On January 15, 2026 , as part of our in-house training program , the Reading Mentors Academy, we were invited to visit Dussmann's KulturKaufhaus for the second time. Thirty-five of our dedicated reading mentors had the opportunity to experience an inspiring day of training. This time, the focus was on "promoting reading with comics."

With a wealth of expertise, practical experience, and enthusiasm, our two lecturers, Nina Severin and Dr. Brigitte Schulte from the Center for Language Support at the Senate Department for Education, Youth, and Family Affairs, demonstrated the enormous potential of comics for motivating children to read and developing their language skills. The training opened up new perspectives on how reading can be learned in a low-threshold, creative way that takes children's interests into account and is fun.

Another highlight was the conclusion with an exclusive tour of the comic book department at Dussmann. Among graphic novels, classics, and new releases, many new ideas and inspirations emerged, along with a desire to integrate comics even more strongly into the reading sponsorship program.

We would like to express our sincere thanks to our lecturers for their valuable expertise, as well as to Dussmann, and in particular to our local contact, Melanie Slawik (Managing Director B2B Dussmann), for their open cooperation, hospitality, and support of these special learning spaces.

If you would like to contribute to greater educational equality in Berlin, then volunteering as a reading mentor with us is just the thing for you! For more information on how to get started, please send us an email at info@lesepaten.berlin or visit our website: lesepaten.berlin