German-Turkish Youth Bridge aims at enhancing the student and youth exchange between the two countries.
Through concrete programs, and by supporting existing initiatives, the project increases the opportunities for exchange so that the two nations grow closer and strengthen their relations.
German-Turkish Youth Bridge, in collaboration with Turkish and German partners in the civil society or public sector, strives to increase the number of youth participating in exchange programs, collect and share information, strengthen the networks, increase the public visibility of exchange programs between Turkey and Germany, and secure additional incentive funds.
German-Turkish Youth Bridge is an initiative by Stiftung Mercator. This initiative was registered in 2012 as a public service institution in Germany and started its activities in August 2013. Youth Bridge is also supported through project incentives by German Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Federal Ministry for Family, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth.
Youth Bridge carries out the following efforts:
Serving as an information platform on the youth and student exchange programs between the two countries,
Offering grant support to various institutions for youth and student exchange between Turkey and Germany,
Bringing together youth and specialists from the two countries to allow them to network, and
Engaging in advocacy work by means of various studies and meetings.
Institutions may sign up to the Youth Bridge database to find partners from Germany for their projects, and then apply online for grants. Individuals, on the other hand, may sign up to the database to receive information on the exchange programs between Germany and Turkey.
TOG serves as the Turkey program office of the Youth Bridge, while the German program office is located in the city of Düsseldorf.