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- The history of SMOG e. V.
- Our concept for children and young people
- Our concept for educators and teachers
- Our concept for adults
- „“Cool and Safe” the Internet program
- SMOG e. V. - Partner
- Collaboration with companies and universities
- Celebrities
- Awards
- The current board
- Managing Director
- Speakers
- Four points that make up SMOG e. V.'s successful concept
- Contact
1. The history of SMOG e. V.
Roots in the police
The name “SMOG” is created
The further path with the police
Founding of the SMOG e. V. association
It all began in 1998, when Erwin Maisch, then head of the Vogelsberg District Police Department in the German state of Hesse, wanted to set new standards in crime prevention. The goal was to reduce crime, especially violent crime.
Since the relevant literature and all research results identified male adolescents and young adults as the central problem group in violent crimes, it was necessary to find a preventive approach here.
In their search for a suitable prevention project for middle school students, they found "Be Cool – Stay Cool." Already implemented by various police departments in Germany, the program is aimed at middle school students and uses practical exercises to provide information on perpetrator and victim behavior, as well as appropriate response skills.
Adapted to rural conditions, two half-day teaching units per class were compiled and conducted in the Vogelsberg district. Initial skepticism soon gave way to enthusiasm. The police officers were recognized and praised by the students and teaching staff. The image of the police among the target group grew significantly. A true success story emerged.
To find a name for the prevention project, the Vogelsberg District Children's and Youth Parliament was consulted. "SMOG" was suggested, as the project was intended to remove perpetrators and victims from the sphere of violence. Everyone agreed, and the name "SMOG" was chosen.
The further path with the police
With Maisch as head of operations and representative of the police chief, the prevention work begun in the Vogelsberg district was transferred to the police headquarters with its start on January 1, 2001.
A targeted, comprehensive concept for police prevention work was developed. The projects "Bus Monitor Training," the "Guardian Angel Concept," the "Not with Me" seminar, and the "Better Than..." traffic prevention project were created.
Founding of the SMOG e. V. association
However, the police soon reached the limits of what was possible. So, on January 24, 2002, Erwin Maisch and eleven other men and women founded the association "Schooling Without Violence (SMOG)" (Schooling Without Violence). The founding members came from the three districts in eastern Hesse and represented a variety of professions. With great enthusiasm, they overcame the administrative hurdles and embarked on new projects.
The overriding goal was to create an overall concept that would reach people over many years and be designed to last. The concept had to be sustainable!
Over the next few years, an overall violence prevention concept was developed that is unique in Germany.
In addition to the prevention activities, the initiative of SMOG e. V. in the state of Hesse with the “Troubleline”, in East Hesse “SMOGline”, under the number 0800 – 110 2222 a contact point should be created at all police stations, where trained staff will answer the free calls from the target group of children and young people and respond to them in a targeted manner.
Since 2022, SMOG e. V. has been a member of the Federal Association of Daycare and School Support Associations.
2. Our concept for the target groups children and young people
(Further details about the programs can be found on our homepage www.smogline.de.)
Kindergarten
Primary school
Secondary schools
Sport
Other programs and activities
- With the "Faustlos" program , SMOG e.V., in collaboration with its partner organization Jollydent e.V., reached more than 80% of all kindergartens and numerous elementary and lower secondary schools in eastern Hesse. 560 educators were trained. "Faustlos" aims to prevent impulsive and aggressive behavior in children and promote empathy and social skills.
- With the “Klassenrat” (class council) designed by SMOG e. V. for second graders in primary schools, children receive a ritualized consultation model. Learning Democratic behavior and non-violent communication are both the way and the goal.
- The children in the 3rd and 4th grades are familiarized with the dangers of everyday life, including the dangers of the Internet, in the SMOG seminar “Not with me” (4 x 2 hours of lessons and a preceding parents’ evening) , and their skills are strengthened.
- „Cool and Safe“ the interactive learning program for 7-12 year old children (see section 5)
- The modules “media literacy” and comprehensive “conflict mediation training” in schools for teachers and 14-16 year olds are integral parts of the SMOG concept.
- SMOG eV has in cooperation with the German Football Association, Hessian The Hessian Football Association and the Hessian Ministry of the Interior and Sport have developed the "FourS" concept for football . Here, children aged 7-12 (starting at the E-youth level) learn social skills in football. Parents, coaches, and supervisors can simultaneously enhance their parenting skills in two half-day sessions.
- The "S'kool Tour" visited numerous primary schools in Hesse between 2009 and 2011. Through role-playing, exercises, and practical experience, the children learned how to recognize and respond correctly in potentially dangerous situations, thereby improving their social skills. Additional goals include increasing self-confidence, recognizing and dealing with feelings in themselves and others, and promoting integration through improved communication. The entire class takes part in the eight-lesson seminar. Particular emphasis is placed on the active involvement of girls. Five 3.5-hour sessions for the children's parents are designed to improve and strengthen parenting skills. Participating school classes took part in 12 regional soccer tournaments. The regional winners competed for the title of Hesse champion in a final at the 2011 Hessentag, prior to the Women's World Cup.
- The most recent program , "Cool and Fair," was developed by SMOG e.V. in 2025 in collaboration with SG Neuenstein in Hesse for children aged 7-12 in soccer. This training program, available for free download on the SMOG website, gives clubs the opportunity to incorporate exercises into their training routines that contribute to improving social skills and team spirit.
- The "Hersfelder Street Kids" project aims to use martial arts to open up new perspectives for young people and prevent them from slipping into delinquency. It also aims to help young people who are already delinquent find an alternative to their previous socialization. The program is supplemented by various exercises for dealing with conflict and violence. The project is led by a social worker (anti-violence trainer and mediator) and a martial arts specialist.
- The project "From the Street to the Studio (VdSiS)" is a German rap project for children and young people that conveys positive values and approaches through musical exploration of the German language. Due to the huge interest in the project, a separate association, VdSiS e.V., was founded and a YouTube channel with more than 450,000 users was launched.
- In the past, there have also been several anti-drug and anti-violence concerts in cooperation with the Upper Franconia Addiction and Drug Prevention Agency, as well as numerous lectures on the topics of violence and addiction, juvenile delinquency and sexual abuse.
- Under the title “Blood Must Flow – Undercover Among Nazis”, theme days on the fight against right-wing extremism are being held in schools and for the public, and have so far received a particularly positive response.
- The fact that SMOG e.V. also works successfully with partners in the field of visual arts is demonstrated by the activities of the "Arts Open Worlds" project in Bad Hersfeld since 2016. Plays and films, now featuring hundreds of children and young people, have delighted audiences year after year. The project boosts the self-esteem of children and young people and increases educational opportunities, even for disadvantaged children and young people.
3. Our concept for the target groups of educators and teachers
(You can find details about the programs on our homepage www.smogline.de.)
- In 2019, we developed a continuing education program for educators to help our many educators gain further qualifications for their increasingly demanding work. The course consists of 21 hours and is delivered on-site. The training series is based on the scientifically evaluated MonteBaRo educational program.
- Educational days have been developed and implemented for these target groups.
- In addition, appropriate concept discussions and lectures are held in the institutions as needed.
- Over the years, a large number of teachers have been trained and further educated as mediators alongside the students.
- Furthermore, the teachers are part of the training in the seminars “Be cool – cool remain".
4. Our concept for adults
(You can find details about the programs on our homepage www.smogline.de.)
Family preparation
Parenting skills
Sport
Other actions
- In cooperation with the German Family Foundation in Fulda, family preparation for parents was supported.
- The development of SMOG's own "SMOG Parenting School" has had a significant impact on the work of SMOG eV. It supports and promotes parents' parenting skills.
In six units, participants will learn interesting facts about communication between Parents and children, on sibling rivalry, and many other family-related topics. What they learn can be tried out in the family and discussed in the subsequent session. The course is free of charge for parents. Together with SMOG e.V., Jollydent e.V. is involved in the SMOG Parenting School. Since our anniversary in 2022, we have also
been offering the SMOG Parenting School in Spanish.
- The “FourS” concept was used to train the social skills of parents and adults in sport (see section 2 – Sport).
- For many people in northern and eastern Hesse, "SMOG eV" also became increasingly popular through the numerous football tournaments in the three districts of Vogelsbergkreis, Hersfeld-Rotenburg, and Fulda. For years, German sports celebrities met here for charity matches as part of various indoor tournaments. Well-known names from the world of sports such as Horst Eckel, Uwe Bein, Thomas Helmer, Horst Hrubesch, Rudi Völler, Dr. Theo Zwanziger, Sven Hannawald, and Timo Boll contributed to SMOG e. V.
- In addition, numerous lectures were given on topics related to violence prevention.
- We used the Corona times to digitize our work processes and our website with the help of the state of Hesse through the “Volunteering digitized” program.
- In cooperation with various partners , netw@ys in the Hersfeld-Rotenburg district offers several digital parent evenings throughout the year on important topics in the digital world, such as hate speech, gaming, e-sports and podcasts.
5. „Cool and Safe“ the Internet program
The program is created
Start in Hessian primary schools
Highest awards
Offer in five languages
Contents
Scope
„Cool and Safe“ - App
With its thousands of face-to-face seminars, SMOG eV has reached many people since 2002. "SMOG" has become a household name in the field of violence prevention in the state of Hesse.
However, it was important for the association to further increase the number of people reached and so the idea of using the Internet for this purpose was born.
Together with managing director Heide Aust, Erwin Maisch secured a Daphne III funding program from the EU for a violence prevention project for children. They spent months writing an application. Two competent partners, mecom in Fulda and Goethe University Frankfurt, were found for the technical implementation and scientific support. The IPA German Section and IPA Luxembourg joined the project, and following the successful application, the two-year production period for an e-learning project, unique in its kind worldwide, began in 2011.
Start in Hessian primary schools
In 2013, SMOG e. V. launched „Cool and Safe“, its interactive e-learning program for children at the age of 7-12 Jahren. It quickly became an integral part of the curriculum in Hessian elementary schools, and scientific evaluations demonstrated the concept's high effectiveness.
With the Comenius Seal and the Comenius Medal, as well as the Erasmus Seal, the project received the highest international awards as a globally outstanding e-learning project. In 2021, SMOG e. V. was awarded the "Best European E-learning Award" and the "Hessian Prevention Prize" for www.coolandsafe.eu. In addition, SMOG e. V. was included in the „Green List for Prevention“ in Germany in 2023.
Launched in German and French, SMOG e.V., with the help of sponsors, can now offer the program in English and Spanish, and since June 2022 in Ukrainian.
The program teaches children to improve their skills in a playful way and to better assess and cope with everyday dangers. The program helps children avoid becoming victims of violence or even sexual abuse. It also informs them of/about the dangers of the internet.
There's a teacher's version for schools, a teacher's manual, and workbooks for children in all offered languages. The program is free and ad-free for users.
A dedicated app has now been developed for the „Cool and Safe“ learning program , which can be downloaded free of charge and ad-free from the relevant app stores and also used on mobile phones. Data protection is of particular importance to us when using this app.
6. SMOG e. V. - Partner
Jollydent e. V.
International Police Association (IPA), Deutsche und Luxemburgische Sektion
SC Neuenstein e. V.
SG Neuenstein
DAFKS Fulda (Deutsch-Amerikanischer Freundschafts-, Kultur & Sportverein) e. V.
Already during the training of kindergarten teachers with the project
Jollydent e. V. was a project partner of SMOG e. V. In addition to the partnership with the “SMOG Parents’ School” , SMOG e. V. was also able to rely on the support of Leave Jollydent e. V
International Police Association (IPA), Deutsche und Luxemburgische Sektion
Without the support of the IPA, its German and Luxembourg sections, the "Cool and Safe" online learning program would not have been possible. In addition to financial resources, the IPA also contributed considerable expertise and its network to the project.
SMOG e.V. enjoys a long-standing friendship with SC Neuenstein. Mutual support and assistance characterize the collaboration between the two clubs.
With the merger of three sports clubs a new sports club was formed in Neuenstein, the home of SMOG e. V.. With the support of SMOG e. V., it aims to focus on violence prevention work,
particularly in the youth sector. Together, they developed the "Cool and Fair" program for 7 to12-year-olds and created the "Together Against Violence" project.
DAFKS Fulda (Deutsch-Amerikanischer Freundschafts-, Kultur & Sportverein) e. V.
With its broad range of offerings, DAFKS Fulda offers many opportunities for collaboration with SMOG e.V. We are pleased that the clorelationship between the two organizations has existed for years.
7. Cooperation with Companies and Universities
mecom, Fulda
compositum, Fulda and Filmreflex, Fulda
Sempercom, Großenlüder
Goethe University Frankfurt
In the production of “Cool and Safe”, the company mecom, Fulda, was an important partner in the project. Companies and From the creation of the films to the web portal, a wide range of tasks was in the hands of the mecom company
compositum, Fulda and Filmreflex, Fulda
The reprogramming of "Cool and Safe" in HTML format and the maintenance of the website were carried out by compositum. In collaboration with Filmreflex, the linguistic enhancements to "Cool and Safe" were incorporated into the program.
The digitization of the association was implemented together with Sempercom.
Goethe University plays a significant role in the science-based work of SMOG e. V. The majority of the programs have been scientifically evaluated there, and in the "Cool and Safe" project, Goethe University was an indispensable partner, creating the scientific foundation for the program and conducting two scientific evaluations.
8. Celebrities
SMOG e.V. is pleased to have had Rudi Völler as our patron for many years. Former Hessian Prime Minister Volker Bouffier , who served as Minister of the Interior at the time, is one of the first members registered with number 15.
Our friend and supporter Sebastian Kehl and his family have also been involved with SMOG e.V. since the club's inception. We also maintain close relationships with Paralympic champions Manuela Schmermund and Reinhild Möller, as well as soccer world champion Nia Künzer.
Also Joachim Deckarm as handball world champion, Michael Roth, former chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, the professional mountaineer Thomas Huber, Jaqueline Becker, World Champion of Shooting, Michelle Horst, European Champion of Shooting, Olympic Champion Heike Drechsler, football coaches Ottmar Hitzfeld, Michael Skippe and Otto Rehhagel, footballers Wynton Rufer and Uwe Bein, swimmer Annika Mehlhorn, ski jumper Sven Hannawald and the celebrity chef Stefan Marquard are among the SMOG sympathizers.
9. Awards
- After the association “School without violence (SMOG) eV” was founded in January 2002, the association was one of 25 national winners among 560 applicants for its concept in the nationwide “startsocial” competition that same year.
- In November 2004, the “Alliance for Democracy and Tolerance” awarded SMOG eV a prize for its exemplary concept in a nationwide competition with 420 projects.
- At the beginning of 2006, SMOG eV was invited by the Federal President Dr. Köhler to the reopening of Bellevue Palace in Berlin as a thank you and recognition for its work.
- In December 2006, the Hessian Prime Minister Roland Koch congratulated SMOG on being one of the winners among 1,500 applicants in the nationwide "Germany – Land of Ideas" competition.The winning prize was presented to SMOG eV on January 19, 2007. The Federal President honored the success once again at the annual reception on January 14, 2008.
- On June 5, 2007, SMOG eV received its next award at the Hessian State Chancellery. The "Alliance for Democracy and Tolerance," established by the federal government , once again recognized SMOG eV as an imaginative and effective example of civic engagement.
- In 2010, the German Children’s Prize was awarded for the “Class Council” by World Vision.
- The project “Cool and Safe” was awarded the Comenius Seal in Berlin in 2013, which is awarded worldwide for outstanding, exemplary educational media.
- In 2014, SMOG eV received the Erasmus Seal for outstanding Eurocultural educational media with the project “Cool and Safe” in Vienna.
- SMOG eV received two more outstanding global awards in 2015 for its "Cool and Safe" project. The internationally coveted Comenius EduMedia Medal was presented to the SMOG project "Cool and Safe" on June 25, 2015, by the Society for Pedagogy, Information and Media eV at the Hessian State Representation in Berlin. The medal is awarded for outstanding, exemplary ICT-based (information and communication technology) educational media. Of 170 applications from around the world, including the USA, Canada, Japan, China, and numerous European countries, a total of 19 were awarded the Comenius Medal by the international jury of experts.
The fact that SMOG eV was the only association among the award winners, who were predominantly media companies, shows the outstanding voluntary work that was done with “Cool and Safe” in order to survive in this environment. - At the anniversary event "20 Years of the Comenius Award – Digital Innovations in Europe," SMOG eV and its partners once again received the Comenius Seal for "Cool and Safe." The seal is awarded by an international jury of the European Society for Education and Communication (ESEC), which includes representatives from numerous European universities, for productions that represent European values with outstanding quality and promote social development.
- In a ceremony in the Historical Hall of the Hessian Ministry of Justice on 30 June 2021, State Minister Eva Kühne-Hörmann presented the Hessian Prevention Prize 2021 to SMOG eV for its "Cool and Safe" learning program. The Prevention Prize is awarded annually by the State of Hesse for outstanding achievements in the field of prevention.
- In 2023, the learning program “Cool and Safe” was included in the “Green Prevention List”.
10. Der aktuelle Vorstand
1st Chairman
Erwin Maisch, former Police Director, Gersfeld
2nd Chairman
Max Ostrowski, retired teacher at the Jahnschule Hünfeld, wh. Petersberg
Secretary
Alfred Hau, retired police sergeant, Petersberg
Treasurer
Kerstin Jung, self-employed, resident of Bad Hersfeld
assessors
Anke Hofmann, Mayor of Bad Hersfeld, former mayor of Bad Hersfeld
Anita Hofmann, Head of the State School Office (retired), Rotenburg
Hans-Georg Gluth, former Operations Manager TROX X FANS GmbH, Bad Hersfeld
Werner Köhler, former head of the Social Welfare Office, Lauterbach
Dieter Scheer, lawyer at the LRA Bad Hersfeld
Hans-Jürgen Schäfer, former mayor, resident of Schlitz
Stephan Schmidt, former head of the Fulda State School Office, Hünfeld
Joachim Knöß, employee of the LRA Vogelsbergkreis, wh. Lauterbach
Harald Pressmann, former mayor of Hauneck
Dr. Ernst Pisko, lawyer and economist, citizen of the USA and Austria
11. Managing Director
Heide Aust, sports agency Speed, wh. Neuenstein
After SMOG e.V. had operated its own office since October 1, 2004, the management responsibilities were transferred to the sports agency Speed on January 1, 2011, for cost reasons, at a fixed price and with a contract. In addition to their contractual commitment, the sports agency team also regularly contributes to SMOG e.V. on a voluntary basis, benefiting the club.
12. Speakers
For years, SMOG e. V. has been working very successfully with its own speakers, who do a great job in various programs. They are an essential pillar of SMOG e. V.'s violence prevention work.
Due to copyright issues, we had to rely on the instructors of the Heidelberg Prevention Center for the "Faustlos" project. SMOG e.V. also relies on outside help for dispute resolution. Two highly qualified trainers work here, who have enjoyed unparalleled recognition for years.
With the help of the qualified educator Andrea Stephan from Karlsruhe and the SMOG trainer Claudia Fink, numerous trainers for the “SMOG Parenting School” and the learning program for 7-12-year-old children are trained in "Not with me." Through ongoing program evaluations, annual training, and ongoing program development, SMOG e.V. ensures high quality knowledge transfer. SMOG e.V. is now able to offer continuing education for educational professionals, which is in high demand.
In addition, since 2025, we have been offering a training program for football clubs to help them better develop social skills and team spirit in their children. It is our ongoing task to recruit new instructors and further train them to maintain our high standards.
13. Four points that make up SMOG e. V.'s successful concept
- Board members who volunteer their time, knowledge and network for SMOG e. V. combined with working with a professional office
- Trainers who, with their competent work, contribute significantly to the success of SMOG e. V.
- Members, such as municipalities, cities, districts, associations, companies and private individuals, as well as sponsors, supporters and the public sector, who support and value the work of SMOG e. V.
- Scientific basis of violence prevention work and ongoing evaluations of Werner Köhler, former head of the Social Welfare Office, Lauterbach programs and cooperation with qualified partners in the implementation
14. Contact
„Schooling without Violence (SMOG)” e. V.
Schlossbergweg 4
36286 Neuenstein (Hessen)
Phone: 0049 6677 918211
Fax: 0049 6677 918575
Email: kontakt@smogline.de
Hello, this English version of “Cool and Safe” can be used by anyone.
Please note, however, that the help contacts in it, like telephone numbers, only apply to Germany.
