News and Events/Events
The next EUDEC conference will take place from 28 July to 5 August 2012 in Freiburg, Germany, hosted by the Kapriole School.
EUDEC 2012, Freiburg, Germany
Registration
To go directly to the registration form for the conference, click here.
Please make sure though to read the info on this page once beforehand.
Contact
Programme
Programme
| |
| Saturday 28.7. | Arrivals |
| Sunday 29.7. | Open Space |
| Monday 30.7. | Open Space |
| Tuesday 31.7. | Open Space, AGM |
| Wednesday 1.8. | Open Space, AGM |
| Thursday 2.8. | Open Space |
| Friday 3.8. | Public Session |
| Saturday 4.8. | Public Session |
| Sunday 5.8. | Wrap-up and good-bye |
After Arrivals on Saturday, July 28th, the conference will start with five days (29.7.-2.8.) focussing on the exchange between people already - or intending to become - actively involved in democratic education. This part is not only for EUDEC members. Others are very invited to participate as well. It's just that, during those days, the focus will not be on explaining democratic education but on collaboration in EUDEC projects. Those days will be organised in the "open space
" method: all participants are invited to spontaneously initiate workshops, present their new ideas and/or questions etc. - the EUDEC conferences of the past years have shown how well this works, and we are looking forward to having five days available to work together like this.
Some workshops are also being planned/prepared in advance. Our goal is to collaboratively make substantial progress on concrete projects of the European Democratic Education Community.
A select few planned workshops during "open space":
- School-startup-group support-kit - Collect in-depth support material for school-startup-groups.
- First-aid-kit for democratic schools in legal trouble - How to react strongly, swiftly and effectively as a network of schools whenever one of EUDECs member schools is in legal trouble struggling for its right to exist.
- Meaningful methods of evaluating democratic schools - Quality-control according to our own high criteria? Exchange of existing good practice, development of further ideas.
- DERK - the Democratic Education Research Kickstarter.
- upgrading the EUDEC Exchange-Programme
- the EUDEC-Diploma - What it is, how to make it more well-known, coordinate translations, collect feedback.
- Public relations workshop - flyers, website, talks, etc.
During these days we will also use a relaxed few hours for the "Annual General Meeting" (AGM) of the European Democratic Education Community.
On Friday/Saturday (3./4.8.) we will have two days of "Public Session", focussing on presenting democratic education to the interested public and explaining our good practice. Many interesting keynote speakers have already been invited. A detailed programme for those two days of "public session" will be published soon. There will be times of "open space" at the public session as well.
If you feel you would like contribute to the public session with an interesting talk or workshop, please don't hesitate to contact us via
Sunday August 5th will be our day of farewell. After a good breakfast and a last plenary session in the morning we will say good-bye to each other. Every guest is asked to leave the venue at lunchtime (or stay only to help cleaning up).
Of course all these days will be loosened up with a few cultural gems, theater, music, party etc. - more details will be published here.
The venue
There will be two main venues of the conference:
- The Kapriole will be the place where all meals will be served and where we will spend most evenings together. The park around the school will serve us for games and walks.
- In the nearby public school called "Emil-Thoma-Schule" most of the workshops during the day will take place.
Both places are only about 700 meters away from each other - a good distance to digest food and/or new ideas. We will have a pool of "conference-bicycles" and your conference pass will include a full-week ticket for public transport so that getting around will be easy for you.
Here is a map of the venues (green houses with small flags) and other interesting places:
EUDEC 2012 Conference in Freiburg auf einer größeren Karte anzeigen
Accommodation
Unfortunately this is a tiny bit more complex. There isn't just one place you can choose to sleep at. For that reason, accommodation is not included in the general conference fee. We offer a few possibilities for low prices (as long as available, first come, first served) as well as information about nearby places of (commercial) accommodation, camp-sites, hostels, bed&breakfasts.
The available options are:
a) Sleep in a big dorm/gym
Unfortunately it is not allowed (in Baden-Württemberg) to sleep in the class rooms of any rented public school. Only the gym is available. If you don't mind sharing a sleeping place with many others of your conference friends, you can order a sleeping place there for only 25€ for the whole week (on top of the conference fee; as long as available; first come first served). You will be directly at the conference venue though. You must bring your own sleeping bag and insulation mattress.
b) Organized private homestay
Sleep at one of the Kapriole's families. We have about 110 families at the Kapriole and many of them have offered to have some conference attendees as guests in their home. One benefit: You will learn to know "insiders" of the Kapriole very closely and likely make new friends in Freiburg. The minor downside: You will have to travel a bit each day. But Freiburg is quite small and you will have your free ticket for public transport included with your conference pass so getting to/from the conference venues should be easy enough. We charge 25€ for the whole week for this option. (on top of conference fee; as long as available; first come first served) Attention: there are only a few places for "organized private homestay" left. From now on we can't guarante a place without re-check and confirmation from us. The left free places will be assigned "first booked, first served".
c) Organizing accommodation on your own
We have reserved places at a select few places that are relatively close to the conference venue. You'll have to book (and pay) those on your own and separately. If you book there, please make sure you mention the catchword "Kapriole EUDEC Conference".
It will be main season at the time of the conference, so if you want to go for this option, book as early as possible!
Here is the list of the places we have arranged reservations at:
- www.camping-freiburg.com - camping at the closeby "Möslepark"; places to pitch up your tent, rent a tent, rent a caravan, rent a mongolian jurt, rooms.
- www.fremdenzimmer-freiburg.de - rooms, neighboured to the "Camping am Möslepark" (website in german only; single room 25€, double room 35€)
- www.freiburg-camping.de - small campsite on the other side of the river "Dreisam", approx. 15 minutes walk from the conference venue; places to pitch up your tent, rent a caravan (might be a good option for a small group)
- www.blackforest-hostel.de - single and double rooms and dorms; approx. 20 minutes walk from the conference venues, very close to the city centre
- ... we'll add more info here in the coming days.
To look for further possibilities of accommodation, use this dedicated tourism accommodation webpage (accommodations searchable for example by city district: the conference venue is situated in the district called "Littenweiler").
Prices
The prices quoted here include:
- access to and usage of the conference venues,
- access to all conference talks, workshops and other activities as well as the cultural programme
- three meals per day (starting with dinner on Saturday 28.7. and ending with breakfast on Sunday 5.8.),
- a ticket for public transport for the whole conference week (allowing you also to take local trains into the Black Forest for example).
Please note that these prices do not include accommodation!
Conference fee - "middle fee" - booked until 30 June!
These are the conference fees:
- regular fee: 320 Euro
- reduced fee: 230 Euro (for students, unemployed, people with very low income - please choose this option only if you really can't afford the regular fee)
Attention: after 30 June the fees will be increased for the "last-minute-phase".
Reductions
- We give reductions to students, unemployed and people with a very low income.
- Children up to 6 years of age attend the conference completely free of charge.
- Children aged between 6-10 years pay only 80€ (to cover the food costs).
Sponsorship
If you feel you'd be able and willing to pay more than the regulare fee, a "sponsorship fee" (to enable us to further reduce prices for a few participants in need), please tell us in the comment section of your registration.
Refunds and Cancellations
- Any requests for changes or cancellations must be submitted in writing to
- Registrations can be transferred to another member of your school or organisation at no penalty cost, however notice must be provided in writing to at no later than 12th July 2012.
- If a cancellation is received prior to 26th July 2012 a refund equal to 25% of the total amount paid will be offered.
- If cancellation is received on or after 26th July 2012, no refund will be offered.
Click here to fill out your registration form now.
How to get to Freiburg.
We recommend busses and trains as the most eco-friendly means of public transport. All busses and trains from abroad stop at the main trainstation in Freiburg (see map above).
If you have to take a plane, the closest airport is the one in Basel/Mulhouse (right on the swiss/french/german border). From there an hourly shuttle bus takes you to Freiburg's main trainstation within 45 minutes. The next closest airports (approx. 1 hour away) would probably be in Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden and Strasbourg in France. Further options for airports might be in Stuttgart or Frankfurt but those last two are about 2 hours train journey away from Freiburg.