Q: What are the main aims of GEF?
Q: Who are the partners that GEF works with?
Q: How can I become a GEF partner?
Q: Can I become a member of GEF?
Q: How are GEF projects funded?
Q: Is GEF supported by any political parties?
Q: Does GEF provide funding for youth projects?
Q: How does GEF support youth activities?
Q: Why is GEF not producing a 2012-2013 Europa Diary?
Q: Is GEF content elaborated in a centralized way and simply translated into national languages?
Q: Who holds the copyrights of the Europa Diary?
Q: How can I become a GEF Ambassador?
Q: What are the main aims of GEF?
A: GEF aims to educate and empower young people to be better informed of their rights and responsibilities as European citizens in a fast-changing world.
GEF facilitates mutual understanding and interactive dialogue among policy-makers, decision-makers of both the public and private sectors, and young people. It aims to engage tomorrow's decision-makers, today. In addition, GEF works as a promoter of youth initiatives, which are in line with its mission and vision.
A: GEF works towards its mission to help young Europeans shape their future and to create dialogue and understanding among policy-makers, decision-makers and tomorrow’s leaders.
We do this via concrete activities and projects that contribute to the development of young people. We are experts in translating complex issues into easily understandable material for young people, accompanied by teachers’ resources. Our projects are designed and implemented in close collaboration with our partners and implementing partners in all EU Member States.
Since our creation in 1995, we have implemented a variety of successful projects.
If you want to reach out to young people or have already got a project idea in mind that you would like to take to the next level with our input, here is what we can do for you.
Q: Who are the partners that GEF works with?
A: Generation Europe Foundation works hand in hand with partners in order to design, implement and spread projects that benefit young people.
We implement projects in close cooperation with our national partner organisations in the target countries, who provide input, localise our materials, liaise with national ministries, schools, non-governmental organisations and the media, and implement our activities on the ground.
We also interact with our network of young Ambassadors in European countries and even beyond, who feed into our projects and carry out surveys or campaigns locally.
We cooperate with a range of partners from the European Institutions, national authorities and entities from the public sector, private sector and other Non-Governmental Organisations. We strongly believe in Public Private Partnerships!
Q: How can I become a GEF partner?
A: GEF works with a variety of private and public partners and we are always looking for interesting partners to help develop new projects or enhance and continue our successful activities.
We are open to working with new partners on new European projects but also interested in expanding our network of implementing partners and GEF Ambassadors in partner countries.
For more information on how to become a GEF partner see Work With Us
Q: Can I become a member of GEF?
A: GEF is not a membership organization but rather works on a project basis with different partners across Europe. For more information on how to work with us click here: Work With Us
Q: How are GEF projects funded?
A: GEF receives funding from both public and private organisations as well from the European Institutions by submitting projects to relevant ‘Calls for Proposals’ and / or ‘Call for Tenders’, as well as by winning contracts for private sponsorship.
Q: Is GEF supported by any political parties?
A: No. GEF is an independent non-partisan organization and is not supported by any political party.
Q: Does GEF provide funding for youth projects?
A: No. GEF is not a grant-awarding organization; however we can support youth projects in many ways involving our long-established expertise, network and public visibility.
We also like to learn about youth projects developed by other NGOs or young people.
For instance, if our GEF Ambassador lets us know about any interesting or relevant projects on the national or regional level which young people want to launch, we could help them with launching these projects.
Q: How does GEF support youth activities?
A: GEF provides organizational and promotional support for relevant youth activities.
We give various projects visibility on our website as well as in our newsletter and twice yearly in the "BUZZZ" magazine. We are also open to co-bidding for relevant Calls for Proposals and entering into partnership with other organisations in order to implement projects at regional, national and EU level.
A: The Europa Diary is an innovative teaching tool, not only used as an individual school diary, but with its 90 editorial pages also as a text book in the classroom. Its purpose is to communicate to young people important information which is relevant to their life and future but may not be covered by the formal school curriculum.
This information diary – delivered together with a Teachers’ Guide – is designed to be used as a teaching tool in the classroom, thereby ensuring that the information contained in the Diary is seen, studied and used by young people.
The Europa Diary has been published by Generation Europe Foundation since 1995 and is distributed to secondary schools which request it. Teachers in approximately 30,000 schools in all EU countries and regions have now integrated this publication into their lesson plans.
Find here more information about the Europa Diary.
Q: Why is GEF not producing a 2012-2013 Europa Diary?
A: GEF has produced the Europa Diary every year since 1995. Between 2004 and 2011 the European Commission funded this publication almost entirely, allowing for the print run to grow to nearly 4.5 million copies and to meet an increasing demand from teachers across Europe. Unfortunately the European Commission has decided to interrupt this project despite its huge success (see the evaluation reports). Therefore, to our great regret, no Europa Diary can be made available for the school year 2012/2013.
However, we are hopeful that the Diary will continue next year and will keep everyone informed on this website.
Q: Is GEF content elaborated in a centralized way and simply translated into national languages?
A: No. Our material is normally drafted in English, but after being translated by our network of translators throughout the 27 EU Member States and beyond, it is carefully localised by our implementing partners and adapted to national contexts.
Our flagship project, the Europa Diary, represents a quite complex project in this respect: we have been translating and localising 29 language editions of the Diary and the Teachers’ Guide.
Q: Who holds the copyrights of the Europa Diary?
A: GEF has produced the Europa Diary since 1995, therefore – as editor – we have all the rights of the publication. However, since the last editions were funded by the European Commission under an inter-institutional framework contract, the copyright of those specific editions belongs to the European Commission. Generation Europe Foundation is willing to produce, also in the future, Europa Diaries as it has done since 1995.
For more information about the Europa Diary
Q: I am a teacher or a school director and I would like to be updated on GEF’s projects. What should I do?
A: In order to be updated constantly on our projects and activities, you can create an account in our teachers' corner. Not only will you be able to see and download pedagogical materials we make available to teachers, but you can also add yourself to our mailing list, in order to receive regular updates on our other projects and activities.
If you would like to receive news about GEF, without signing up as a teacher, you can subscribe to our monthly newsletter.
Q: Who are the GEF Ambassadors?
A: GEF’s Ambassadors are the bridging points with young people in countries of the “wider Europe”. They are our local eyes and ears, inform us of what is happening locally, participate in the implementation of our projects (such as youth opinion surveys) and disseminate GEF news to their national youth networks.
The Ambassadors play various roles: They give visibility to GEF initiatives on a local level, participate in projects and events organised by GEF, including youth surveys, and inform GEF about any relevant information targeting youth in their country. Ambassadors have also the opportunity to write articles and give their inputs when GEF takes part in a public consultation to make sure that the voice of young people is heard by policy-makers at national and European level.
When implementing specific youth projects, GEF will contact its Ambassadors in a target country and propose him/her to work on it. In addition, GEF can give visibility to the Ambassador’s own initiatives when relevant to the Mission and Vision of GEF.
We have Ambassadors or Contact Points in most of the countries in Europe. You can check who is the GEF Ambassador in your country here: GEF Ambassadors
Q: How can I become a GEF Ambassador?
A: If you are a young person between 18 and 30 years old, interested in various issues that concern young people in your country, and eager to get involved in a Europe-wide network of active young people, you are welcome to apply to become a GEF Ambassador.
Interested in becoming an Ambassador in your country? You can find more information on how to apply here: GEF Ambassadors
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