant issues and to take responsibility. By registering, you will experience self-efficacy and how a small step can make a big difference.
The Brandenburg Education Minister has the commitment of the young students Steffen Freiberg recognized as part of the Marie-Curie-Gymnasium registration campaign. In his speech, Minister Freiberg reiterated the strong social commitment of the young generation: “The students in Hohen Neuendorf take on great responsibility for a difficult topic. The diagnosis of blood cancer is terrible – and can affect us all. The young adults who take part in a DKMS registration campaign at their school give seriously ill people hope for life. This is a sign of personal maturity and social solidarity in the fight against blood cancer. I would like to thank the students as well as the teachers and parents who took part in the campaign for their willingness to help. I congratulate the Marie-Curie-Gymnasium Hohen Neuendorf on being awarded the DKMS school seal for its commitment.”
As part of the DKMS school project, around 5,500 students in Brandenburg have been added to the file – 47 of them have already been able to donate stem cells and thus specifically give hope of healing to an affected person worldwide.
In total, almost 179,000 people in Brandenburg are registered with the DKMS and around 1,380 have actually donated stem cells.
Two registration campaigns have already taken place at the Marie-Curie-Gymnasium in the past – a total of 143 students were included in the DKMS database. Another 53 students joined us today. Four actual stem cell donors have now emerged from these campaigns. Laurin Jonientz is one of them. The 21-year-old student, who is currently doing his master’s degree in computer science at the TH Brandenburg, reported on his experiences surrounding his stem cell donation, which took place in November 2020, at today’s third school event as part of the information lecture for the upper school. He still remembers the moment when he received the information that he was eligible as a donor: “I was immediately ready and delighted that I could help. I drove to the donation with this feeling: nervous but still in a happy mood.”
With today’s third school campaign, the Marie Curie High School will receive the DKMS school seal personally from Minister Freiberg. An award that only particularly committed schools with at least three registration campaigns receive. Headmaster Thomas Meinecke, deputy headmistress Lisette Noack and donor Laurin Jonientz took part accordingly proudly the seal, for which a suitable place is now being sought on the school building.
All high schools, comprehensive schools and vocational schools have the chance to take part in the DKMS school project “Your type is in demand” and thus become part of the success story. If you would like to organize a registration campaign at your own school, you can find further information here and can contact the DKMS school team directly by email: [email protected]