A sociologist and cultural anthropologist by training, I started my career working in civic education in my native Germany. From 2012 to 2022, I worked with the Swiss Academy for Development SA4D, a centre of excellence for sport and development. SA4D uses sport and play to empower disadvantaged children and young people in Switzerland and internationally to become healthy, educated and employed members of their communities.
In my work as Deputy Director for SA4D, I designed, managed, supervised, monitored and evaluated projects on four continents, mainly in the areas of education and employment. As part of this role, I created MEL instruments and developed handbooks to be used by facilitators in non-formal education, early childhood development and entrepreneurship education, most of which use sport and play as a tool for teaching children and young people. I also conducted workshops on different topics for field-level staff.
I believe strongly in inclusive and equitable education for all and currently continue to pursue that interest as a board member for the Swiss Network for Education and International Cooperation RECI.