The students taking part in work placements within the EU are young women and men who do their first practical training at our training college for educators. Those students were chosen who are thought to have the neccessary skills to achieve their training objective and who due to their outstanding committment and responsibility seem suitable. They are highly motivated to broaden their horizons by attending an establishment within the EU and accept additional work and more demanding standards. At the outset the teachers inform the students of the EU work placement. Then the students who have done such a work placement in the past give a presentation on their experience to interested students. These will apply for a EU work placement and are selected at a conference. The selected students will take part in obligatory meetings in which they will be carefully prepared for their EU work placements. They receive folders containing assignments which are designed to help students orient themselves to their new environment abroad. The students need to apply at the institution of their choice themselves, take care of accomodation and coverage of insurances, must fill in forms and pass them on to the institution they will be working with. Also a language course is obligatory. Before the departure there will be a special preparation for the students on work placement. Abroad they are required to write weekly emails to their support teacher about their impressions and experiences. Additionally, students will discuss pedagogical matters with their placement advisors once a week. The support teacher of our school will visit the institution abroad for a couple of days and attend as a guest from time to time, will join an activity planned by the student and evaluate it afterwards with the student and placement advisor. Back in Germany, there will be a follow-up giving students the chance to evaluate and document their experiences. Afterwards the students will finish off their presentations, before they are made to students in their first year. The students will also publish a text on their experience on our school website and will be available to answer questions concerning an EU work placement should they arise. Finally, they will fill in forms to give some feedback and send it to the lead partner in charge in Bonn. Students doing a EU work placement can benefit greatly in terms of their professional qualifications and on a personal level as well. Students accustomed to the situational approach common in Germany will come across institutions in other EU countries with a tightly organized pre-school routine. In contrast to Germany, the support teachers abroad are usually highly qualified academics. Also the way teachers, parents and children interact is markedly different. Students have the chance to experience how the given cultural and sociopolitical reality of a country influences the values taught to children. Also the learning climate found in institutions as well as existing rules and rituals offen differ from those in Germany. Students can also benefit greatly by learning to cope in an unfamiliar environment, especially in terms of their self-confidence. In most cases the experience also helps them to become more aware of issues like interculturalism, integration and inclusion. In recent years, it became obvious how the experience also boosted the students‘ motivation for their practical training in general and resulted in more active participation in class. Experiences which trigger a deeper emotional response and are also evaluated tend to have a lasting impact. Positive experiences in which individuals become aware of their competence often enable them to tackle future challenges which will in turn help them to advance even further on a personal level. Furthermore, being better qualified and good language skills will help students find a job of their choice in the future.