Jugendzentrum Westside

The youth center “Treffpunkt” is a public institution of Jena situated in the urban quarter of Jena-Lobeda. Our municipal guiding principle > and the concept for “offenen Kinder- und Jugendarbeit in Jena” (open children and youth work) build the foundations of our daily work. This concept highlights the five main principles which are: openness, voluntariness, gender equality, creating lifestyle-oriented settings, and possibilities of participation. The youth center “Treffpunkt“ is a multicultural institution that offers various spare time and educational options for all kids between the ages of 12 to 21 impartial of their origin or gender. In Jena-Lobeda live about 1300 kids at this age. Many of them have different cultural, migration, or/and refugee backgrounds. Most of the kids who come to us usually have a lot of other siblings and at home, they might not have enough space and room to make their own experiences and might not have any privacy at all. As an extracurricular institution, we are usually open after school hours to provide a space for kids who want to spend their spare time with other kids and hopefully participate in activities and projects which they usually cannot get in touch with or they might not be able to afford. Our main goal is to provide a safe surrounding for all kids who come to us, so they can make meaningful experiences, learn new things, get help with whatever they need, or just learn who they are for themselves. If by any chance we try to absorb social inequalities and promote diversity in any aspect of life. Therefore we offer various activities and projects in the fields of sports, gaming, music, art, and health.