Organization for Youth Education & Development (OYED)

List of Youth Programs in EU Member State


List of Youth Programs in EU Member State

Introduction

The Organization for Youth Education and Development (OYED) is an establishment that seeks to promote the interests of young people on a European level. In order to support this youth agenda the OYED is proposing a common EU policy relating to young people, comprised of 10 points. This proposal addresses some of the most pressing challenges faced by young people in the European Union today.

The OYED believes it to be a gross injustice that the opportunities and level of social inclusion that a young individual can expect is dependent on which country they inhabit. There is a clear imbalance within the European Union, which if left unchecked will perpetuate the current trend and threaten European cohesiveness. This proposal seeks to lift the cap on aspiration on a European level.

This memorandum therefore exists to reinforce this common EU policy proposal as it contains extensive research regarding governmentally funded youth programs and initiatives in every EU member state. The broad scope of this research highlights loopholes in existing policies in one or multiple member states, aiding EU legislators to tailor a more effective approach. Over the course of this research three overarching issues have arisen which must be addressed: social mobility, opportunities for young people, especially linking education to work and entrepreneurship and innovation, and political engagement.

Germany

Program Name:
German: Allianz für Jugend
English: Alliance for Youth

Website: http://www.allianz-fuer-jugend.de
Established Year: 2014

State-funded program that organizes activities around the topics education and extracurricular learning and training opportunities, participation opportunities in the political and public sphere, facilitating the changeover from the school to the working world, including Expert Forums, Workshops and day-long conferences.

Participants in these events typically stem from the fields of youth education and help, schools, politics, science, civil society, economy, science and media. The aim of their meetings is to develop opportunities for the youth and foster a greater youth policy.
Program Name:
German: Anschwung für frühe Chancen
English: Push for earlier chances

Website: http://www.anschwung.de
Established Year: 2011

Program by the Federal Ministry of Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth that supports 600 smaller local programs, which want to give young people a good start. It offers not only advice, training financial support for such programs and their organizers but also a platform for them to advertise.
Program Name:
German: ConAct
English: ConAct

Website: http://www.conact-org.de/
Established Year: 2001

Initiated by Federal Minister for Youth Dr. Christine Bergmann and founded in 2001, the German-Israeli Youth Contact Program aims to connect German and Israeli youths and permit actual exchanges between the countries. It supports existing contacts and encourages new ideas for interaction between the cultures. This happens through the interconnection of information, advising on the planning and financing of German-Israeli youth encounters. It is an institution of the Federal Ministry of Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth. It has a partner-office in Israel, the Israel Youth Exchange Authority.
Program Name:
German: Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (DAAD)
English: German Academic Exchange Service

Website: https://www.daad.de/de/
Established Year: 1925

Founded initially as a private student initiative in Heidelberg in 1925, the DAAD is now based in Bonn. By its own accounts, the DAAD is the biggest organization of its kind worldwide. The federally funded and state-funded national agency encourages and facilitates the exchange of students and scientists. Since its foundation, it has supported almost two million academics. Besides giving out stipends and grants, the DAAD also strengthens international values in German universities, promotes the German language abroad, supports developing countries in improving their current forms of higher education, and advises decision-makers of cultural, educational and developmental policy. With over 250 programs, the DAAD sponsored approximately 120,000 Germans and foreigners around the world in 2013. The service includes everything from exchange semesters for young students to PhD Studies; from internships to guest lectures. The international services of German higher education facilities are supported by the foundation through marketing, publications, events and vocational training. Its budget is drawn mostly from public offices but also from private donors and organisations:

-184 million from the Department for Foreign Affairs
-101 million from the Ministry for Education and Research
-40 million from the Ministry for scientific cooperation and development
-the total in 2013 amounted to just under 500 million euros
Program Name:
German: Deutsch- Französisches Jugendwerk (DFJW)
English: German-French Youth Encounter

Website: http://www.dfjw.org
Established Year: 1963

Initiated by former Chancellor Konrad Adenauer and French president Charles De Gaulle, the DFJW was founded in 1963 in the Elysee Treaty. It has offices in Paris and Berlin. It is funded in part by the Federal Ministry of Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth and had a budget of 24.8 million euros in 2013. As of 1963, the program has made it possible for 8.2 million Germans and French to participate in approximately 300,000 exchange programs. The program aims to bring together German and French Youths in order to foster greater understanding between the countries and make them aware of their neighbour’s culture. The program organizes and sponsors the following:

-Vocational education & training
-Pupil Exchange
-Student Exchange
-Extracurricular Youth Encounters
-Language Courses
-Intercultural Learning
-Tri-national Programs with other nations
Program Name:
German: Deutsch-Polnisches Jugendwerk (DPJW)
English: German Polish Youth Network

Website: http://www.dpjw.org/
Established Year: 1991

The program was initiated by former Chancellor Helmut Kohl in cooperation with his Polish counterpart Tadeusz Mazowiecki in 1991 to rebuild good bilateral relations after the end of Communism between Poland and the reunified Germany, which exists to the present day. The aim of the program is to bring young people from Germany and Poland together, especially by sponsoring youth encounters from theatre workshops to sport competitions. Organizers of such encounters are further provided with information about their neighboring country or in their search for a project partner. Since its foundation, the network has also sponsored other youth projects with up to 2.5 million participants. The Network has two offices: one in Warsaw, the other in Potsdam. Poles and Germans living there work together using both languages. In 2012, the network had a budget of 9.2 million Euros.
Program Name:
German: Ichmache»Politik
English: I make politics

Website: http://ichmachepolitik.wordpress.com
Established Year: 2014

Program by the German Federal Youth Council (Deutscher Bundesjugendring, DBJR) that gives the youth the opportunity to actively engage with politics and in particular youth policy. It allows youths to come together virtually, discuss politics and jointly find solutions to existing issues. Decision-makers will be considering the results of these debates and give the youth feedback and where applicable, put into action policies suggested by the youth.  
Program Name:
German: Internationales Jugendprogramm
English: International Youth Program

Website: http://www.jugendprogramm.de/startseite
Established Year: 1996

Founded in 1996, the German equivalent of the Duke of Edinburgh in the United Kingdom is funded in the state of Baden-Württemberg by the Ministry of Culture. It was created jointly by the German educationist Kurt Hahn and the British program’s namesake Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh. It is aimed at young people between the age of 14 and 25 and offers possibilities for self-fulfillment, adventure, social involvement and the development of personal interests. It is not an organization, but is administrated by schools, homes, youth groups and firms that carry responsibility for young people. Other organizations that want to apply to the program require a license by the International Youth Program committee. The program also propagates practical expeditions, volunteer work, personal experiences in the nature and environment, sport activities and hobbies, all in accordance with Kurt Hahn’s teachings. Throughout the program, participants can achieve three medals - bronze, silver and gold - which encourage the children and youths to pursue their activities to the end. In addition to their achievements, they will have a fun adventure with opportunities to make new friends, work in a team and develop organizational skills. Worldwide, over 7 million youths are estimated to have participated in the program.
Program Name:
German: JiVE (Jugendarbeit international - Vielfalt erleben)
English: Youth work international - experience multiculturalism

Website: http://www.jive-international.dehttp://www.jive-international.de
Established Year: 2008

Supported by the Federal Ministry of Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth, the JiVE program encourages intercultural dialogue and multicultural cooperation amongst young people. In particular, the target audience of this particular program is the social group of underprivileged young people with a migrant background. JiVE aims to help them in their challenges, by structurally connecting international youth work with migration issues and organizations concerned with migration. In the long run, the program aims to achieve equality of opportunity regardless of background and inclusion of youths with a migrant background in German society to benefit not only the youth but also the Germany of tomorrow.
Program Name:
German: Jugend für Toleranz und Demokratie
English: Youth for Tolerance and Democracy

Website: http://www.toleranz-foerdern-kompetenz-staerken.de
Established Year: 2011

Founded in 2011, the initiative by the Federal Ministry of Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth, which aims to make the youth acquainted with democratic values at an early age and prevent the spread of extremist ideas. As of 2014, there is a yearly budget of 24 million euros available for the program. It is addressed foremost to children and youths, but also parents and teachers, local influential state and civil actors. To achieve its goals, the program has a number of focus points:

-Furthering communal responsibility to strengthen the development of democracy locally and making sure initiatives have a lasting impact
-Furthering model projects with innovative approaches to the fight against right-wing extremism, hostility towards strangers and anti-Semitism
-Furthering and supporting quality-oriented advisory activities that have already been established in all of the German Bundeslaender.
Program Name:
German: JUGEND STÄRKEN
English: Strengthen the youth

Website: http://www.jugend-staerken.de
Established Year: 2014

Initiative by the Federal Ministry of Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth that aims to foster greater integration of the underprivileged youth. In order to do this, the program considers education key and wishes to give the social group in question greater access to education and extra help that they may need. Underprivileged youth is defined as children with socialization and integration issues, with difficult family situations, young people with addictions or who have previously been in trouble with the law. These backgrounds worsen their situation and possibilities, often leading to dropping out of school, losing orientation and motivation. That is why a higher attention to each individual case is required, as well as to adapt to the individual. Overall, the aim of the program is thus to give youths with a tumultuous background a second chance at achieving an education and thereby pave the way for higher education and good employment.
Program Name:
German: Programm Bundesjugendspiele für Schülerinnen und Schüler mit Behinderung

English: Program Federal youth games for handicapped students

Website: http://www.bmfsfj.de/BMFSFJ/kinder-und-jugend,did=126170.html
Established Year: 2006

Program Federal youth games for handicapped students is a program by the Federal Ministry of Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth that makes it possible for handicapped students to participate in an annual sports event for children and youths at German schools. As children and teenagers with handicaps could not previously participate in these national games, the program was initiated by the German government to facilitate access and participation. In the long run, it aims to make it easy for handicapped youths to integrate with others and to be included in all parts of life.
Program Name:
German: Servicestelle Jugendbeteiligung (SJB)
English: Service Point Youth Participation

Website: http://www.servicestelle-jugendbeteiligung.de
Established Year: 2001

Founded in 2001, the Service Point was created as a three-year project of the Foundation of Democratic Youth (Stiftung Demokratische Jugend), a state-funded organization. The project itself is funded by the Federal Ministry of Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth. The aim of the project is to make youth participation available at all levels and to connect the youth with each other, for example through youth parliaments. Since its pilot-phase the SJB creates activities at national and regional level. In their so-called Infoscout-Network, individuals in all corners of Germany have come together to exchange information about activities and events in order to encourage participation, both digitally but also in person at conventions. An important part of the SJB is that the youths have the possibility to get a qualification for their work. Furthermore, they are offered seminars on topics such as project and event management, which prepares them to then actually create and complete events of their own. Today, the SJB has 12 regional offices and 1,200 members.
Program Name:
German: Stiftung Deutsch-Russischer Jugendaustausch
English: Foundation German-Russian Youth Exchange

Website: http://www.stiftung-drja.de/die-stiftung/
Established Year: 2006

The program was founded after a partnership between private and public contributors. It aims to generate and further German-Russian Youth Exchange, as it sees the youth of today as the decision-makers of tomorrow and wishes to create ideal circumstances for a successful interaction and good political relations between the countries in the future.
Program Name:
German: Strukturierter Dialog
English: Structured Dialog

Website: http://www.strukturierter-dialog.de
Established Year: 2014

Program by the German Federal Youth Council (Deutscher Bundesjugendring, DBJR) that gives the youth the opportunity to actively engage with politics. Similar to its sister-project ‘Ichmache»Politik’, this initiative makes it possible for youths to engage in politics and bring their opinion on issues to the attention of actual policy-makers. The difference between the programs is however that the latter allows individuals to interact directly and in person with politicians. Furthermore, the focus of Strukturierter Dialog is foremost the EU Youth Strategy.
Program Name:
German: Tandem
English: Tandem

Website: http://www.tandem-org.de
Established Year: 1997

The German-Czech Youth Exchange Program supported by the Federal Ministry of Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth aims to bring together young people from the two countries and thereby foster positive relations. The program’s main activities are:

-To advise and support German-Czech encounters for all children, teenagers or students who wish to partake in them
-To financially support the German-Czech cooperation with regards to the youth
-To initiate exchange projects and new formats for bilateral collaboration
-To mediate partnerships
-To mediate mobility opportunities for individuals (internships or volunteering)
-To compose information and work material
-To advise both countries’ youth councils & national ministries on youth policies
Program Name:
German: Wege ins Ausland
English: Ways Abroad

Website: http://wege-ins-ausland.netzcheckers.net/
Established Year: 2004

“Ways Abroad” is a program associated with the DAAD that aims to help young people find the right program for them to go abroad and provide them with information about opportunities and loans, grants or stipends. Its function is purely to inform them about other German youth programs, including those of the DAAD, the German office of Eurodesk, IJAB (specialist department for international youth work in Germany), GIZ (German Association for international cooperation), PAD (pedagogical exchange service), ZAV (center for exchange agency). It is sponsored by the Federal Ministry of Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth.