anders cool! ZIMD Burschentraining (Vienna)

Adolescent boys are finding it increasingly difficult to develop their own identity. Time and again, they call attention to themselves by using violence against others or themselves. Schools offer a good way of getting in touch with boys. In the Viennese project, New Ways to be Cool!, workshops in schools give boys aged between ten and sixteen years old, many of whom are from an immigrant background, a safe space where they can find their masculine identity in a constructive way that prevents violence. A newspaper written in bad language and secret castles are among the methods used to reach the boys’ lives. The programme is rounded off by counselling sessions with the teachers before and after the modules. The workshops are free of charge for schools so that they can reach economically and educationally disadvantaged boys in particular.