The relevance of the study stems from the tension between society’s demand for specialists in secondary vocational education and the narrowing higher educational prospects for gifted middle school students (grades 5–8). Its objective is to describe a model engaging younger adolescents in the university context through an educational project for school teams, aimed at developing agency-based positions aligned with classical university values. Hypothesis: tasks of the Twelve Collegia marathon promote agency by projecting school changes and by creating a proto-university community, supporting conscious perception of the university as a path for the realization of a personally signifi cant trajectory. Participants: 50 teams (N = 350), consisting of students in grades 5-8, their parents, university students and teachers, mentors; N schools = 30 from diff erent regions (St. Petersburg, Leningrad Region, Republic of Karelia, Kaliningrad Region, Lipetsk Region, Krasnodar Krai and Transnistria). Methods (tools): case study, and quantitative and qualitative data analysis. Results confi rmed the marathon's potential to popularize university education and develop community and interaction skills. The hypothesis was partially supported: tasks enhanced group agency (self-determination, reflection, formation of educational identity) more than transformative agency. Conclusions: assignments serve as foundations of agency by cultivating subjective positions. The model is effective for fostering proto-university identity, evidenced by a shift from passive perception to intentional university choice. Practical significance: the developed model offers a replicable technology to advance agency practices and counter educational passivity among classical university applicants.