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15 years of school visits: Since 2011, TOGETHER:AUSTRIA has reached over 110,000 young people.

The Austrian Integration Fund (ÖIF) celebrated the anniversary of the integration ambassador initiative TOGETHER:AUSTRIA with honors and many fond memories.

Integration Minister Claudia Bauer (right) and the head of the TOGETHER:AUSTRIA team Fitore Morina (left) honored dedicated integration ambassadors during the event (pictured: Anna Rivna and Farhad Mohamadi).

For 15 years now, volunteer integration ambassadors from the TOGETHER:AUSTRIA initiative of the Austrian Integration Fund (ÖIF) have been visiting schools throughout Austria and talking to young people about integration, coexistence, and educational and career opportunities. To mark the initiative's 15th anniversary, a celebratory event was held on October 7, 2026, in the Federal Chancellery's main hall in Vienna, attended by long-serving integration ambassadors and partners of the initiative. The responsible Minister for Integration, Claudia Bauer, also joined in the festivities.

A look back at 15 years of TOGETHER:AUSTRIA

As part of the anniversary celebration, integration ambassadors from the very beginning looked back on the development of the initiative. Personal experiences from numerous school visits were a central focus, as was the question of which issues are particularly important to young people today. Furthermore, especially dedicated integration ambassadors were recognized for their long-standing commitment and numerous school visits. The event also provided an opportunity for exchange between integration ambassadors, educators, cooperation partners, and former staff members of the initiative.

Role models for young people

Since its inception, the ZUSAMMEN:ÖSTERREICH (TOGETHER:AUSTRIA) project has focused on the personal stories of its volunteer integration ambassadors. Through their diverse educational, professional, and life paths, they offer young people insights into their individual experiences with integration and demonstrate the opportunities available to them in Austria. Under the motto "Breaking down prejudices, creating motivation," successful individuals with a migration background serve as volunteer integration ambassadors, sharing their personal journeys, experiences, and challenges in Austria. Through direct interaction with young people, they highlight opportunities and motivate young people, both with and without a migration background, to actively shape their educational and career paths.

New formats for career guidance, prevention and community life

In addition to looking back, the anniversary celebration also included a presentation of the initiative's current priorities. ZUSAMMEN:ÖSTERREICH has continuously expanded its services in recent years, focusing not only on traditional school visits but also on career guidance, violence and antisemitism prevention, and sports as a unifying element.

For example, during company visits to businesses like PORR, Siemens, Microsoft, Westbahn, REWE, Radio Energy, or Austria Trend Hotels, students gain direct insights into different industries and career paths. Integration ambassadors and company representatives with a migration background talk about their career journeys at their workplaces and show young people concrete career prospects.

Together with LIKRAT, an initiative of the Jewish Community of Vienna, ZUSAMMEN:ÖSTERREICH also conducts school visits for antisemitism prevention. In Vienna's Favoriten district, school visits focusing on youth violence prevention take place in cooperation with prevention officers from the State Criminal Police Office.

Sport is also being used specifically as a tool for integration and social cohesion: In cooperation with the Caritas Cage League, workshops promote team spirit, fairness, and respect. Together with the Austrian Football Association (ÖFB), ZUSAMMEN:ÖSTERREICH (TOGETHER:AUSTRIA) uses football stadiums as learning venues for workshops on integration, teamwork, and violence prevention as part of the "Learning Curve Stadium" initiative.

About TOGETHER:AUSTRIA

The Austrian Integration Fund (ÖIF) initiative TOGETHER:AUSTRIA, together with integration ambassadors with a migration background, visits schools and clubs throughout Austria to talk to young people about the prerequisites for successful coexistence and their opportunities and possibilities in Austria. The integration ambassadors share their own journeys and encourage young people to take control of their lives through their personal stories. Since 2011, the TOGETHER:AUSTRIA initiative has been visiting schools and clubs with successful immigrants, reaching over 110,000 people since its inception. Further information about the initiative can be found at www.zusammen-oesterreich.at .

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