Why special projects?
Together with foundations, we support the implementation of the Duke Award where it can have a particularly significant impact: at schools where many young people grow up in households in which several problem situations often collide.
Where young people are stuck in a downward spiral of poverty, poor starting conditions, failures, health problems, further failures and resignation, we equip them outside the classroom with the necessary self-confidence, the necessary resilience, the necessary skills and, above all, the necessary intrinsic motivation so that they can and want to free themselves from the cycle of inherited poverty on their own responsibility.
More about our impact
What we use your support for
Depending on the project, we provide support in very different ways. Please feel free to contact us if you have specific statutory goals and wishes – thanks to our holistic program approach, we are able to develop tailor-made Duke programs for the target groups and/or sustainability goals that you would like to promote with your foundation.
We help schools in challenging situations, for example, by mentoring their participants and advising them on their personal Duke programs. We also connect the young people with providers of activities in their area, for example community foundations, youth centers, sports clubs, adult education centers, dance schools, museums, theater workshops, etc. We often refer them to extracurricular volunteers, who connect with individual participants over personal passion over the period of their Duke Award and also coach them for life.
We almost always support the implementation of expedition training on site with human resources and plan the first expedition together with the participants and their teachers. If necessary, we provide everyone with the necessary expedition equipment and accompany the 2-4 day expeditions. We share the tent with the teachers, so that a friendly relationship that is conducive to further implementation quickly develops. During test expeditions, we often sit around the campfire with the young people in the evening or support them with their first cooking. Experience has shown that these are the times when we or other volunteers as Award Leaders come into direct and very special exchange with the participants, which breaks down prejudices, thought structures and horizons of experience on both sides.
Beyond the very personal realities of life, we always notice something different on these expeditions: young people in particular, who are traveling independently in untouched nature for the first time, suddenly become aware of its beauty and develop the desire to contribute to its protection.
Drawing on this experience, we also offer special projects with a focus on nature and climate protection, which combines two of our four program areas (volunteering and expeditions).
Our Strong Teens projects at a glance
All projects will be continued independently by the participating schools and organizations after the end of the funding period.
We are sincerely grateful to the foundations supporting us to be able to implement the following projects:
- Strong Teens Berlin: Recruitment and support of public schools in challenging locations in Neukölln and Marzahn-Hellersdorf; supported by the Grunewald Foundation; duration until mid-2027
- We are #worldready! With Kompass in den Beruf: Recruitment and support for vocational schools in Baden-Württemberg; supported by Heidehof Stiftung GmbH; duration until mid-2026
- Strong Teens – NRW: Attracting and supporting public schools in challenging locations in NRW; supported by the Special Projects Fund of the International Award Foundation and our corporate partners Thyssengas and Open Grid Europe GmbH; duration until 2026
- Strong Teens – Hesse: Recruitment and support of public schools in challenging locations in Hesse; supported by the Special Projects Fund of the International Award Foundation and private donors; duration until July 2025
- Strong Teens – Strong Future: Recruitment and support for public schools in rural areas in the eastern German states; supported by the German Foundation for Commitment and Volunteering, duration until 31.12.22
- Strong Teens – Arriving in Germany: Duke participation of young refugees; supported by the German Foundation for Commitment and Volunteering; duration until 31.12.2022
- Starke Teens – Mittendrin auch ohne Deutsch: Duke participation for young refugees in Berlin; supported by Deutsche Postcode Lotterie; runs until 31.12.22
- Starke Teens unterwegs – Stand by me: Expedition camps for young refugees from Ukraine; supported by the German Children and Youth Foundation/Aufleben; runs until 31.8.2022
Contact us!
Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions about our special projects.
Contact us Our Impact Report based on Social Reporting Standards
You can find a brief portrait of our association here.
Foundations that support us
gefördert durch:
