Oberberg Education Office presents prizes to the winners Nationwide Reading Day 2025 in Oberberg

Press release of the Education Network Oberberg

Oberbergischer Kreis. In 2025, numerous daycare centers and schools in the Oberbergischer Kreis participated again in the Nationwide Reading Day. More than 70 reading events took place on the Nationwide Reading Day 2025 in the Oberbergischer Kreis, reaching over 6,000 children, young people, and adults through the Education Network Oberberg. The Education Office Oberberg once again honored this commitment with a raffle and has now presented the prizes to the winners.

Download

Official award ceremony at the Heier Primary School in Marienheide: (from left to right) Katja van Wickeren, educational staff member at the Education Office Oberberg; Birgit Steuer, head of the Education Office Oberberg; Claudia Knoche, principal of the Heier Primary School, Verena Brand and Katja Hötzel, teachers and organizers of the Reading Day at the Heier Primary School; Peter Lenz and Vera Zielberg from AggerEnergie (Photo: OBK)

The main prize was awarded to the Heier Primary School in Marienheide: a hot air balloon ride sponsored by AggerEnergie. On the Nationwide Reading Day, the school organized a diverse program: students could choose from various reading events and register in advance. The day was conceived and implemented by Verena Brand and Katja Hötzel, who will now also enjoy the balloon ride. “Reading aloud is far more than a single event in the year for us. It opens up access to language for children, strengthens their understanding of stories, and creates shared experiences that resonate in everyday school life,” emphasized Principal Claudia Knoche. “We are happy to support the Nationwide Reading Day in the Oberbergischer Kreis every year because (reading) is simply a crucial foundation for education,” said Peter Lenz, head of corporate communications at AggerEnergie.

Additional prizes for daycare centers and schools

In addition to the main prize, other institutions were honored: The Johanniter Childcare Facility Bielstein received a reading box from the Reading Foundation worth 250 euros. The Nationwide Reading Day was also celebrated there with great enthusiasm. “The children participated in the reading activities with great excitement,” said educator Jessica Popp.

Die Kinder packten die Box begeistert aus und stöberten sofort in den neuen Büchern. (Foto: OBK) — The children enthusiastically unpacked the box and immediately browsed through the new books. (Photo: OBK)

The reading box for primary schools went to the Community Primary School Nümbrecht. There, Reading Day was celebrated with numerous activities centered around different books. The children were not only able to listen but also get creative: Craftworks matching the stories were created, which they proudly shared afterward. “Reading aloud becomes particularly lively for children when they can actively participate themselves. The combination of stories and creative crafting led to great participation and visible joy in our school,” said class teacher Anna Lauer. Additionally, four trips to the Picture Book Museum in Troisdorf were raffled off. The reading boxes and trips were made possible by the Hans Hermann Voss Foundation. The raffle was complemented by tickets to regional museums.
The next Nationwide Reading Day will take place on November 20, 2026. In 2026, daycare centers, schools, and other institutions are again invited to participate with their own activities and make a statement for reading aloud. Registrations are already possible: www.bildung-in-oberberg.de/vorlesetag.

If photos for download are provided exclusively for media representatives/press, all usage rights (cf. §§ 31 ff. UrhG) according to § 43 UrhG lie with the Oberbergischer Kreis. For reporting purposes, the media are granted a simple usage right according to § 31 Abs. 2 UrhG. When publishing, the image rights specified in the press release must be cited (corresponds to IPTC field no. 110). The additional mention of a natural person as the author according to § 13 sentence 2 UrhG is waived, as this regulation is overridden by the application of § 43 UrhG.