20.10.2023 - Bittersweet Summer

In the summer of 2023, the "Wir lernen weiter" association distributed over 1,000 laptops to apprentices throughout Switzerland. New trainees, workshops for schools and a project cancellation: there was a lot that was new for the association.

So far, the association has not always communicated much about the summer months. This is also due to the fact that the weeks around the summer holidays are also among the busiest. Collecting, processing and shipping laptops: there is a lot to do.

Flying change

Matthew Clements was the first trainee of the association to successfully complete his training. As of the end of June, there was a gap in the marketing department of the association that needed to be filled.

After a short induction period, as well as heavy training sequences in work organisation and planning, Amy, Silas and Fabio started their work. All three are trained by the head of Tobias Schär.

It is not always easy, especially because, unlike last year, we now have three young people to look after, but also to train. This year will show us how much is effectively possible.

Tobias Schär, Founder and Business Manager

In response to the question of whether a certain overload is noticeable, Silas says after almost three months at Verein that the training is structured and goal-oriented. He is particularly grateful, for example, that they were very quickly integrated into the daily business and thus also given responsibility.

"I like it here!"

Silas is involved in the areas of support, workshop planning and content creation.

left: Silas at a workshop for schools

After just a few weeks, the team of interns was able to create the first marketing content. One of the videos, for example, is about the end of the wLw Academy.

Hard facts

The wLw-Academy was a pilot project in which an attempt was made to create an interactive learning platform that would be effective for physical courses in the area of basic IT skills. The platform mainly consisted of short and interactive content, which also enabled people with little computer knowledge to learn independently.

The club invested a low six-figure sum between August 2022 and July 2023 to build the wLw Academy. This money was borne by the club reserves.

Nadine Leimbacher was hired in August 2022 to manage the project. Just under a year later, the association had to take stock: During this time, it was not possible to find the appropriate financial backers to support the project - despite various foundation applications. Nadine was not alone, but the resources were simply too scarce, or simply not there.

"It was not seen what the wLw Academy could have become."

Nadine Leimbacher at the end of the wLw Academy

Setbacks are part of the game if you want to change something. And instead of making a fist in the bag, Nadine and Tobias decided to use the end of this project as a learning moment in an emotional video.

Workshops for schools

Where something stops, something new begins. For the wLw team, a new part of work began in September with school Merenschwand. During three-hour workshops, the aim was to show pupils how laptops work, how to take them apart and also how to get an old machine going again.

Here, too, our trainees participated with their own production showing the course of such a half-day:

More information for schools is available on this page:

Participate yourself?

Our association is constantly growing - and more and more people are seeing the impact our work has on Switzerland. Join us and contribute to our mission.