UniCredit Foundation

ArbeiterKind.de is the largest German community dedicated to first-generation university students, that is, children of parents without a university degree.

The organization's vision is to ensure that every child with the necessary abilities, regardless of their family background, has the opportunity to attend university.

ArbeiterKind.de envisions a Germany where an increasing number of young people from non-academic families attend university, with only a minority failing to complete their studies.

The organization has three main goals: to encourage students to pursue a university education, support them during their studies, and guide them in entering the workforce.

To achieve these goals, ArbeiterKind.de relies on an extensive, accessible, and demand-driven support network.

Across Germany, nearly 6,000 volunteers are active in 80 local groups.

The innovative element of ArbeiterKind.de’s model is its peer-to-peer approach: most volunteers are university students who themselves come from families where no one has attended university. Through their direct experience, they provide inspiration and support to other young people, showing by example that a university education is possible.

ArbeiterKind.de is the largest German community dedicated to first-generation university students, that is, children of parents without a university degree.

The organization's vision is to ensure that every child with the necessary abilities, regardless of their family background, has the opportunity to attend university.

ArbeiterKind.de envisions a Germany where an increasing number of young people from non-academic families attend university, with only a minority failing to complete their studies.

The organization has three main goals: to encourage students to pursue a university education, support them during their studies, and guide them in entering the workforce.

To achieve these goals, ArbeiterKind.de relies on an extensive, accessible, and demand-driven support network.

Across Germany, nearly 6,000 volunteers are active in 80 local groups.

The innovative element of ArbeiterKind.de’s model is its peer-to-peer approach: most volunteers are university students who themselves come from families where no one has attended university. Through their direct experience, they provide inspiration and support to other young people, showing by example that a university education is possible.

The three-year "Empower and Connect" programme aims to reach 8,000 students living in disadvantaged situations, helping them increase their knowledge and confidence in making decisions about higher education access.

Selected through the UCF Edu-Fund platform in 2024, it is aimed at students aged 15 to 19 from families with less than a university education who attend schools in non-urban settings.

These students face significant obstacles in continuing their educational paths.

Implemented in the states of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, the program focuses primarily on rural schools, providing support to students from non-academic backgrounds to improve their chances of accessing higher education pathways.

"Empower and Connect" employs a peer-to-peer approach and volunteer models endorsed by ArbeiterKind.de’s active volunteer community. Activities include peer mentoring, school visits, and informational sessions led by volunteers with university degrees, who share their personal experiences, build skills, and serve as role models for the development of young students.

The three-year "Empower and Connect" programme aims to reach 8,000 students living in disadvantaged situations, helping them increase their knowledge and confidence in making decisions about higher education access.

Selected through the UCF Edu-Fund platform in 2024, it is aimed at students aged 15 to 19 from families with less than a university education who attend schools in non-urban settings.

These students face significant obstacles in continuing their educational paths.

Implemented in the states of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, the program focuses primarily on rural schools, providing support to students from non-academic backgrounds to improve their chances of accessing higher education pathways.

"Empower and Connect" employs a peer-to-peer approach and volunteer models endorsed by ArbeiterKind.de’s active volunteer community. Activities include peer mentoring, school visits, and informational sessions led by volunteers with university degrees, who share their personal experiences, build skills, and serve as role models for the development of young students.