6 November 2024

As part of an excursion to the Munkelt family's alpaca farm in Hohenmölsen, students at Nordhausen University of Applied Sciences experienced a special highlight: an alpaca hike that brought animal-assisted education to life. Under the guidance of Professor Dr Sandra Meusel in the "Child and Youth Welfare" specialisation area of the "Curative Education" and "Health and Social Affairs" degree programmes, the potential of this method for working with children, young people and their families was explored.

Alpacas fascinate with their calmness and almost magical charisma. They respond to their companions, react sensitively to their emotional situation and quickly establish a connection. This empathetic nature of alpacas creates an atmosphere in which even stressed or restless people can take the animal's needs into consideration and relax. Interaction with the animals can also promote trust in one's own abilities and the care of others for people with hurtful biographical experiences.

The joint hike not only strengthened the sense of community among the students, but also enabled them to support each other. A relaxed and respectful atmosphere developed under the expert guidance of the group leader at the alpaca farm, who knows each of his animals inside out and addresses the participants' fears of contact.

After the hike, the students enjoyed a cosy end to the afternoon with Thuringian grilled sausages and vegetarian barbecue. The excursion was an impressive experience and aroused curiosity about the next topic in the degree programme: experiential education.

This type of practice-oriented teaching emphasises the importance of animal-assisted pedagogy in studies at Nordhausen University of Applied Sciences and shows how such methods of social work can contribute to the support and encouragement of children, young people and their families.