Shaping Pathways
Give vulnerable youth from Frankfurt and its surroundings a hand in transitioning into adulthood through a 1:1 mentoring program with a strong focus on job orientation.
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What?
Support disadvantaged Frankfurt youth, especially those in less academically oriented school tracks, in their transition to adulthood and access to opportunities.
How?
The Buddy Program pairs adolescents with 'Senior Buddies' (students or young professionals) who serve as trusted mentors for personal, academic, and career-related matters, supporting them in navigating everyday challenges and shaping their future path.
Why?
Frankfurt’s high level of urban segregation often keeps individuals with significant financial, social, and cultural capital physically and socially isolated from those with fewer resources. While potential role models live in the same city, there are virtually no natural points of contact, making our approach of fostering exchange between students and young professionals particularly vital for the region.
What so far?
Since 2020, we have completed five program rounds, each spanning six months from May through November. Every round included mentor training for the Senior Buddies and application workshops led by an external institute at our three partner schools. To further support participants, we provided professional application photos for school classes we had participants in and hosted several social highlights, including kick-off and closing ceremonies as well as group activities like laser tag and visits to trampoline parks.
Shaping Pathways e.V.
Shaping Pathways is an NGO that emerged from a project of the Global Shapers Frankfurt Hub. Our goal is to support disadvantaged young people from Frankfurt and the surrounding area in their transition into adulthood. In particular, we work with adolescents aged 13–19 who have attended the lower track of the German school system and are therefore excluded from many existing opportunities.
The heart of our NGO is the so-called Buddy Program, in which we connect young people with senior buddies who are usually students or young professionals and serve as contact persons for any questions that arise.
Starting in 2023, Shaping Pathways is expanding its focus to the transition from school to work and aims to create practical and accessible formats to make it easier for young people to access information and the labor market.
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