Promoting Talents, Giving Opportunities

In Germany, the educational success of young people is still too often dependent on the socioeconomic status of their parents. School students from disadvantaged families constantly lag far behind their possibilities. Therefore we support gifted, devoted and socially involved 7th- to 12th-graders to work towards their school-leaving examination.
Robert Bosch Stiftung | November 2016
In Germany, the educational success of young people is still too often dependent on the socioeconomic status of their parents. This means that – especially for young people from disadvantaged families – education is the key to a successful future.

The Talent in the Land (TiL) of Baden-Württemberg scholarship program supports talented students from Baden-Württemberg who, due to their social background, have had to overcome hurdles on their way to earning an Abitur or graduating high school. Financial aid, an accompanying seminar program, and individual counseling help young people to let their talents unfurl and to take their future in their own hands. The scholarship is endowed by the Robert Bosch Stiftung and the Baden-Württemberg Stiftung.

At a festive event at the New Palace in Stuttgart in mid November, 50 new participants were inducted into the scholarship program. From now on, they are a part of the "TiL family," as alumnus Hamed Celaymanian highlighted in his congratulatory speech: a powerful network of current and former scholarship holders who support and advise each other and accompany one another on their journey. It takes a lot of work and perseverance to truly let a talent develop – after all, with talent comes responsibility.
 

Scholars Introduce Themselves

Get to know three new TiL scholars and their future plans:

Haris Antonatos – You Have to Have Fun to Get Things Done!

If you ask Haris Antonatos how he manages to juggle his many interests, the answer sounds unfathomably simple: "I think it’s easily done if you have fun doing something. I have fun doing the things I do, and that’s why I do them." And because he enjoyed his first few days with his fellow scholars so much, he is determined to dive into the TiL network with plenty of gusto as well.


Raffaela de Pascali – Budding Globetrotter

The parents of TiL scholar Raffaela de Pascali are from Italy and Estonia – but she was born in Germany. On the weekends when she helps out in her parents' restaurant, it is obvious which country she feels the most connection with. The language, the culture, and – in particular – the spinach pizza: Raffaela's heart belongs to Italy.


Oliver Fundanovic – Young Man with Lofty Goals

At the age of 14, Oliver Fundanovic decided to move from Serbia to live with his grandparents in Germany. Before that, he had only experienced the country as part of his summer vacations. Over the last four years, Oliver has learned to speak not only perfect German, but also a little bit of the Swabian dialect.

(Philipp Knichel, November 2016)