In January 2022, Flex Remote School introduced the beUnity app. Today, the interactive Swiss platform connects young people who cannot attend regular schools for various reasons. This fosters exchanges with peers in similar situations and simplifies communication with teachers.
How can young people in challenging life circumstances be guided toward completing school or even returning to the formal school system? The Flex Remote School, part of the Christophorus Youth Organization, creates individual learning plans for each student. The idea is simple: if students cannot go to school, the school comes to them. The challenge: many of these young people feel isolated in their situation.
With beUnity, the remote school provides a way to bring these students together and enable interaction with peers facing similar circumstances. Jochen Haug is responsible for implementing the app. In the interview, he explains how the beUnity app is used at Flex Remote School.
Mr. Haug, please introduce your organization in a few sentences.
Flex Remote School was founded in 1988 as part of the Christophorus Youth Organization near Freiburg (Germany). Since then, it has supported young people who cannot attend regular schools for various reasons, following individual learning plans. Currently, it serves around 600 young people across Germany (as of 2023).
What is your organization’s goal?
Flex Remote School is a youth welfare initiative. The idea: if students cannot attend school for various reasons, the school comes to them. The individual learning plan adapts to each student and their specific situation. This approach helps young people in challenging circumstances complete their education or reintegrate into the formal school system.
How does this work in practice?
Based on distance-learning methodology, Flex Remote School operates according to a special education concept. Without classes or grade levels, students are supported where they currently are and receive targeted guidance in areas essential for completing their education. Clear weekly tasks combined with close supervision make it possible for even school-averse students to achieve learning progress.
When searching for a solution like beUnity, what was your main challenge?
Students at Flex Remote School are located in a variety of places: at home, in group homes, in care facilities, or abroad in special programs. Many feel isolated in their situation. With beUnity, we wanted to create a way to connect these young people and enable exchanges with peers in similar situations. At the same time, it provides low-threshold communication between students and teachers.
Which features convinced you that beUnity would solve your problem?
Groups allow information (such as exam dates) to be shared quickly and directly with those affected. The chat enables easy interaction between students – and also between teachers and students. Using the app ensures that messages reach the young people directly and do not need to be accessed separately.
Flex Remote School has taken the step and adopted beUnity for modern communication. What about you?
