Schule ohne Rassismus - Schule mit Courage Bundeskoordination

What Schule ohne Rassismus - Schule mit Courage Bundeskoordination does

Schule ohne Rassismus – Schule mit Courage is the federal coordination office (Bundeskoordination) of Germany's largest school-based prevention network against discriminatory ideologies, operated by the non-profit association Aktion Courage e.V. (eingetragener Verein, founded 1992, based in Berlin). The network links approximately 5,000 member schools across all 16 German federal states — covering Grundschulen, Sekundarschulen, Gymnasien, and Berufsschulen — and reaches more than 2.5 million students. Schools join by committing to a structured, multi-year program to combat racism and discrimination, and receive the right to use the trademarked 'Schule ohne Rassismus – Schule mit Courage' title and logo, along with support from 16 state-level (Landeskoordinationen) and approximately 109 regional (Regionalkoordinationen) coordination offices covering 98% of German districts.

The core product portfolio centers on the Courage Network membership and accompanying educational content: themed booklets (Themenhefte, e.g., Klassismus 2017, Kolonialismus 2022, Rassismus 2023, priced at €6.95/unit or €5.95 for 10+), handbooks including 'Lernziel Gleichwertigkeit' and 'Islam & Schule' (free PDFs available), and the student-produced q.rage magazine (€0.13–€0.35/copy, ~1 million copies distributed since 2005). The technical stack is standard open-source web infrastructure: WordPress with WooCommerce for the Courage-Shop, CleverReach for newsletter distribution, Matomo (self-hosted, open-source) for analytics, and Borlabs Cookie for GDPR-compliant consent management. No proprietary AI/ML, mobile applications, or custom platform layers are in evidence.

The revenue model is grant-funded rather than commercial: primary income flows from multi-year federal grants under the BMBFSFJ 'Demokratie leben!' program (2025–2032 under Kooperationsverbund Demokratiebildung im Kindesalter) and the Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung, with additional support from the GEW trade union since 2001, donations through Aktion Courage e.V., and supplementary publication/merchandise sales. The central Bundeskoordination staff is lean (~6 employees), with service delivery decentralized to the 125+ coordination offices. The GTM motion is community-led and event-driven: schools self-organize activities, regional offices recruit locally, and growth leverages annual federal conferences (Bundesfachtagung), student-led campaigns (e.g., Rap für Courage festival), and peer-driven enrollment.

Name

Schule ohne Rassismus - Schule mit Courage Bundeskoordination

Legal name

Aktion Courage e. V.

Website

https://schule-ohne-rassismus.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Schule ohne Rassismus – Schule mit Courage is the federal coordination office of Germany's largest school-based anti-discrimination network, linking ~5,000 member schools across all 16 states and serving 2.5 million+ students through educational content, coordination offices, and grant-funded programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Anti-Discrimination Education and Civic Engagement Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Support Services (6117), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

School Climate, Culture & Belonging Initiatives (DEI-Aligned) (EDAKAMAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

After-School, Tutoring & Academic Enrichment Nonprofits (BPAGADAC), Children’s Activity & Practice Books (Workbooks, Puzzles, Handwriting) (EDAGAIAE)

Keywords

• Anti-discrimination education
• School network coordination
• Democracy education
• Civic education materials
• Human rights programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Public Funding and Grants: Primary revenue stream from government institutions. The Bundeskoordination receives multi-year funding from the Bundesministerium für Bildung, Familie, Senioren, Frauen und Jugend (BMBFSFJ) through the 'Demokratie leben!' program (Kooperationsverbund Demokratiebildung im Kindesalter, 2025–2032), and from the Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung for seminars and the annual federal congress. Additional institutional support from GEW (Gewerkschaft Erziehung und Wissenschaft) since 2001.
2. Publication and Material Sales: Sale of educational publications through the Courage-Shop. Product range includes Themenhefte (€6.95 each), Handbücher (up to €29.69), q.rage student magazine (€0.13–€0.35 per copy depending on volume), and merchandise. Some publications are available as free PDF downloads. Revenue is supplementary to grant funding.
3. Donations and Private Support: Aktion Courage e.V. raises donations from private individuals and civil society to fund portions of the Bundeskoordination. The organization is registered as a charitable non-profit (gemeinnütziger Verein).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Bundeskoordination runs the 'Courage-Netzwerk', Germany's largest school-based prevention program against ideologies of inequality, linking approximately 5,000 member schools nationwide. Schools apply for the 'Courage' title by committing to long-term anti-discrimination projects and receive educational materials, coordination support, and trademarked branding in return. Educational publications (Themenhefte, Handbücher, q.rage student newspaper) are sold through the Courage-Shop, while most materials are also freely downloadable as PDFs.

Product overview

Schule ohne Rassismus – Schule mit Courage is Germany's largest prevention network against discriminatory thinking, operated by Aktion Courage e.V. The organization offers a portfolio of educational products and services centered on its core Courage-Netzwerk (Courage Network) of over 4,000 member schools. The portfolio includes Themenhefte (themed brochures on topics like racism, sexism, colonialism, and classicism), Handbücher (handbooks including 'Lernziel Gleichwertigkeit' for primary and secondary levels, and 'Islam & Schule'), and the student-created q.rage newspaper. The Courage-Shop provides e-commerce access to these materials. Supporting structures include state-level and regional coordination offices in all 16 German states, patron programs pairing schools with prominent individuals, and annual federal congresses. The organization also maintains a transparency initiative membership demonstrating commitment to civil society accountability.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Courage-Netzwerk (Courage Network) membership program A nationwide network of approximately 5,000 German schools committed to actively fighting discrimination and promoting human dignity; schools apply to receive the trademarked 'Courage' title and gain access to coordination support, educational materials, and events.
• Courage-Shop Online shop (WooCommerce-based) selling educational publications, themed booklets (Themenhefte), handbooks, q.rage student magazine, posters, pins, stickers, and branded merchandise with tiered bulk discounts.
• Themenhefte (Themed Booklets) Educational booklets addressing specific discrimination topics (e.g., Rassismus, Kolonialismus, Klassismus), priced at €6.95 per unit or €5.95 in bulk (10+), written by students, educators, journalists, and experts for classroom and project use.
• Handbuch Lernziel Gleichwertigkeit (Handbook 'Learning Objective Equality') Foundational handbook explaining the prevention approach of the network and how discrimination works today; available for primary (Grundstufe) and secondary (Sekundarstufe) levels, offered as free PDF download.
• Handbuch Islam & Schule (Handbook Islam & School) Handbook providing background information and pedagogical suggestions on Islam, Islamophobia, Islamism, and jihadism in school settings; available as free PDF download with an out-of-print print edition (was €29.69).
• q.rage Student Newspaper Newspaper created by students for students covering discrimination, equality, and diversity topics; priced at €0.35 per copy (up to 99), €0.20 (100-199), and €0.13 (200+) with a 20-copy minimum order, editions available from 2018-2024.
• Landes- und Regionalkoordinationen (State & Regional Coordination Services) Coordination offices in all 16 German states and approximately 109 regional locations providing direct support, counseling, event organization, and ongoing engagement with member schools across all 16 federal states.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 5,000 schools in the network (2024/2025); 4,006 schools by end of 2022 (384 new schools in 2022 alone)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Aktion Courage e.V.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAktion Courage e.V. is the parent organization (Trägerverein) of Schule ohne Rassismus – Schule mit Courage. Founded in 1992, it provides institutional infrastructure, fundraising (donations and own funds), and organizational oversight. It is the sole entity authorized to award the Courage title in Germany.
• Kooperationsverbund Demokratiebildung im Kindesalter (Cooperation Network for Democracy Education in Childhood)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Bundeskoordination works within a cooperation network (2025–2032) with five partner organizations: Deutsche Gesellschaft für Demokratiepädagogik (DeGeDe), Deutsches Kinderhilfswerk e.V. (DKHW), Deutsche Kinder- und Jugendstiftung (DKJS), Institut Kinderwelten e. V. (IKW), and Netzwerk für Demokratie und Courage e. V. (NDC). This consortium collectively advances democracy education infrastructure in Germany.
• Deutsche Gesellschaft für Demokratiepädagogik (DeGeDe)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization within the Kooperationsverbund Demokratiebildung im Kindesalter, contributing to the development of democracy education approaches in early childhood and school settings.
• Deutsches Kinderhilfswerk e.V. (DKHW)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization within the Kooperationsverbund Demokratiebildung im Kindesalter, contributing child welfare expertise and support to the network's democratic education mission.
• Deutsche Kinder- und Jugendstiftung (DKJS)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization within the Kooperationsverbund Demokratiebildung im Kindesalter, bringing youth development and programming expertise to the cooperation network.
• Institut Kinderwelten e. V. (IKW)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization within the Kooperationsverbund Demokratiebildung im Kindesalter, specializing in early childhood education and inclusive learning environments.
• Netzwerk für Demokratie und Courage e. V. (NDC)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization within the Kooperationsverbund Demokratiebildung im Kindesalter. Shares thematic and organizational synergies with the Courage network in the field of democracy education and civic engagement.
• Initiative Transparente Zivilgesellschaft (ITZ)minorOthersAktion Courage e.V., the parent organization, has joined the Initiative Transparente Zivilgesellschaft, committing voluntarily to transparency standards developed by theTransparency Deutschland alliance (transparency.de).
• Partnerschaften für Demokratie (Democracy Partnerships)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOver 340 Partnerschaften für Demokratie (local democracy partnership organizations funded under 'Demokratie leben!') cooperate with Courage-Schools, providing financial and organizational support for school activities. These partnerships strengthen democracy at the municipal level.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Facing History and Ourselves: International non-profit providing professional development and classroom resources on racism, antisemitism, and civic education; highly comparable mission and product model (educator materials, student publications) targeting school systems.
• Teach For All: Global network of independent partner organizations working to expand educational equity and civic education in schools; comparable as a K–12-focused educational non-profit network operating through country partners, though with a broader educational-equity remit.

Direct peers

• Deutsche Gesellschaft für Demokratiepädagogik (DeGeDe): German society advancing democracy pedagogy in schools and teacher education; named partner in the same Kooperationsverbund and serves the same K–12 anti-discrimination/democratic-culture mission with comparable methodology.
• Netzwerk für Demokratie und Courage (NDC): German non-profit running a similar youth-focused anti-discrimination and democracy-education program with regional project teams across Germany; explicitly named as a partner in the Kooperationsverbund Demokratiebildung im Kindesalter and shares overlapping school-target audiences.
• Deutsches Kinderhilfswerk e.V. (DKHW): Major German children's-rights non-profit delivering child-participation and rights-education programs in schools; named partner in the Kooperationsverbund and serves the same schools with complementary anti-discrimination and participation content.

Others

• Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung (bpb): German federal agency for civic education funding seminars and congresses (including those of Schule ohne Rassismus); a direct funder/partner and ecosystem participant rather than a competitor, but central to the same K–12 civic-education landscape.

Broad incumbents

• Aktion Mensch: Large German social-purpose non-profit funding inclusion, education and anti-discrimination projects nationwide; comparable as a major civil-society grantmaker and advocacy organization operating at a much larger scale with overlapping beneficiary populations.
• UNESCO Associated Schools Network (ASPnet): Global network of 11,000+ schools in 180+ countries promoting UNESCO values including anti-discrimination, human rights and intercultural understanding; the most structurally analogous international peer in terms of scale, certification model and K–12 anti-racism mission.
• Anti-Defamation League (ADL): U.S.-based anti-discrimination NGO running school programming (e.g., 'World of Difference', 'A World of Difference') with educator curricula on prejudice and bullying; comparable mission and K–12 anti-bias education model, though operating primarily in the U.S.
• Amnesty International Deutschland: Human-rights organization with significant German school-facing human-rights education programming (e.g., 'Menschenrechts­bildung'); comparable as a large-scale NGO delivering anti-discrimination content to schools through educator training and curriculum resources.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@couragenetzwerk
• Facebookfacebook.com/SchuleohneRassismus
• Instagraminstagram.com/couragenetzwerk
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/schule-ohne-rassismus---schule-mit-courage-bundeskoordination

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Schule ohne Rassismus - Schule mit Courage Bundeskoordination