Nürtingen, 05. August 2025
Organised by the child protection organisation ChildFund Germany with offices in Nürtingen and Berlin, a group of committed young people and professionals from the education sector came together at the end of July for a special exchange program in Berlin. As part of a project co-financed by the EU, the four-day study trip was dedicated to the topic of "student companies, social innovations and entrepreneurial thinking".
A highlight was the exchange with the "Business@School" initiative of the Boston Consulting Group, which brought students closer to the development of socio-entrepreneurship business models in a practical way. In addition, the guests received insights into successful Berlin social enterprises such as Clara Grün, a sustainable cleaning service. A visit to the German Chamber of Foreign Trade (IHK), which contributes to career orientation and the start-up of young people with its initiative IMMS, "Ich macht mich selbstständig", was also part of the program.
A special moment of the visit was also the participation in a Querstadtein tour, in which former homeless people and refugees tell their personal life stories and thus enable a change of perspective.
Politics was also part of the exchange: The group discussed strategies for a socially just and ecological economy of the future with representatives of the Berlin Senate Administration.
On Thursday, the focus was on reflection and future prospects: IW Junior, a subsidiary of the Institute of the German Economy, which enables young people to start their own student companies and to experience economic contexts in a practical way, was a guest at the ChildFund office for a lecture and exchange. Finally, the participants reflected on their experiences in a workshop and developed ideas for further projects of their own, with the aim of continuing what they had learned in their home regions.
"This visit has shown how valuable it is to open up spaces for entrepreneurial thinking and social responsibility for young people," summarises Kirsten Sydney Page, Program Manager at ChildFund. “The enthusiasm and creativity of the participants impressed us very much.”
In projects implemented by ChildFund, many student companies already successfully practice their ideas. Among other things, also in the area of recycling, where waste paper or old clothes are collected, processed into new products and then sold. The focus is always on combining the principle of entrepreneurial action with social and ecological responsibility.