Looking to 2020: The future begins in the mind!

Innovation becomes an experience: In the successful education initiative Jugend denkt Zukunft [youth conceives the future], over 12,000 young people have, since 2004, adopted the role of trend scout and have developed forward-looking ideas for the products and services of the future during five-day workshops. The result: Around 300 large and midsize sponsor companies, numerous awards, and a broad media presence have turned Jugend denkt Zukunft into a unique platform for business, schools, and universities.

In European elections, young adults regularly make up the largest proportion of non-voters. Through school alone, pupils often do not receive the preparation they need to help them shape Europe’s politics, economy, and society. This is where Jugend denkt Europa comes in: By combining the strengths of traditional partnership projects for youngsters with genuine participation, it has been possible to create a new platform for young people that brings politics to life for them. In four-day, Europe-wide workshops, participants took on the role of tomorrow’s generation of politicians: Their task was to find common ground on a selected area of politics, acquire an understanding of methodology, and, on the final day, discuss the ideas with members of the EU Parliament and national parliaments. An important element of Jugend denkt Europa is networking between the various locations in Europe: The schoolchildren in the partner countries use a shared online forum to exchange their visions and therefore gain a broader understanding of Europe’s cultural and social diversity. After the successful launch of the initiative in 2008, it is clear that within the shortest space of time, IFOK has been able to establish a broad partner network that brings together institutions, politicians, and young people under one roof. Important disseminators from European, national, and federal state government support the initiative, as do renowned organisations. With systematic development in 2009, the successful project is embarking on round two – with even more participants, more partner companies, and more online activities. In short: With Jugend denkt Europa 2.0, the voice of Europe’s youth will continue to be heard in the future!