First projects started

The first projects started after the summer. Funds were allocated to extra cultural, sports, and musical activities at schools. Attention was also given to digital literacy and the Gronings and Drents (Low Saxon) languages.

Two examples of these projects are Route Rubicon and the Youth Education Fund.

  • Route Rubicon reduces early school leaving. Young people who have dropped out of regular education for various reasons get the chance to obtain an MBO level 2 diploma. With the expansion from the Social Agenda, there is now room for about 120 students, doubling the previous capacity.
     
  • Through the Youth Education Fund, children are helped with practical matters such as a bike or glasses. The fund also helps children participate in activities like school trips, sports, or culture. From September 2025, fifty additional schools in Groningen and North Drenthe were connected to the Youth Education Fund. In 2026, children in one hundred second-grade classes will be screened for language delays and helped to catch up.

Further work on mental well-being

The Social Agenda team will work in the coming months to start even more measures. Special attention is given to mental well-being. Various programs will be introduced for young people to strengthen their resilience. Additionally, Well-being on prescription will be expanded. This allows people with non-medical problems (such as stress, poverty, or social issues) to visit a general practitioner, who can then refer them to a well-being coach.

Extension of assignment for Henk Nijboer

The Social Agenda is being implemented under the leadership of Henk Nijboer, who has been the project leader since December 2023. His assignment has been extended by one year. He will focus on further implementation, safeguarding, and embedding of the Social Agenda. This is done in cooperation with the region and the national government.

Part of the assignment is to develop the organizational structure, explicitly seeking coherence with the Economic Agenda. From 2027, there will be a stable, compact implementation organization that contributes to increasing broad prosperity in Groningen and North Drenthe.