The Schwarzkopf Foundation Young Europe believes that European diversity can best be understood by experiencing it. Our travel grants seek to enable young Europeans to explore and discover their continent, while tackling current political or social questions. By travelling, grantees becomes ambassadors for a united Europe.
The application process is now closed. Thank you for the great applications! We are currently reading the applications and will inform the awardees via E-Mail from 20th May onwards. We kindly ask you to refrain from messages concerning the application status due to high application numbers.
Thank you!
+++ Application closes 1st May, 2019, 23:59 PM CET +++
You are adventurous and want to explore Europe?
You have not been able to travel much internationally so far?
You are interested in getting to know a new country or culture and want to report on it?
You are between 18 and 27 years of age and live in one of the member states of the EU, Russia or Turkey?
A travel grant of Schwarzkopf Foundation Young Europe could be a perfect match for you!
Why travel grants?
Europe means diversity. Experiencing this diversity is corner stone of European integration. Many young Europeans, however, do not get to travel internationally. For them, Europe remains unknown. By awarding travel grants, the Schwarzkopf Foundation seeks to enlarge the number of young travellers in Europe, which in turn fosters European integration and peaceful cooperation on our continent.
Who can apply?
We explicitly want to sponsor young Europeans, who so far have not travelled abroad only for a short period of time. Applications by young people with a migration history, those living in rural areas, those attending vocational school, and those with a non-university track are explicitly welcomed. Most of our travel grants also require to be between the ages of 18 and 27 and to live in one of the member states of the EU, Russia or Turkey.
Who should not apply?
We want to enable more Europeans to travel. Thus, if you have already traveled much privately or if you have been part of exchange programmes such as ERASMUS+, our travel grants are not for you. You should also not apply, if you are looking for a way to cover international travelling costs for attending a third-party event, such as a conference, a summer school, or other personal plans.
What is expected of me?
Our travel grants enable young Europeans to experience Europe. This should always take place by addressing a specific topic or question. The bigger topic is provided by our project partners (more on that below), the specific research focus, however, is up to you. All travellers should conduct their independent research (interviews, surveys, etc.) and document their findings. The documentation can take the form of a written report, but can also be a series of photographs, a series of meaningful Instagram posts, a vlog, or a diary. You are responsible for planning your trip, finding accommodation, and selecting your travel destinations. All travels should be completed individually, e.g. not with friends or as part of a bigger group.
When should the trip take place and how long should it last?
All sponsored trips should not start before May 1st, 2019 and be completed by December 30th, 2019, if no other agreement has been made. Trips should be between three and six weeks long. If you are enrolled in a vocational training, a trip of two weeks is also acceptable.
What travel grants can I apply for?
We have two travel grants you can choose from. All of them seek to foster European youth mobility. However, there are some differences in regards to thematic focus as well as some additional requirements and applicants’ profiles. You can only apply for one travel grant.
“What connects Europe?” – travelling with the Interrail-Global Pass (Deutsche Bahn)
In cooperation with Deutsche Bahn, the Schwarzkopf Foundation awards 35 Interrail-Glabal Passes in total, enabling you to travel up to 30 countries in Europe for up to one month. This travel grant focuses on “What connects Europe?”. Travellers do independent research on this topic by applying their own focus and document their findings on video. Applicants can choose between a 2-month, 15 day-travelling pass or a 1-month, 7 day travelling pass. In any case, this has to be stated in the application. Applicants have to reside in one of the member states of the European Union, Russia oder Turkey.
More information on the Interrail-Global Pass travel grants
Travel grants on the topic “Future of Europe” (Bundesvereinigung der Deutschen Arbeitgeberverbände (BDA))
In cooperation with the Bundesvereinigung der Deutschen Arbeitgeberverbände (BDA), the Schwarzkopf Foundation awards travel grants worth 600€ to research relevant trends and future developments in Europe. Travellers pick their own topic in regards to one of these questions:
o Labour mobility in the EU – Importance of cross-border work for employees and companies
o Chances of digitization for economy and working world
Travellers also share their impressions and experiences in regular photo posts. Applicants have to reside in one of the member states of the EU.
More information on the travel grants on the topic “Future of Europe”
How can I apply?
You can apply by filling out the form on our Website. Before starting the form, decide which travel grant you want to apply for (you can only file one application). Read the terms and conditions of that travel grant carefully. Think about your research focus with the bigger topic of the travel grant in mind. Also, prepare ideas regarding the documentation of your research – will you use photos, videos, regular blog posts, or a written report to summarize and analyze your findings?
The Schwarzkopf Foundation supports selected travellers to further develop their ideas and research project. However, you should really give this part of the application some thought, as it is most relevant in the selection process.
Application ends 1st May , 11:59 PM CET. If you have Questions beforehand, feel free to contact travelgrants(at)schwarzkopf-stiftung.de. Decisions on winners of the travel grants will be communicated mid-May.
Ronald Vilcans from Riga travelled from Prague to Athens and shares his observations as well as beautifully shot pictures in his travel blog. The introduction reads: "Despite a list of problems, (...) people are surprisingly optimistic." But this does not apply to everbody, Ronald states. Minority groups, like refugees and LGBTQ-folks, are facing difficult living situations in many European countries.
Adriana Gomez is a student of fashion design. She composed a short presentation about the negative impact the international clothing industry has on the environment and explores sustainable fashion stores in Berlin.
Our travel grantee Alenka Brabencová used Interrail to visit a total of eight countries. Some impressions of what she experienced on her trip can be found in this video.
Patricia Oliveros from Spain travelled to Ireland and the UK to learn more about young people's perspectives on sustainability. Her nicely done report can be read here.
Julia Saubier traveled to Portugal, Sweden, and Hungary to learn more about women in filmmaking. A summary of her report can be found here.
What effects do the open borders have on life in Europe? That's the question Lucie Křehlíková from the Czech Republic looked into. She travelled five countries. Her report can be found here.
Elenor Ängek from Sweden visited a number of Greek islands to learn more about the economic situation there. She particularly looked into the impact of digitalisation in the region. Her report may also give you some good ideas when planning your next trip to the Aegean Sea. Find her report here.
Edgars Gerhards travelled to two scandinavian (Copenhagen, Roskilde) and two baltic cities (Vilnius, Riga). He compared and evaluated how eco-friendly the lifestyles are, the people lead in these cities. You can read his report here.
Annika Dinh from Germany travelled through Bulgaria during the summer. She was wondering how the country dealt with its diversity and made some pretty interesting observations about minority politics in Bulgaria. Annika shared her insights on her instagram profile.
Christopher Amedu from Great Britain has filmed a short documentary about the african diaspora in Paris, racism and the rise of right wing populism. Christopher spoke to the director of the African News Agency (Dounia Ben Mohamed), the former professional footballer Christian Ngwandjo, and a representative of the populist French Front National (Eric Le Gal). A must see!
Millie Hallam from Italy has an interest in sustainabiltiy and eco-friendly lifestyles. She travelled to the UK, Sweden, and Denmark to learn more about this. Her experiences and insights can be found in her report here.
To find out what sustainability means when it comes to wine production, as well as to learn more about how wineries are trying to produce sustainably, and what obstacles they might be facing, Jessie Lowe travelled to three established wine-producing countries, Germany, Italy, and Austria. You can read her report here.
On her Facebook Page "Europe Speaks Up" Sedra Al-Yousef shares photos and personal stories "on populism, media and life experiences" from people she met while travelling in Italy, Austria and Germany. The comments are available in both English and Arabic. Sedra portays her interviewees in a very empathetic way.
"The inability to accept who I truly was and the need for other people to accept me, were always bothering me. I wanted to be open, but I was afraid. And in that moment, I found myself in front of a mirror saying, after a long time 'I'm bisexual'" Martin travelled to Germany, Spain and Sweden to meet people from the LGBTQ-Community and learn how acceptance for this community could be increased in his home country Bulgaria. Read his personal and very inspiring report here.
Giorgos Verdi was wondering "How can a country with a population of 1.3 million people, which gained its independence just 27 years ago, be the world´s most advanced digital society?" To find answers to this question, he travelled to Tallin, Estonia. You can read his report (with the very promising title Society of Tomorrow) here.
Vincent Schroyens, a recent graduate in teacher education from Belgium, travelled from his home country to Bulgaria. He explored the different vocational training systems of the countries he passed through, learning about their advantages and disadvantages. Vincent believes, that coming to a better understanding of these, gives us the opportunity to learn from each other. Read more about his experience here.
British Srishti Chaudhary travelled to Central Europe to explore practical examples of the dual education system. You can find her report here.
What have open borders changed in the Baltic states? Francesco Melitowrote down his thoughts from his trip here.
Travel grantee Rafaela Höpker travelled through numerous European capitals and asked people she met on the way with a questionnaire: what makes you feel welcome? Find her summary of the project here.
This summer Cleo Pollard documented on Instagram her conversations with other young Europeans about European identity. For the full project, read the interviews on the project’s Instagram account .
Like all out Interrail Global Pass grantees, Marcel Roth wanted to find out more about sustainable travelling. At the same time, it turned to be a story of open borders and young people that feel European.
What drives populism in Europe? Felix Vemmer talked to young people in Germany, the Netherlands, France and the UK to find out what they think of the topic and compiled the answers to an Instagram report as well as this presentation.
Is it possible to travel in a climate-friendly way? Our travel grantee Iisa Arvelin looked into the question.
Simon Hartmann was traveling in Turkey during and after the attempted coup d’état in July 2016. His observations and analysis of the atmosphere can be found here (in German).
From the 6th to the 27th of June 2016 our travel grantee Simon Happersberg was on a journey through the United Kingdom. On his way from Edinburgh and Glasgow, through the North of England to London, he was able to talk with a wide variety of British people about the Brexit vote and create an exciting overview of the atmosphere in the UK. You can find his report (in German) here.
Our travel scholar Daniel Mora Gomez traveled through Germany and tried to make himself a picture of the arrival of refugees in Germany and also observed the rising right-wing movement. After doing his research at home he found himself traveling through Germany for 24 days. He shares his impressions on these topics in his travel report here.
Do we have different European identities and approaches to freedom of movement whether we are in Spain or in Romania? Our travel grantee Miriam Meir reports about how differently Europeans deal with questions like migration, quality of life, and globalisation, what she could analyse during her trip in Spain, in the Netherlands and in Romania. You can find her report here.
65 years after the creation of the state of Israel that attracted an important wave of migration, some third generation Israelis decide to migrate to Germany. Whether it is considered as an exile out of Israel or as a revival of the German Jewry, our travel grantee Sylwia Wodzińskaanalyses the motivation and the current situation of those Israelis now living in Berlin and Hamburg. You can find her report here. Picture: Koby Libermann
After the 30 year anniversary of the Schengen Agreement last year, Tomsz Lato decided to investigate how cross-border cities cooperate and develop even if located in another country. Three weeks of German-Polish, German-Austrian, German-Swiss and German-French borders brought him to analyse the similarities and differences in integration of urban spaces, public transport, and cultural events that cross border cities can achieve. You can find his report here. Picture: Dirk Vorderstraße
The Leave Campaign of the UK referendum considered the refugee issue as very critical one. But how was the refugee policy in Britain by the end of 2015? Our travel grantee Tara Burk approaches this sometimes critical culture towards asylum seekers in Scotland, Wales and England. You can find her report here. Picture: Richard Allaway
Our travel grantee Julian Hey reports about his experiences in Amsterdam, Brussels, Paris, San Sebastián, Valencia, Barcelona and Milan that he realised with an Interrail Global Pass granted by the Deutsche Bahn. He aptured the different environmental-friendly mobility concepts tha we have in Europe during this Interrail trip. You can find his report here. Picture: Andreas Dantz