Bachelor of Being - Five-month orientation course for young adults

What is the Bachelor of Being?
The Bachelor of Being (‘BoB’) is a personal orientation semester for 18 to 25-year-olds based on the Scandinavian model of Folkehojskole. The participants are young people who have just finished school, have doubts about their studies, have completed their first degree/vocational qualification or have dropped out of education. For five months, they live as a community on an idyllic organic farm near Kassel (Germany) in order to clarify their life questions and find orientation and support. Practical experimentation, theoretical exploration and personal reflection form a unique mix.

What are the goals?
As a ‘rest stop besides the education motorway’, the BoB combines the following goals
(1) career and life orientation,
(2) personality development and mental health and
(3) developing skills for a socio-ecological transformation.
Each of the 18 weeks focuses on a different topic. The modules lead from "ME" to "WE" and into the "WORLD". Theoretical impulses, practical activities, self-awareness exercises and coaching help to gain clarity and motivation for shaping one's own life.

When does the BoB take place?
After four successful pilot runs, our innovative educational programme will enter its fifth round in autumn, from 11 October 2025 to 6 March 2026.

What is needed?
We are very proud: we have now succeeded in having the BoB certified as an educational programme by the Federal Employment Agency, so that young people with ‘placement barriers’ can participate for free. In addition, political education content is now subsidised by the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs.
Unfortunately, this funding only covers 50% of our programme costs. We are still dependent on private donations and foundation funds to enable interested parties from lower-income families to receive partial scholarships. We also ask for donations for various activities and for the purchase of items.

What gives us hope?
Thanks to a number of television programmes (especially the Hessenschau) and enthusiastic alumni and parents, we have a growing community of fans. Well over 500 people have already given us donations. We are sincerely grateful - and look forward to any further support!

What is the vision?
We see the BoB at Gut Kragenhof as a prototype. In the future, we want to set up further BoB locations throughout Germany and also realise offers with a shorter duration and for older target groups. Our team can be booked by companies and educational institutions, e.g. for orientation days, trainee training or BoB as a school trip. We want to write books and give seminars to make our methods accessible to other educational staff. We want to network and have an impact on politics so that similar programmes can be developed throughout Germany. In this respect, your donation not only supports the BoB, but also the message that this type of education is necessary, possible and wanted!