Vodafone Stiftung Deutschland

The Vodafone Stiftung is one of the largest company-related foundations in Germany. It supports and initiates projects with the goaI of providing impetus to social progress in order to assume social policy responsibility.

Mission

To recognise challenges and chances, to give support and eventually to make a difference.

Geographic Focus

Germany

Programme Areas

The Vodafone Foundation Germany concentrates on the areas of education, integration and social mobility. The Foundation is committed to these areas, with long-term programme funding, awards, competitions and grants, as well as a think tank. The Foundation is concerned with realising ideas and programmes that provide answers to societal problems and challenges. A particular focus of the Foundations work are young people—children, youths and young adults—whose development the Foundation wants to support and foster. The programmes are the following:

– Vodafone Scholarship Programme
– Deutscher Lehrerpreis – German Award for Innovative Teaching
– Ideas for the educational republic
– Vodafone Talents
– buddY Programme
– familY Programme
– Off Road Kids
– Düsseldorf ist ARTig – Düsseldorf is arty
– Paediatric Pain Therapy

Vodafone Scholarship Programme
The Vodafone Foundation Germany wants to open new educational opportunities to young people with migrant backgrounds who want to live and work in Germany. Since the winter term 2006/2007, the Foundation has offered the Vodafone Scholarship Programme, the nationwide only scholarship programme for students with migrant backgrounds at selected universities.

German Award for Innovative Teaching
A nationwide competition for dedicated and creative teachers at German schools. Teachers present ideas for innovative lessons — and students join in. Society as a whole and the life of each student is unimaginable without the great personal commitment of teachers. School shapes one for life. To do their jobs, teachers require more than just support, they also need recognition. The German Award for Innovative Teaching has the aim of increasing public appreciation of the teaching profession.

Ideas for the educational republic
The competition recognises initiatives, institutions and societies/associations which are demonstrating a long-term commitment to a level playing field in education for children and young people.

Vodafone Talents
The Think Tank project, Vodafone Talents creates a conversation between education researchers, politicians and experts from school administration and education ministries, as well as practitioners from schools and work with parents. This is to develop instruments that equip parents to make decisions and sensitise teachers to social differences, and provide support when recommending schools. To do this, Vodafone Talents takes a holistic view of decision-making skills and the decision architecture.

The buddY Programme
“Looking out for each other. – Being there for one another. Learning together.” This is the motto of the buddY Programme to develop the social skills of schoolchildren, which has been running and continuously expanding since 1999.

The familY Programme
This new pilot project consciously approaches the family as a central institution for learning. The overarching aim of the familY Programme is to improve children’s starting conditions for learning, to increase educational opportunities, and to strengthen equal opportunities in our society. Families, children and parents benefit from this Programme in different ways.

Off Road Kids
No child in Germany should have to live on the streets. This is the declared goal of the Off Road Kids aid organisation. The Vodafone Foundation Germany helps energetically and finances the four Off Road Kids Street Work Stations in Berlin, Hamburg, Dortmund and Cologne.

Düsseldorf ist ARTig
Funded by the Vodafone Foundation Germany, this major art competition offers young people in and around Dusseldorf the opportunity to realise their own artistic ideas with the support of experienced artists. DÜSSELDORF IST ARTIG has established itself as an integral component of fostering young artistic talent. The aim is “give us room for artistic ideas, view young culture as a resource, not a threat, and listen to the experts — to young people!”

Paediatric Pain Therapy
Recognise responsibility. Support the disadvantaged. Minimising the suffering of children with chronic pain or life-shortening illnesses through research and therapy is the goal of the Vodafone Foundation Institute for Paediatric Pain Therapy in Datteln. With this Institute, the Foundation is taking responsibility for an interdisciplinary concept that is both new and unique in Germany. It includes in- and out-patient treatment of children who are in pain, as well as clinical research. Witten/Herdecke university has set up the world´s first Chair of Paediatric Palliative Medicine, financed by the Foundation. The medical and psychosocial care of children who are suffering from life-shortening illnesses is only beginning in Germany. The Chair ensures an interdisciplinary knowledge transfer into the healthcare system. In this regard, the Chair of Paediatric Palliative Medicine is performing pioneering work.