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Jena Youth Forum: The big dialogue between teens and administration
On September 25th, 2025, the 2nd Youth Forum took place in Kassablanca, Jena, where young people could bring their concerns directly to the city administration.
Jena Youth Forum: The big dialogue between teens and administration
On September 25, 2025, the Kassablanca in Jena opened its doors for the city's second youth forum, which offered an exciting discussion about the concerns of young people and the city administration. mdr.de reports that the event was clearly structured and offered participants the opportunity to present their topics in five minutes each. Such formats are important in giving young people a voice and making their demands heard.
Similar topics were pooled together and discussed in small groups at various topic tables, where administrative staff also sat. With snacks and a relaxed atmosphere, the participants even had the opportunity to strike up a conversation. The results of these discussions were recorded by moderators. The head of the internal affairs department, Benjamin Koppe (CDU) and the head of the social and youth department, Johannes Schleußner (SPD), assured that the proposals would be integrated into the internal processes with regard to their financial viability and feasibility.
Insights into city administration
The aim of the youth forum was to bring the needs of Jena's young people into dialogue with the city administration. The event was not only a platform for exchange, but also an opportunity for participants to gain insights into how the city administration works. The agenda included topics such as cycle paths, the timing of public transport and the challenges that bureaucracy brings with it. The young people were able to contribute their project ideas and suggestions for improvement in order to have a direct influence on the design of their living environment, as familie-jugend-sociales.jena.de emphasizes.
An impressive participant was 12-year-old Luca, who, as a passionate skater, expressed her displeasure about dangerous ramps in the Lobeda-West skate park. While a responsible employee explained that the facility met current standards, Luca felt heard but wished her concerns were taken more seriously. Their concern was clear: skating facilities should be classified as sports fields in order to increase user safety.
Continuing youth participation
The youth forum in Jena also focused on perpetuation. It was emphasized that the proposals would be discussed more intensively at future meetings. The Paradise 21 steering group, which has been actively promoting the participation of young people for four years, had a “good hand” in planning the format. Another new feature was the opportunity for young people to submit their topics online in advance so that the right administrative representatives could be on site.
The need for youth participation in communities is undeniable. As has been found in various surveys, municipalities are the key to empowering young people. Children and young people are directly affected by local political decisions, which is why it is important to offer them effective opportunities for participation. [standards.jugend participation.de](https://standards.jugend participation.de/ participation-junger-menschen-in-der-kommune/) points out that various actors, including foundations and associations, support this participation in order to anchor the voices of young people in local politics in the long term.
Overall, the Jena Youth Forum shows how important it is that young people have a say in the matters that directly affect them. The next steps will be critical to ensure these voices continue to be heard.