Established in 1994 by the International Youth Foundation (IYF) and leaders from the German public and private sectors, the German Children and Youth Foundation (GCYF) is dedicated to the positive development of German children and youth, ages 5 to 20, with special emphasis on the new states of eastern Germany. GCYF is actively involved in building cooperation between the public and private sectors.

The programs of the German Children and Youth Foundation focus on three main interlinked fields:

• Life at school -- These programs foster the development of a democratic school youth culture, by lifting the barrier between school and society through practical activities. At the same time they encourage self-initiative and entrepreneurship amongst youths.

• Learn democracy -- These programs concentrate on political education and participatory democracy and strive to overcome xenophobia, intolerance and violence by allowing youths to actively shape the society they live in and for.

• To prepare for the future -- These programs help to overcome youth unemployment and support self-help initiatives for unemployed youth.

• Enterprise Development Project targets more than 600 school clubs where young people work through a step-by-step process of developing and launching a business. It also includes an enterprise development program for out-of-school youth.

• GCYF supports effective programs that strengthen youth participation and leadership, especially through the use of technology, and assists them with technical assistance and training. At least 25 projects, from East and West Germany, are enabling youth to adopt and explore technology, primarily IT, to further their participation in their communities and to promote their roles in society.

• Big Friends for Youngsters initiates and sustains one-to-one mentoring relationships between children and adults that transcend generational and family borders.