"Pimp My Future" - young people shape Aachen's future
Sustainability, youth participation and local politics were the focus of the three-day future workshop "Pimp My Future", which took place at Aachen's Nadelfabrik from November 6 to 8, 2024. Over 100 pupils had the opportunity to contribute their ideas for a sustainable future and experience local politics at first hand. The participating schools in the city of Aachen were the 4th Aachen Comprehensive School, Einhard Gymnasium, Heinrich Heine Comprehensive School and the Vocational College for Economics and Administration of the Aachen City Region.
Ideas for more sustainability
Together with local experts and local politicians, the young people developed ideas on current sustainability issues over the course of the three-day future workshop. In three teams, the students developed 17 proposals based on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which provided valuable input not only for the schools but also for the city of Aachen. They were supported by a media and editorial team of pupils who accompanied the entire process and documented the results in a magazine and a video insight.
Selection of the four applications for the Youth Forum of the City of Aachen
The highlight of the workshop was the final public plenary session on November 8, 2024. Interested Aachen residents had the opportunity to be present in the Coronation Hall of Aachen City Hall when the young people presented their ideas. Under the direction of Lord Mayor Sibylle Keupen, the proposals were discussed and four proposals were democratically selected. The selected proposals will be submitted to a special meeting of the citizens' forum (youth forum) of the city of Aachen on 30.04.2025 and will be incorporated into the local political decision-making processes.
These were the four proposals selected by the students:
- Motion 1: Modernization of sports facilities and extended opening hours
- Proposal 2: Rental bikes at schools and repair services
- Motion 3: Drinking fountain in the city center
- Motion 4: Climate-friendly waste management and waste training for educational institutions
Cooperation for a sustainable future
The future workshop was organized by "Politik zum Anfassen e. V.", an independent, non-partisan and non-profit association, and sponsored by the City of Aachen's departments of Citizens' Dialogue and Administrative Management, Climate and Environment, and Children, Youth and Schools.