Leisure that teaches. Learning that counts.
Free extracurricular activities
Meaningful leisure activities should not be a privilege!
Hobby Lobby offers free extracurricular courses for children and teenagers across 16 locations in 3 countries, providing access to non‑formal education and contributing significantly to equal opportunities. In our sports, arts and technology courses, kids and teenagers can discover their talents, realise their potential, and strengthen their social skills. Our programmes create a space where participants’ mental and physical health is visibly improved.
Join a course
Would you like to enrol yourself or your child in a free extracurricular course? Here you can find all current courses and our locations.
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Become a course instructor
Would you like to volunteer and share your hobby with kids and teenagers? Then show your skills and share your passion.
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Support and donate
Every donation makes a real difference in society and helps us make meaningful leisure activities possible.
What we offer
Whether it’s football, street art, theatre, dance or coding — kids and teenagers can choose from more than 100 areas of interest, allowing them to discover their talents, develop their strengths and realise their potential. The courses are led by voluntary course instructors who share their passion.
We also offer meaningful leisure activities during the summer holidays through our summer programme.
Former Hobby Lobby participants can join the Youth Leaders programme, where they have the opportunity to pass on what they’ve learned to younger participants. as co-instructors. In doing so, the young people take on responsibility and further develop their personal and social skills for their future careers.
Through our extracurricular and educational programmes, we allow children and teenagers to experience social inclusion, community and new perspectives.
Hobby Lobby in numbers
Social Return on Investment Study
What impact does one euro invested in Hobby Lobby have? This question was examined by the Center for Nonprofit Organizations and Social Entrepreneurship at the Vienna University of Economics and Business as part of a Social Return on Investment (SROI) study. The study analyses, quantifies, and monetises the social and financial effects of Hobby Lobby.
The results are impressive: every euro invested generates a social added value of € 21.27. This means that the investments pay off more than 21 times in terms of positive societal effects. According to the study, a key factor behind this high level of impact is the preventive nature of Hobby Lobby’s programmes. By supporting children and teenagers early on, long-term effects are created in the areas of education, personal development, health and social inclusion.
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Support our work
Our success story
In 2019, Hobby Lobby began its pilot phase with the first 100 children and young people in Vienna’s 10th district. Shortly afterwards, the founding team — made up of former teachers led by Rosa Bergmann — received their first recognition with the Social Impact Award. From then on, not only did the demand from children and teenagers for free extracurricular courses grow, but more and more people wanted to get involved. They became voluntary course instructors, joined the team as full-time members, or founded new locations in their own regions.
Key milestones included the creation of the Youth Leaders Programme, expansion into Austrian provinces starting in 2022, and international expansion to Germany and Romania in 2024.
The innovative concept also attracted the attention of funding institutions and award juries: for example, in 2022 Hobby Lobby received the Sozialmarie award, and in 2023 it won 1st place in the “Social Innovation” category of the European Social Economy Award.
