5 young people. 1 future year.

By Manuela Hanke 26 June 2026

Where knowledge takes root

The first TAPOJA future year 2025/26 was a pilot year – and at the same time a clear sign of what becomes possible when young people are given space to discover themselves, their abilities and their prospects for the future.

TAPOJA started with five young people. What emerged was not just a year of learning together, but a living space of experience: they learned, worked, reflected, tried things out, laughed, created and took on responsibility. Each participant went their own way – and yet a strong shared development grew out of these individual paths.

The first TAPOJA future year showed how much strength arises when young people are not forced into ready-made templates but are given space to discover their own talents, questions and paths in life. Education can once again become a living space of experience – carried by trust, responsibility and real encounter.

Manuele Hanke, TAPOJA

The future year impressively showed how much potential there is in young people when education does not consist only of subject matter, exams and requirements, but of real experiences, personal guidance, practical projects and the question: what do I want to bring into the world with my abilities?

Five paths, five perspectives

In the future year, Tamina fulfilled a long-cherished childhood dream: she published her first book of her own. With her young-adult survival thriller “Mitternachtssonne” (Midnight Sun), she took the step from idea to visible work. At the same time, she developed her photographic skills and gained experience in image editing, videography, video editing and social media. Writing, storytelling, photography and creative communication became a clear field for her future.

More in the newsletter (German)

Girl with horse

Celine fulfilled a very personal wish: buying her first horse of her own, the Hungarian warmblood mare Hajana. This step stands not only for love of animals, but also for initiative, perseverance and a sense of responsibility. In addition, she independently found herself a second job, is already involved in training as a holistic horse coach and takes on responsibility within TAPOJA as youth spokesperson.

More in the newsletter (German)

Boy in chef’s uniform

Valentin set important course for his career. With his enthusiasm for cooking and good food, he successfully secured an apprenticeship and is now starting out as an experience chef. At the same time, he is working on his first cookbook of his own – an example of how passion, practice and initiative turn into concrete steps towards the future.

More in the newsletter (German)

Girl sitting cross-legged with a book

Through a taster internship as an upholsterer, Marlene found a professional field that combines her interests and talents. Writing, sewing, decorating, furnishing, aesthetics and manual skill found practical expression here. Her path shows that career orientation is more than a career decision: it is about taking one’s own strengths and values seriously.

More in the newsletter (German)

Young man with folded arms at the edge of the forest

Laurenz brought his enthusiasm for Formula 1 into a creative project of his own. With a stop-motion film he showed patience, technical understanding, stamina and a good eye for detail. At the same time, he developed clear ideas about what is important to him in life: a self-determined life, family, a loving home and fulfilling work.

More in the newsletter (German)

Click to load — connects to YouTube

Together with the young people from the 25/26 future year, we were guests at Radio SOL and Change Media TV.

The recording of the radio and TV interview (in German) is published here.

From the future year to Campus Leben

Out of the year together, the young people developed the wish to continue on their way as a community. They want not only to keep their experiences to themselves but to pass them on to younger children. This gave rise to the idea of a three-month educational programme for children aged 8 to 12, co-designed by the young people themselves.

With the CAMPUS LEBEN (Campus Life) network, a community hub for learning, encounter, networking and development is being created for this. Young people can develop projects there, accompany events, support communities, implement their own ideas and create new spaces for experience.

As network fellows, young people will in future be able to contribute their skills in real practical fields – for example in children’s education programmes, photography offerings, catering and cooking projects, creative workshops, media and content agencies, learning support, nature education, event organisation or projects oriented towards the common good.

What matters here: performance is seen and valued. Those who take on responsibility and do concrete work should also receive recognition and appropriate pay. This creates an early understanding of creating value with one’s own abilities.

A new place of activity is taking shape

Alongside looking back, TAPOJA is working intensively on the next steps. Negotiations are currently under way to acquire a special site in Upper Austria. In future, the future year and other key programmes are to be based there. At the same time, Europe’s first guardian school is to be established there.

This build-up phase requires time, energy and concentration. That is why, in the current year, deliberately no future year and no taster week are being offered. Instead, TAPOJA is pooling its resources to create the conditions for a sustainable, forward-looking and effective place of education.

Perspective: holistic entrepreneur

A further development step is already in the works: a longer-term educational and development path to becoming a holistic entrepreneur. This approach combines personal development, professional practice, entrepreneurship, community, responsibility and the unfolding of potential.

Learning and doing are not separated, but brought together on a shared path of experience. From mentoring, real projects, network partners and one’s own value creation, a new professional field can emerge step by step – carried by young people who not only recognise their talents but also put them to practical use.

Conclusion TAPOJA future year 2025/26

The TAPOJA future year 2025/26 has shown: young people need not just instruction, but spaces in which they can grow, try things out, take on responsibility and make their own paths visible.

In this pilot year, five young people laid five different tracks into the future. Together they show that education comes alive where trust, practice, community and personal development come together.

TAPOJA is continuing on this path – with the development of a new place, Campus Leben and the prospect of a guardian school that helps young people develop their abilities in freedom, responsibility and connectedness.

TAPOJA banner