Ettenheim: Education and Public Institutions in March 2026

Education in Ettenheim: From Full-Day Childcare to the Mediathek

The city of Ettenheim has increasingly shaped itself in recent years as a family-friendly and lifelong learning-oriented municipality. This will become especially evident in March 2026, as several central projects in the educational landscape will be implemented and finalized. In addition to the expansion of full-day childcare at primary schools, the new Mediathek will open, and the Ettenheim Adult Education Center (VHS) will be further developed.

Implementation of the Right to Full-Day Childcare

Ettenheim is a pioneer in full-day childcare for primary school children. With the implementation of the Full-Day Childcare Support Act (GaFöG) starting in the school year 2026/2027, the legal entitlement to up to eight hours of childcare per day, five weekdays per week, and 48 weeks per year will be concretized.

The city has already offered childcare services at all three primary school locations (Ettenheim, Altdorf, Münchweier). To implement the legal entitlement, a structural, personnel, and financial expansion is required. For example, Friday childcare will be expanded, and summer childcare will be extended until 3:30 PM – a significant improvement for parents who often struggle to find childcare during the week.

A particular focus is on the costs. The monthly costs for Friday childcare at the three primary school locations amount to approximately 27,000 euros in total, while parental contributions and funding programs do not fully cover the expenses. Therefore, a clear prioritization is necessary: Initially, the childcare will be limited to full-day students to ensure sustainable financing and a sensible allocation of resources.

The New Ettenheim Mediathek: A "Third Place" for All Generations

In May 2026, the Ettenheim City Library will move to the new Mediathek at Friedrichstraße 38. This relocation not only creates a modern, barrier-free location, but also expands the concept of a "library." The new Mediathek offers not only books, but also e-media, console games, board games, and a "Library of Things."

In addition, the Mediathek is designed according to the concept of a "Third Place" – a place for reading, learning, exchanging ideas, and also for retreat. Unlike the previous city library, which was open for 17 hours per week, the Mediathek will be open for 22 hours per week in the future – a significant improvement in accessibility.

Another milestone is the transition to RFID technology, which simplifies the borrowing and return processes and increases the efficiency of the library. Furthermore, the Mediathek will offer events for all age groups in the future – from reading sessions for children to readings and lectures for adults.

Ettenheim Adult Education Center (VHS): Diversity, Accessibility, and the Future

The Ettenheim Adult Education Center (VHS) is a central educational institution for the entire region. It offers a wide range of courses – from language courses (English, French, Italian, etc.) to cooking and creative courses, IT courses, and health programs.

Important in this context is the spatial distribution of the courses: The VHS Ettenheim uses premises in Ettenheimweiler, Ettenheimmünster, Altdorf, Münchweier, and the Prinzengarten – a deliberate effort to make the offerings accessible in all districts. Particularly noteworthy is the digital expansion, for example through online courses and the pilot implementation of "summer courses" in the Prinzengarten.

A central topic is the recruitment of new instructors, especially younger ones who want to teach and learn in the region. The city has already taken steps: increases in instructor fees have been decided, and training for young instructors ("Young VHS") has been supported. In addition, customer satisfaction is being increased through strong instructor quality and targeted public relations.

Looking into the Future: Education as a Central Building Block for Urban Development

Ettenheim demonstrates with these measures that education and public institutions are not only viewed as services, but as a central building block for urban development. The implementation of the right to full-day childcare shows that the city is actively supporting families. The new Mediathek will become a lively meeting place for all generations, and the VHS remains a central point of contact for lifelong learning.

In the coming months, it will be particularly interesting to observe the effects of the expanded summer childcare and the digitization of the Mediathek. The question of how the VHS will deal with the changes in the educational landscape – for example through more online offerings or collaborations with other cities – remains exciting.