People with new ideas, people who move things ahead, people who do things differently – those are the young people that the START Foundation provides with grants and with intensive non-material support.

15 year old Hanim Kurt comes from a Turkish background. She says, “The best thing about START is that the people here understand me. We all share similar experiences and see ourselves as part of a greater whole, to reinforce each other and so be more effective in what we do for society.”

START’s intention is to strengthen and vitalize democracy, community and freedom in an open society. Michael Okrob, managing director of the START Foundation, is proud that “together with the AURELIUS Refugee Initiative, the Beisheim Foundation and ELEVEN gGmbH we have taken on and are supporting outstanding young people with migration experience. In doing so we are building a strong network of doers who work actively for our democracy.”

“The START Foundation education and engagement program is a great opportunity for young, highly motivated people with migration backgrounds. Through the AURELIUS Refugee Initiative we are providing the financing for grants for 16 young people with very diverse experience. We want to give them the ability to build successful lives in Germany, but this support also means that the grantees have a responsibility. We see them as ambassadors for their cultures and as a key to the ability of multiple nationalities to live together peacefully and successfully in Germany,” says Dr. Dirk Markus, Member of Board of Trustees of the START Foundation and CEO and Chairman of the Executive Board of the AURELIUS Group, and extends his congratulations to the new grant recipients.

The 16 new grantees will today be officially admitted to the three-year program by representatives of the Bavarian partners and Michael Okrob, managing director of the START Foundation, who will hand the grant certificates to them.

START is an education and engagement program for young people with migration experience. The START Foundation, a subsidiary of the charitable Hertie Foundation, accompanies young people for three years and helps them take responsibility for a vital democracy and cohesive society. START is a talent forge for outstanding young people, an incubator for new initiatives, and a loudspeaker for the protection of the values of a free society. The foundation works throughout Germany with partners from government, the private sector and society. Currently START is supporting around 500 young people from over 60 countries of origin. For more information see www.start-stiftung.de.