The project
Kiez Connection was a development project funded by the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) with resources of the European Union and the State of Berlin, within the district alliances for business and work (Bezirkliche Bündnisse für Wirtschaft und Arbeit, BBWA). It addresses young people aged 16 to 19 from socially disadvantaged backgrounds in Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg.
Project lead and practice partner is YSI – Young Social Innovation. The model concept was developed at the World Cleanup Institute under the scientific direction of Prof. Dr. Anabel Ternes von Hattburg and Hon.-Prof. Holger Holland.
What young people told us
In an outreach needs assessment with short guided interviews, young people named trust and recognition as the decisive factors:
Recognition ranked ahead of fun, incentives and concrete offers.
Four-phase participation model
Phase 0 · Outreach and trust
Short, spontaneous conversations in public spaces, shopping centres and youth clubs. No appointments needed.
Phase 1 · Needs assessment
Guided short interviews directly in the young people’s neighbourhood.
Phase 2 · Joint action
Visible cooperative action in public space, for example cleanups.
Phase 3 · Co-creation workshop
Young people become co-designers of what happens next.
Prof. Dr. Anabel Ternes von Hattburg, scientific lead, Kiez Connection
Partners
Key partners include Jobcenter Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg, Jugendberufsagentur Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg, BBWA Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg, CIC Berlin, Friedrichshain-Kreuzberger Unternehmerverein e.V. (FKU) and SchutzengelWerk e.V. Berlin.
Outlook
According to the planning of BBWA Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg, an ESF+ model region based on the concept is to start in summer 2026 and reach at least 250 young people over time. A district business council with local companies, organisations and institutions is being set up in parallel.
Photos: LuckyCaptures
