As part of our Interreg AT–HU project BOUNCE BACK, practice-oriented resilience workshops were conducted during the winter semester 2025/26 to strengthen key life skills of children and young people in their everyday school environment. Innovative and inclusive workshops took place in 28 pilot classes at primary and lower secondary schools in Vienna, where students received age-appropriate input and practical tools to recognize and actively develop their own resilience. From the very beginning, children were invited to consciously focus on positive aspects of their lives through the so-called “Good Things Circle.”
Using a variety of methods such as role-playing, positioning exercises, and group activities, the workshops supported the development of children’s and adolescents’ awareness and perception. The content focused on the core pillars of resilience: acceptance, solution-oriented thinking, supportive relationships, a positive approach to mistakes, seeing the good, and recognizing and expressing emotions.
Empowered and with new perspectives, the students return to their everyday school life. We will continue the project in the summer semester with creative workshops to further strengthen children’s resilience in a sustainable way.

On 23 January, 2026 the European Office of the Board of Education for Vienna was represented at business academy donaustadt (BHAK und BHAS 22) education and careers fair with a stand entitled “Jobs and Internships at the EU.”
Around 400 Students were given the opportunity to find out about the possibilities available to them for going abroad after school.
Erasmus+ project days in Brussels and short internships at embassies abroad were met with particular interest.
We enjoyed seeing, that many young people plan an international stay as an important part of their professional development.

As part of the Mini Fair on January 28, 2026 organized by the Language Support Center of the Vienna Board of Education, the AK Education Center once again became a meeting place for exchange on multilingualism, interculturality, and institutional cooperation. Numerous teachers, parents, as well as associations and institutions took the opportunity to engage in professional dialogue. The Europe Office of the Vienna Board of Education was once again represented, underlining the importance of European educational cooperation.
This year, there was particularly strong interest in projects, materials, and programmes related to multilingualism, highlighting the significance of the Interreg project eTOM_SKAT for the Europe Office.
We were also especially pleased about the exchange with Dr. Barbara Herzog-Punzenberger, Rector of the University College of Teacher Education Vienna (PH Wien).

Within the framework of the Interreg AT–HU project BOUNCE BACK – Development and Implementation of a Sustainable Program for the School-Based Promotion of Life Skills and Student Resilience in the AT–HU border region,” PH Wien is an important strategic partner. Thank you very much for the excellent cooperation!

As part of the Interreg AT-HU project BOUNCE BACK, we organized yoga workshops at 12 Viennese primary schools together with the Indian Embassy to mark the end of the first school semester. The kick-off event took place on December 5, 2025, at the Global Education Primary School on Anton-Baumgartner-Straße. The Indian Ambassador explained to the children the central role of yoga for mental and physical health. Under the title “BOUNCE BACK with YOGA,” the students can learn how to draw strength and energy from their bodies and thus better cope with the challenges of everyday life. As a reminder of their own strengths, the Ambassador gave each child an artfully decorated ceramic elephant – the joy over this pre-Christmas gift was, of course, immense.

On December 9, 2025, the ZR100 BOX Mathematics was delivered to over 300 schools in Vienna. It was our honor to hand over the first box to Elisabeth Fuchs, the Director of the Board of Education for Vienna.

The ZR100 BOX was developed by experts as part of the Intereg AT-HU BOUNCE BACK project. It includes a wide range of materials for diagnosis and support from the second grade onward. It additionally features a bonus booklet on quantities, data, and probabilities, as well as numerous materials and templates for direct use in the classroom.

We are delighted to be able to support all Viennese primary schools in their important educational work with this resource. We wish them much success and enjoyment with the new ZR100 BOX Mathematics!

At the beginning of December 2025, everything revolved around resilience and life skills for the parents of our pilot classes. The Interreg AT-HU BOUNCE BACK project provided parent workshops in which participants didn’t just listen – they actively reflected, tried things out, and shared laughter. Together with the trainers, parents exchanged practical tips, spoke openly about worries and challenges in raising children and developed everyday strategies for greater strength and calm.

Parents left the workshops not only with fresh inspiration, but a lso with lovingly designed affirmation notes for their children’s lunchboxes, activity cards for the weekly schedule and plenty of ideas for supporting their children positively in daily life.

One participant’s feedback captures the spirit of the workshops particularly well: “Thank you again for the inspiring workshop (…) I’m heading into my teaching day today feeling newly motivated and more at ease.” (participating mother and teacher)

Although the weather at the end of November 2025 was less than inviting, the atmosphere during the visit was all the more warm and welcoming. Together with the HAS/HAK-AUL Flora Fries and the BFI Vienna Commercial Schools, we were delighted to welcome two delegations from Shenzhen and Jiangsu for an exchange in the field of business education. We presented our guests with the basic principles of the Austrian education system and provided insights into current priorities that shape our educational landscape.

The delegations were particularly impressed by the classroom visits, where the students demonstrated their openness, courage, and professional competence. Their performances clearly illustrated how vibrant and engaging learning is at our schools. In-depth discussions about challenges and opportunities revealed how closely we share similar goals despite our different starting points: to prepare young people for their future in the best possible way!

From November 26 to 28, 2025, we welcomed a delegation from Hanover and Munich for an intensive exchange on the topics of democracy and participation. It quickly became clear that Active European Citizenship Education is a key approach for a contemporary understanding of democracy. The exchange, which has recently gained considerable momentum, especially through Erasmus+, provided space to explore new opportunities for cooperation and to develop shared perspectives for future collaboration. The program, organized by the European Office, included visits to Viennese key institutions for civic education, as well as school visits to a Viennese secondary school and a vocational college, to gain diverse insights and perspectives on civic education.

In the end, everyone agreed: Future-oriented civic education for our next generation cannot stop at national borders, but must be conceived in a participatory manner and within a global European context.

As part of the Interreg AT-HU project DigiUp NEXT , in Autumn 2025 we invited students from Vienna’s vocational schools to exciting career-orientation workshops focusing on IT and new technologies. The young participants explored the world of digital professions and gained insights into current technological developments. Through a variety of interactive tasks, they were able to discover their interests and strengths and further develop them in a targeted way. The workshops provided valuable impulses for career orientation and supported the students in taking their first concrete steps toward their future careers. A positive and open working atmosphere ensured that learning and enjoyment were closely connected, making the workshops a sustainable and inspiring experience.

The European Office of the Board of Education for Vienna presented its diverse activities to interested visitors at the 46th Interpädagogica education trade fair.
For three days, we were able to provide teachers with individual consultations on our current offerings and materials. Particular interest was shown in our participation in Erasmus+ projects for school classes and teachers, as well as our EU-funded educational projects. The Interreg AT-CZ project “Education for Tomorrow” was a central focus, emphasizing digital competence combined with collaboration, creativity, critical thinking, communication, cultural awareness, and contextual competence.
Networking and the exchange of knowledge within Vienna’s educational landscape were just as central to the event as the opportunity to discover new sources of knowledge and inspiration.