Welcome Call
Our 19 Youth Ambassadors met for the first time in March.
We got to know each other in breakout rooms, developed an agenda for our term, gained insights into the work of the previous Youth Advisory Council, and discussed the issues closest to our hearts.
Handover Call with the 2025 Ambassadors
During this call, we broke into groups to discuss in detail how the Youth Advisory Board operates.
We gained insights into the key aspects of strategic work with the association’s executive board, reflected on what the Youth Advisory Board 2025 has accomplished during its term, discussed what hasn’t gone as well as it could have, and began developing a plan for our work.
We’re using a Miro board as our working document—one that we all have access to and are developing together.
Bündniskonferenz in Berlin
Teodor and Angelina X participated in the Bündniskonference, heard presentations on democracy, its values, challenges, and the role of young people, shared their perspective in small groups, brought themselves into discussions, and networked with like-minded people from all over Germany.
They were accompanied by Christine Guarino.
2026 Youth Ambassador Kick-off Weekend
The new cohort of Youth Ambassadors 2026 gathered in Berlin for a two-day introductory weekend!
We focused on getting to know one another, team spirit, and fun, but also developing our Purpose Statements. Through workshops which built on one another we were able to develop them as the weekend progressed. From these statements we gathered our first thoughts about our personal sustainability projects, and already got together in small groups based on topics close to our hearts.
The year can start!
Young BCCG Meeting in Düsseldorf
Angelina and Gian represented the Duke program at the Young British Chamber of Commerce in Düsseldorf.
Our main goal there was to highlight the importance of non-formal education for young people and to raise the profile of the Duke program.
It was very exciting because we also visited the state parliament together and had the opportunity to speak with politicians.
Online Bildungskonferenz
Sonja represented the Youth Ambassadors at the digital Bildungskonferenz. It centered on the question how artificial intelligence is transforming the way we learn.
Social Media Workshop im Bundestag
Ida (YA 24) and Methasit attended a workshop at the Bundestag titled “Social Media: Perspektiven Junger Menschen,” organized by Bündnis 90/Die Grünen.
Together with other young people and three politicians, we discussed the role of social media in youth culture and how to make social media a safe space for the next generation.
Schwarzkopf-Stiftung in Berlin
At a Schwarzkopf-Stiftung event in Mitte, Louisa met UN Youth Delegates on a Germany tour to gather diverse youth perspectives. The delegates clarified they represent German youth at the UN, not vice versa, sparking discussion on Germany’s UN Security Council seat. An open conversation followed on youth participation, tokenism, and being taken seriously in politics. Key takeaways: frustration turns to action by speaking to authorities, but many don’t know how. Democracy can be promoted through non-political involvement, and access must be simplified to truly include youth.
Louisas Eventbericht
Day of Hope in Munich
For the second time our Youth Advisory Council represented the Duke Award at the Day of Hope in Munich. We had many conversations with interested people and were inspired by the many uplifting activities on offer!
Schwarzkopf Foundation 55th anniversary in Berlin
Angelina and Wessal were there and spoke with politicians, Duke alumni, and many people interested in Europe. The event highlighted the goal of giving young people a stronger voice in politics.
University:Future Festival in Berlin
The event was a tech expo mixed with interactive stations on AI and quantum computing. At the event, Angelina X had the opportunity to explore hands-on demos and participate in several keynote speeches which brought everyone together. It blended workshop-style learning with conference energy: dynamic, engaging, and perfectly paced.
