When young people learn leadership

Twelve young people. One week in Florida. And the question: Are they ready to take on responsibility? The Young Manager Academy is not a vacation program. It is an investment in those who will carry DARIA forward tomorrow.

Anyone who thinks of DARIA only in terms of luxury villas and returns is overlooking an essential part of our vision. Because everything we are building in Cape Coral is about more than real estate. It's about a community that endures. About values that are passed on. And about young people who are ready to take on responsibility in the future.

This is precisely why we have Young Manager Academy was launched.

Why young people? Why now?

„The youth of today...“ - We often hear this phrase, usually with a resigned undertone. Frank Rahlf takes a fundamentally different view. For him, young people today are just as capable, committed and valuable as they were 50 years ago. The problem is not with them, but with the fact that they are often taught the wrong role models and values in a flood of information - TikTok, Facebook, Instagram.

„Young people today are exposed to many influences. This sometimes makes it difficult for them to find out what is really important in life,“ says Jennifer Hagermeister, coordinator of the Young Manager Academy. „And that's exactly where we come in.“

The question is not whether young people today are still good enough. The question is: Are they still getting the right impetus? Do they have role models who show them what leadership really means? Do they learn that success is not just about likes and followers, but about real achievement, perseverance and the courage to take responsibility?

DARIA is not a project for a few years. It is a generational project. What we are starting today will be continued tomorrow by those who are 14, 16 or 18 years old today. To do this, they have to learn what leadership means - not in the sense of corporate careers, but as people who set a good example in their environment.

„Leadership doesn't mean you have to become a CEO,“ emphasizes Jennifer. „You can also simply be a leader in your circle of friends, at school, in your family. It's about setting a good example. That's already leadership.“

A week that leaves its mark

The Young Manager Academy officially took place for the first time in summer 2025. 12 young people between the ages of 14 and 18 - six boys, six girls - came to Cape Coral for an intensive week. Housed in two DARIA villas in the north of Cape Coral, just a few minutes apart, they not only lived the Florida lifestyle, but also learned what it means to take on responsibility.

Every morning started with a certain amount of discipline. At 7:45 a.m., someone from the DARIA team came by. Before the daily program started at 8 a.m., they checked whether the beds were made and the bathroom was tidy. Does the villa look like cabbage and turnips? Or the way you found it?

„It's about being aware of the need to treat other people's property properly,“ says Jennifer. „The house belongs to members of our community. I treat their property with care.“

Sounds like a small thing? It's not. Because this is where responsibility begins. On a small scale. In the everyday. Before you talk about big visions, you have to learn to make your own bed.

A program that challenges and encourages

The day's program was deliberately varied - physically, mentally and practically. The young people were to experience in various situations where their strengths lie and where they can still grow.

Conversations with Frank on leadership, values and personal development formed the foundation. This was about the big questions: What does it mean to take responsibility? How do you deal with setbacks? How do you lead without dominating?

A boat tour across the canals of Cape Coral showed not only the beauty of the landscape, but also what it means to work together in a confined space, to look out for each other and to experience something together.

Martial arts trained discipline, stamina and respect. The young people learned here: It's not about defeating others, but about overcoming yourself.

Beach days with sporting challenges - The matches were not casual beach volleyball rounds, but real competitions in which team spirit, strategy and commitment counted. 

Cook a 3-course meal for the Management Board and selected managers. The young people were split into two groups, planned the menu together, went shopping, cooked, set the table, served - and cleaned up afterwards. „That really was a very special evening,“ recalls Jennifer. „Our participants organized everything themselves, made arrangements and distributed tasks. And the food was also fantastic.“

Sports events experience live how top performance is achieved, how teams function and how to stay cool under pressure.

Everything the young people did was evaluated. Not to create pressure or stir up fear, but to show: What you do is seen. Your commitment counts. Your attitude makes a difference.

At the end of the week, there was a joint evaluation. Each young person received feedback on what they had achieved. And there was a reward for everyone - with an extra for the first to third place winners. Those who had shown particular commitment were also rewarded.

Challenges are part of it

„It's not always just relaxed and laid-back,“ says Jennifer. „The children get to take part in challenges and see that you have to make an effort. If you were at the front, you can be happy. If you were at the back, you learn from it and maybe you'll be at the front in the next challenge.“

That is important. Because in a world where everyone gets a medal for taking part, young people no longer learn how to deal with defeat. They don't learn that you have to work hard to achieve something. And they don't learn that it's okay to fail sometimes - as long as you learn from it.

An example of cooking: One of the young people had agreed to cut the vegetables. Sounds simple. But it wasn't. Because he quickly realized:

He couldn't manage the peeler at all. The vegetables just didn't want to do what he wanted.

What could he have done? Pull through, even if it doesn't work. Give up. Hide.

He did something else: he carried on - and another participant saw it.

„Do you need help?“ came from the side. „Yes, can you do that? Then I'll do yours in return.“ The group reorganized itself. Everyone did what they did best. And in the end, there was a three-course meal on the table that impressed the board.

„It was really great to see,“ says Jennifer. „That the young people said of their own accord: Do you need help? Without us having to specify. They sorted it out among themselves.“

That is leadership. Not being the strongest, but the one who recognizes where help is needed - and where you need to accept help yourself.

In the evening the
Villa for young people

Program during the day, free time in the evening. The young people were not supervised around the clock. They had their own villas, their own time. And they used it - mostly together. One of the boys had a driver's license and drove the others over to the girls. They spent the evening there together. The villas were only three minutes away from each other.

„They really were a close-knit group,“ says Jennifer. „And the great thing was that they supported each other, had fun, but also made sure that everything stayed tidy.“

Every program is different 

The Young Manager Academy is not a rigid program that is reeled off identically year after year. Each year we plan a new program based on the participants and the experience we gain.

„We learn with every group,“ says Jennifer. „We see what works and what doesn't. We see where the young people really blossom and where they are perhaps overwhelmed. And then we adapt the program accordingly.“

For potential participants, this means: no expectations of identical processes. No promises that there will be the same highlights every year. Instead, there is room for development - on both sides. The young people develop. And we as organizers also learn with every Academy.

12 places, one week, one goal

The Academy takes place every year in the week in which all German federal states are on vacation at the same time - usually the first week of August. This means that every young person can take part, regardless of where they live in Germany.

There are twelve places per year. In the first year, it happened to be exactly balanced: six boys, six girls. It doesn't have to stay that way, and it probably won't. The division into two villas - one for boys, one for girls - works flexibly, depending on who registers.

What sets DARIA apart from others

There are many camps and academies for young people. What makes the Young Manager Academy different?

It is not a vacation treat. Not a week of wellness with a bit of coaching on top. Nor is it a tough boot camp where young people are drilled.

It is an offer to young people who are ready to surpass themselves. Who want to know what they are made of. Who want to learn what it means to take responsibility - for themselves and for others.

And it is part of a larger vision: DARIA as a community that focuses not only on returns, but also on values. On people who build something together. To a future in which the next generation not only consumes, but creates.

Who can take part?

The Young Manager Academy is aimed at young people between the ages of 14 and 18. But not every young person of this age automatically fits into the Academy. It's about a certain attitude.

You should participate if you

• Want to grow beyond yourself
• are ready to face challenges
• want to know what you are made of
• want to learn what responsibility really means
• Want to become part of a community that wants more than average
• Are open to new perspectives and experiences

The Academy is not for you if you:

• Just looking for a nice vacation week
• Are not prepared to make an effort
• have expectations that everything will always be easy and relaxed
• Only want to consume, but not create

The Young Manager Academy is not a reward. It is an opportunity. And like any real opportunity, it requires commitment.

How does the application process work?

Places are limited to twelve participants per year. This is a deliberate choice. This is the only way we can work intensively with the young people, hold individual discussions and ensure that everyone gets the attention they deserve.

The places for 2026 are already fully booked. The first Academy inspired so many families that interested parties got in touch early on.

There are still places available on the waiting list for 2027 - but it also fills up quickly. Anyone who is interested should get in touch as soon as possible.

Do you have any questions or would you like to register your child?

Write to j.hagemeister(at)daria-us.com

Jennifer Hagermeister is the coordinator of the Young Manager Academy and will be happy to answer any questions:

• How exactly does the application process work?
• What does participation cost?
• What are the requirements?
• What does the on-site support look like?
• What do the young people need to bring with them?

She takes time for a personal discussion - with parents and with the young people themselves. Because at the end of the day, it's about what the young people really want. Not the parents. Not because it looks good on their CV. But because they are ready to embark on this adventure.

The Young Manager Academy is more than just a vacation program. It is an investment in the future - in young people who are ready to take on responsibility. For themselves. For their community. For what comes after us.

It is part of the DARIA vision: to build a community that focuses not just on financial returns, but on values that endure. On people working together to create something bigger than themselves. And on a next generation that is ready to carry this vision forward.

Because what we start today should live on tomorrow - through those who are still 14, 16 or 18 years old.