Krupp Foundation Supports Pilot Project at Comprehensive School
Exercise and Community in the School Sports Club
- von Birte Vierjahn
- 13.05.2026
Social inclusion through sport: Pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds often lack access to club-based sports. Professor Ulf Gebken, from the Institute of Sport and Exercise Sciences at the University of Duisburg-Essen, therefore set up the RISE school sports club at Gustav Heinemann Comprehensive School in Essen's Schonnebeck district. All pupils at the school can participate in various sports activities three days a week and at weekends. The sessions are led by university students.
RISE e.V. (Respect, Inclusion, Strength and Education) was established in May 2026 as one of the first school sports clubs in Germany, supported by the Alfried Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach Foundation. The initiative was prompted by the low proportion of pupils actively involved in club sports: fewer than ten per cent of boys and less than five per cent of girls at the Gustav Heinemann School are members of a sports club.
All newly enrolled pupils automatically become members of the school sports club, for which the annual membership fee is just one euro. This gives them access to activities such as basketball, dance, acrobatics and juggling. There are also girls-only courses available, providing everyone with the opportunity to enjoy positive experiences through exercise, play and community.
‘Initial experiences with similar projects in Hamburg and Oldenburg show that it works,’ emphasises Prof. Dr Ulf Gebken, Professor of Sports Social Sciences and Head of the RISE project. ‘Children and young people enjoy the fun of exercise and community, and ideally continue practising their sport in a club outside of school.’ Students working as coaches have the opportunity to develop their skills and apply their existing pedagogical knowledge. They also help older pupils guide the younger ones.’
Academic support and evaluation for the RISE e.V. initiative will be provided through research projects, bachelor’s and master’s theses, and potential doctoral dissertations. The aim is to roll out the concept to other local authorities as well.
The project originated from Gebken’s outdoor exercise programme, Open Area, which has been operating regularly in Essen for the past year. It offers a variety of sports with low barriers to entry for 10- to 18-year-olds.
Read the full press release issued by the Alfried Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach Foundation (German only):
www.krupp-stiftung.de/krupp-stiftung-foerdert-gruendung-eines-schulsportvereins-im-essener-norden/
Image (from left to right): Thomas Kufen, Lord Mayor of the City of Essen, Dr Michaela Muylkens, member of the Executive Board of the Krupp Foundation, Lukas Rüenauver, Headteacher of the Gustav-Heinemann Comprehensive School, and Prof. Dr Ulf Gebken, University of Duisburg-Essen.
Further Information:
Prof. Dr. Ulf Gebken, Institute of Sport and Exercise Sciences, +49 201 183-7610, ulf.gebken@uni-due.de
Editor: Birte Vierjahn, +49 203 379-2427, birte.vierjahn@uni-due.de