VHS presents programme for the first half of 2026
Bocholt - The Bocholt-Rhede-Isselburg Adult Education Centre is publishing its programme for the first half of the academic year on Thursday, 15 January 2026. In addition to a modernised booklet in a handy DIN A5 format, the educational institution is increasingly focusing on digital access. Registration for around 500 events will be possible from 20 January 2026.
© Stadt Bocholt
Isabel Testroet (Head of VHS and Junge Uni) and her colleague Sven Wisberg are looking forward to the new programme.
At the turn of the year, the Adult Education Centre (VHS) presents itself with a new look and structure. The new programme booklet will no longer be published as a newspaper supplement on 15 January, but will be available in special programme boxes at the VHS locations in Bocholt (LernWerk), Rhede and Isselburg. Other distribution points are the Bocholter Borkener Volksblatt (BBV) and the media centre with the city library.
At the same time, the digital presence is being strengthened: the programme can be accessed via the homepage, which was redesigned in autumn 2025, and via the BBV apps. "With the switch to the handy A5 format and the expansion of our digital channels, we are taking an important step towards modernisation and sustainability", explains Isabel Testroet, Head of the Adult Education Centre, "but the information will remain accessible to everyone in analogue form as well."
Download VHS programme
The official starting signal for registrations will be given on Tuesday, 20 January 2026, at around 8:00 am. Places can be conveniently booked online via the VHS website. For citizens who prefer a personal consultation, the office in Bocholter LernWerk and the branch offices in the town halls of Rhede and Isselburg are available at the same time.
In terms of content, the semester offers a wide range of educational opportunities. It will kick off on 4 February with a multi-vision show by travel journalist Hartmut Krinitz about Brittany in the auditorium of Bocholt Comprehensive School. The area of regional studies will be supplemented in March by André Schumacher's report on the Canary Islands and a lecture by Lutz Jäkel on the "new Syria". Cross-border cooperation also plays a role: in April, the German-Dutch border talks will focus on the painter Vincent van Gogh. Film fans can also look forward to screenings of the LUX Film Prize at the Kinodrom from the end of January.
In the health sector, the VHS is responding to current needs with new formats such as "Cantienica", detox yoga and courses on nutrition and routines in everyday life. The culinary area invites you on a world tour through different country cuisines and offers special cookery evenings for widowed people. For educational professionals and parents, the Family and Education department offers qualification programmes for childcare and creative training courses.
In the coming semester, one focus in the area of career and the digital world will be on artificial intelligence and professional development. The online programmes offered by "vhs DigitalKooperation" are guaranteed to take place. Those interested in languages can broaden their horizons, as the Foreign Languages department has added Japanese courses and an intensive Chinese weekend to its programme. Creative development opportunities include acting courses, voice training and working with clay.
For questions about integration and language courses, special counselling appointments are available, which can be requested by telephone at the branches or via the homepage. On 27 April, the VHS and JUNGE UNI will also be hosting the University Advice Day, which this year will take place at the Berufskolleg am Wasserturm and is aimed at secondary school pupils.
With over 500 events on site and online, the VHS offers a wide range of continuing education courses in the first half of 2026. After more than 15,000 participants in 2025, VHS Director Isabel Testroet is therefore optimistic about the new semester: "I am delighted that we have also put together a varied programme for the first half of 2026 that is stimulating and enjoyable." The offer includes a wide range of opportunities for learning, continuing education or simply relaxing.