Let's talk about Jena - Youth Forum #2 gives young people a voice

What questions, wishes and expectations do young people have of the administration? How can their needs be implemented in Jena and what are the challenges?

This is what the second youth forum "Let's talk about Jena" on 25.09.2025 from 4 pm at Kassablanca is all about. Young people between the ages of 12 and 21 will have the opportunity to discuss issues directly with employees of the city administration. The young people themselves decide which topics are on the agenda: Topics relating to Jena can be submitted in advance via the website www.jena.de/jugendforum - regardless of whether they are project ideas, questions or suggestions for improvement. However, no topics can be dealt with that are decided by other bodies such as the state of Thuringia or the federal government. Anyone who does not have a topic to submit is also welcome to simply listen or have their say.

Benjamin Koppe, Mayor and Head of the Department for Security, Finance and Citizen Services, emphasizes:

"The direct exchange with young people is particularly valuable for us as a city administration. Even at the first youth forum, it became clear how constructive and solution-oriented young people are in bringing forward their concerns. This results in proposals that fit in with the reality of young people's lives and bring Jena forward in concrete terms. With the Youth Forum, we therefore want to establish a regular format in which young people and the administration can jointly develop viable ideas for our city."

The event format is an initiative of the Paradies 21 steering group, which has been in existence since June 2021. The aim is not only for young people to have their say and be heard, but also to give them the opportunity to gain an insight into the work processes of the city administration. Mutual exchange is an important concern of the event.

"I would like to encourage all young people in Jena to play an active role in shaping our city. The Youth Forum is a great opportunity to tell employees from different departments what is important to you. Your opinion is important to us",

says Johannes Schleußner, Head of Department for Education, Youth, Culture and Sport.