Heroes of the homeland Upper Franconia 2025

Ten teams. Lots of ideas. One common goal: to bring about social change in Upper Franconia.

All across Upper Franconia, there are people who take notice, roll up their sleeves, and use their ideas to solve social challenges. Through the “Heroes of Upper Franconia” initiative , the “ Adalbert-Raps-Stiftung ” highlights this commitment—and supports social actors in further developing their impact.

In the current program cycle, we are supporting ten teams from across Upper Franconia. Since late 2025, they have been working on their projects alongside coaches and experts, examining existing structures, refining their goals, developing new perspectives, and building valuable connections.

Because "Heroes of the Homeland" is about more than just winning: it's about moving forward together.

Our Heroes*

‍Ten teams tackling a wide variety of challenges—and making a difference in Upper Franconia through their dedication.

SOPHIA in the Neighborhood

Strengthens neighborhoods and social participation in the immediate living environment. The project fosters interaction and mutual support and helps ensure that people remain well-integrated even as they age.

AWO Kulmbach District Youth Organization

Empowers young people and opens up new perspectives. Through its programs, the Kreisjugendwerk fosters self-confidence, helps young people find their way, and promotes their active participation, while encouraging children and teens to discover their own strengths.

kollektiv gut e. V.

Fosters connection and community through collaborative creative work. In open workshops focused on textiles, upcycling, and design, people come together, build relationships, and learn from one another—regardless of age, background, or income.

Municipality of Ahorn

Creates new opportunities for connection and engagement during a new phase of life. The focus is on people transitioning from their working lives to retirement and the question of how they can continue to contribute their experiences and skills to the community.

Geschwister Gummi Foundation

Supports children in stressful family situations. Its programs are designed for children whose families are under significant strain—for example, due to mental illness—and provide reliable places to turn to and spaces where their own needs can be met.

ASB Coburg Regional Association – Search and Rescue Dog Unit

Combines volunteer work with professional assistance for people in need. People and dogs train intensively as a team so they can provide quick and reliable assistance in the search for missing persons.

Friends of the Lias-Grube Environmental Station, Inc.

It brings nature to life and promotes sustainable behavior. The Environmental Station combines environmental education with hands-on experiences in nature and shows children, teens, and adults how their own actions can make a difference.

Team Bananenflanke Bayreuth, Inc.

Soccer promotes inclusion, self-confidence, and a sense of community. People with intellectual disabilities experience sports, social interaction, and participation; they become part of a team and share in the joy of success.

Caritas Association for the Kulmbach District

Provides low-threshold social support close to where people live. Counseling, social interaction, and support should be more firmly rooted in people’s immediate living environments and made more easily accessible, especially in rural areas.

E-Sport UBT e. V.

Creates digital spaces as places for community and participation. The team demonstrates how gaming can connect people, foster social skills, and build community.

The Hero's Journey

Good ideas take time, dialogue, and the courage to keep growing

"Heroes of Our Homeland" is not a traditional competition. The focus is on the teams' development: Where do we stand? What do we want to achieve? Who do we want to reach? What do we need to continue our work successfully in the long term?

Our ten teams of heroes are addressing these questions step by step—through individual coaching sessions, group workshops, and discussions with one another.

December 2025 – Kicking Off Together
At the get-together, the ten teams will get to know each other, exchange ideas, and embark together on their hero’s journey.

February 2026—Assessing the Current Situation
In individual initial coaching sessions, the teams analyze where they stand, what challenges they are facing, and which development steps are particularly important for them.

March 2026 – Refining Goals and Impact
In the first workshop, the teams take an in-depth look at their goals and the question of what kind of social change they hope to achieve through their work.

May 2026 – Further Developing Structures
The second workshop focuses on organization, volunteer work, communication, and implementation: What is already working well—and where are changes needed?

July 2026 – Securing the Future
In the third workshop, we look ahead: What structures are needed to ensure that our impact endures in the long term? What partnerships are missing? And what are the next concrete steps?

September 2026 – Telling Your Own Story
After the collaborative workshop sessions, the teams have a clearer understanding of their goals, have defined concrete steps for development, and have examined their projects from new perspectives. The individual pitch coaching sessions now focus on distilling this progress and telling their own story clearly and authentically: What drives us? What problem are we solving? What has changed—and where are we headed?

"Heroes of Home" Festival 2026

October 17, 2026 - Bamberg

At the "Heroes of Our Homeland" Festival, the stage belongs to our ten teams. Together, we celebrate their dedication and what they have accomplished so far on their journey.

Through their pitches, the teams provide insight into their work and show where their journey will take them next. Three of them will be selected this evening and will continue their hero’s journey in the second phase of the program. But regardless of this decision, one thing is certain:

All ten teams are our local heroes.

Because they have all questioned their work, adopted new perspectives, learned from one another, and initiated concrete changes.

10 Teams · 10 Pitches · An Evening Together Dedicated to Social Engagement

Circus Tent of the Don Bosco Youth Organization in Bamberg
Jakobsplatz 15
96049 Bamberg

And after that?

For three teams, the heroes' journey continues.

After the festival , the second phase of the program , “Making an Impact and Growing,” will begin for them . For another year, they will receive intensive support as they work to implement their projects and further expand their social impact in Upper Franconia.

To this end, they receive personalized coaching and in-depth workshops—for example, on financing and scaling their impact. In addition, each of the three teams has access to an unconditional “Hero Fund” of up to 15,000 euros, which they can use according to the needs of their project.

In this way, they build on what they developed during the first phase of the program—with expert guidance, new ideas, and financial flexibility for the next steps.

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