Democratic school project in the Andes

WE’RE BUILDING THE FIRST DEMOCRATIC SCHOOL OF PERU, high up on 3000 m in the town of Huamachuco. But our initiative is more than just a school – it’s a social project creating fundamental changes for humanitarian development in education, health, environment and human rights.

THE LOCAL CONTEXT --- After significant political and social changes in Peru a new approach for education is necessary. How can fundamental thoughts of democracy and civil participation and responsibility in and for society be established? In our school, important aspects of human rights shall be lived and thus change the awareness for a responsible life in society. The Democratic School of Huamachuco is the first of its kind in Peru and will be a pilot for the country. It forms a new approach to education and supports and encourages the individual for his/her competence in life.

OUR APPROACH --- The aim of the project is to help build a long lasting school with a boarding section in the outskirts of Huamachuco. Many underprivileged children in the region can at the moment not visit a school. We would like to enable them to do so with our project in order to widen their own perspectives and to organize their own lives.

OUR PARTNER SCHOOL --- As a reference and strong partner our school cooperates with the "Kapriole" in Freiburg, Germany, a democratic school which has been operating for over 20 years now - of course under completely different living conditions. Students, parents and staff of the “Kapriole” as well as other volunteers support the local project partners in Peru in the conception, construction, equipment and in the organization of the daily school life.

LOCAL EMPOWERMENT --- The initiative works under the principle ‘help to take matters in their own hands’. Our partner school in Germany helps and supports us in matters where we ask them to but the overall project responsibility remains with us locally at any time. Thus sustainability is not just a buzzword for us – instead we live and experience it every day with its ups and downs.

OUR LEARNING ENVIRONMENT--- We are in the very fortunate situation of having our own piece of land. Therefore we have the freedom to construct the school according to our imagination, wishes and needs. We would like to create an environment for learning and living, a place in which students as well as staff feel at home, because they can find all the possibilities for their needs.

READ MORE IN OUR BLOG BELOW ABOUT THE CURRENT STATUS OF OUR PROJECT!