Your Turn 

The project gives schoolchildren an opportunity to develop ideas for community involvement and taking responsibility. In workshops and on-site visits, for instance to the National Socialism Documentation Center (NS-Dok) in Cologne, schoolchildren meet with decision-makers in local businesses, local government, and NGOs and then develop solutions for current socio-political issues. In the course of the three-day program, the children also gain a deeper understanding of their own strengths and skills. Participation in the Common Purpose program is intended to show schoolchildren how they can get involved in their communities.

The Your Turn project brings together children from all school and neighborhood backgrounds and promotes an exchange with business managers and other decision-makers who have hands-on experience. The program thus reflects the very nature of putting democracy into action. The Hans and Berthold Finkelstein Foundation wants to promote civic engagement among young people, and financially supported the seminar in Cologne in 2024. The event resulted in ideas for a social political podcast, media workshops, and an app for making cultural events more accessible to young people.