The COFACE network welcomes a new member, Bundeselternnetzwerk der Migrantenorganisationen für Bildung und Teilhabe (BBT). Based in Berlin, Germany, and founded in 2017, the Bundeselternnetzwerk is a non-profit umbrella organisation bringing together 17 member organisations nationwide, most of which are umbrella organisations as well. It is dedicated to promoting equal rights for migrant and refugee children and their families within the education system, family life and society.
Their work focuses on strengthening participation, combating discrimination, and advancing inclusive family policies. The organisation’s mission is to ensure the social, cultural, and economic inclusion of migrant and refugee families by addressing structural inequalities and amplifying their voices in education and family policy-making. They achieve this through advocacy, political dialogue, capacity-building projects, and collaboration with civil society and public institutions.
The Bundeselternnetzwerk operates across key areas such as education, family policy, participation, and anti-discrimination and sees them as intricately connected. Their activities include organising training sessions, workshops, conferences, and networking events for parents, multipliers from member organisations, policy makers, and professionals from civil society organisations, politics, education system and the family support system. These initiatives aim to empower families, improve access to information about educational system and support services, and foster active participation in school and civic life. The organisation also works to strengthen migrant-led organisations, enabling them to better support their communities.
Currently, the Bundeselternnetzwerk runs several projects that promote participation, empowerment, and research. These include PartEl, which supports the involvement of migrant parents in school committees; E-DIT Plus (Parent conferences for democratic integration and participation), which organises peer-to-peer formats for parents, creating spaces for empowerment and community organising to strengthen democratic participation in regions with structural disadvantages; and MELT, a research collaboration with Humboldt University in Berlin focused on improving cooperation between schools and migrant organisations. Through these initiatives, the organisation continues to enhance inclusion, representation, and equal access to opportunities for diverse families across Germany; In Addition the BiMig project conducts qualitative research on experiences in the German education system and transforms these insights into an engaging exhibition to raise awareness.
Read more about COFACE’s new member Bundeselternnetzwerk here.
