Collaborative Project
Development of a Nationwide Support Program for Municipalities to Establish Their Own Youth Budgets
Young people in Germany are increasingly losing trust in democratic processes, politics, and the state. In addition, there is a concurrent spread of right-wing populism overall that affects this group. Limited opportunities for participation give young people the feeling of having no influence on political decisions. Although youth participation is enshrined in the German Social Code and in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, many municipalities lack the resources for implementation. As a result, high-threshold and selective participation formats (e.g., youth parliaments and councils) dominate, failing to engage young people early and sustainably in democratic processes. A lack of trust in democratic structures can pave the way for anti-democratic forces, and poses a threat to society.
In a project funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, the non-profit association Youth Lead the Change Germany e.V. (YLCG) aims to counter this trend by supporting a cohort of cities across Germany over three years in the establishment and implementation of their own youth budgets. Young people will have the opportunity to propose their ideas through a low-threshold process, vote on them, and implement them using a dedicated budget. YLCG provides municipalities with expertise, financial resources, public relations, and scientific support. Additionally, the program aims to foster networking among cities, enabling the exchange of best practices and promoting cross-city learning. To this end, a support program will be developed, carried out by an alliance of organizations.
Leuphana University Lüneburg is a project partner supporting YLCG in the design of this support program. Under the leadership of Prof. Dr. Lars Alberth, the Institute for Social Work and Social Pedagogy collects expert perspectives for the development of an effective program. These perspectives are gathered through qualitative individual and group interviews with representatives from various disciplines. Additionally, methods and tools will be developed to evaluate the impact of youth budgets on the political self-efficacy of the young participants.
Project duration: November 1st, 2024 - October 31st, 2025
Link YLCG-Website (in German)
Project Lead
Prof. Dr. Lars Alberth
Research Assistant
Marián Kötz
