At a festive ceremony in Europa-Park, Rust, the Deutsches Kinderhilfswerk honored projects from Berlin-Neukölln, Cologne, and Neukirch/Lausitz with the German Children's and Youth Award. Winners received prize money of up to 6,000 euros for their creative engagement in the categories of children's and youth culture, political engagement, and solidarity.
Gala Ceremony with Prominent Guests
The award ceremony took place at Europa-Park, Germany's largest theme park, hosted by well-known TV presenters Ingo Dubinski and Dilek Üşük. Julian Janssen, star of the KiKA show “Checker Julian,” and Miriam Mack, ambassador for the Deutsches Kinderhilfswerk, emphasized the importance of youth engagement. In a video message, YouTuber Kai Schmidt, known as “Lehrerschmidt,” praised the projects' innovative approaches. Miriam Mack highlighted that the enthusiasm and determination of the young participants make a valuable contribution to society. She noted that all six finalists impressed with their outstanding applications and dedication, making the Europa-Park ceremony a memorable moment.Winning Projects Across Three Categories
In the children's and youth culture category, the project “Coole Kids Rap - Mach Mit: Umweltsong und DIY-Tutorials für den Umweltschutz” from Berlin-Neukölln took the top prize. Since 2010, children and teenagers aged six to 14 have participated annually during summer holidays at Nachbarschaftsheim Neukölln, creating a vibrant program. They write lyrics, rap, perform street dance, design graffiti, print T-shirts, visit a recording studio, and produce a music video. Last year, they developed tutorials showcasing simple ways to protect the environment, aiming to raise awareness of ecological issues and inspire others to act.The Cologne-based project “Klima schützen mit Zahlen” won in the political engagement category. Twelve-year-old Nathan made the complex numbers of the climate crisis accessible to children and teenagers through clear, practical examples. Inspired by environmental documentaries and his passion for mathematics, he delivered a presentation at his school and created an exhibition with hand-painted posters. His school’s sustainability group and family supported him in bringing his ideas to life.
In the solidarity category, the Bezirksschülervertretung Köln (BSV) excelled with its project “Mentale Gesundheit von Schüler:innen.” Representing over 150,000 students in Cologne, the BSV promotes mental health in schools through preventive workshops and support programs. Students independently select partner organizations to deliver these workshops, enhancing their sense of agency. As a democratically elected body, the BSV advocates for students’ interests in public and political spheres.
Audience Award and Honorable Mentions
The Europa-Park JUNIOR CLUB Award, worth 3,000 euros, was awarded to “FilmCLUB Oberlausitz: Klappe und Action - Wir haben etwas zu erzählen!” from Neukirch/Lausitz. Since 2019, teenagers aged 13 to 18 have learned filmmaking basics in a peer-to-peer format, writing scripts and producing films about their lives. They select costumes and locations, edit, and post-produce their films to share their stories. The project also earned an honorable mention in the children's and youth culture category.Additional honorable mentions, each with 3,000 euros, went to projects in Hamburg and Weimar. In Hamburg, children aged six to 15 crafted flashlights from Tic-Tac containers for children in Ukraine seeking shelter during air raids. The project was initiated by Sergiy Khavkin, a Ukrainian who has offered technical courses for disadvantaged children in Hamburg for years, following requests from the Sumy region. In Weimar, children aged six to 15 transformed a historic playground into a multigenerational meeting place, designing play equipment, light installations, and audio boxes that share stories and are accessible to blind individuals, promoting inclusion.
