FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

If your question is not answered below, you can contact us
Another great opportunity to ask questions is attending our next online information evening.

 

General

When is the camp taking place?

The camp will take place from Sunday, July 20 to Saturday, August 2 2025. The first and the last day are travel days. This means that arrivals will take place throughout July 20 and departure will be after breakfast on August 2. Participants are expected to be available for the whole duration of the camp.

Where is the camp located?

The camp will be based at the campus of the UWC Robert Bosch College in the city of Freiburg, Germany.

The campus offers excellent infrastructure for the summer camp. Workshops and community events will be held in the large auditorium and the school’s classrooms. While the monastery garden, the surrounding forest  and nearby river offer many opportunities for relaxation and free-time activities.

The city of Freiburg is viewed as one of the greenest cities in Germany. It offers plenty opportunities for learning about real-life sustainable city development through various fieldtrips – from wind turbines, to housing cooperatives and whole car-free city quarters!

Who is organising this summer course?

The Sustainable Cities Summer Course is a cooperation between the Dieter Schwarz Foundation and United World College Robert Bosch College (UWC RBC). 

“Promote education, share knowledge, venture future” is the guiding principle of the Dieter Schwarz Foundation, which supports with its commitment today what makes tomorrow’s society strong: a wide range of educational opportunities targeting people at different stages of their lives. Education lays the foundations not only for living an autonomous life but also for the prosperity of society.

UWC RBC is an international boarding school with 200 students from more than 100 countries, located in Freiburg, Germany. It is part of the United World College educational movement.

APPLYING

Who can apply?

Anyone who by July, 20 2025 is between 16 and 18 years old can apply. Applicants should feel comfortable to have conversations in English – and be curious about sustainable cities! The camp is not limited to applicants currently residing in Europe but for sustainability reasons we do not want to encourage flying internationally – see below for more details on this.

For more details on applying, see here.

What if I still have school during the camp?

We know that for some people – such as students in Baden-Württemberg – the summer holidays have not started when the camp is taking place. If that is the case for you, we are happy to help you in getting an exemption from school. After all, the camp offers a great educational experience that make missing a few days of school worth it!

Can applicants from outside Europe apply?

While we aim for a high degree of diversity among our camp participants, we are also concerned about the environmental impact of the camp. This puts us into a difficult position when it comes to applicants taking long-distance flights just to attend our camp. We have decided that we will not limit the summer camp to applicants from Europe but that

  • we will only pay for (sustainable) travel inside Europe
  • we will make the environmental impact of travelling one of the criteria we consider in our selection – so among otherwise comparable candidates, we will select those who do not need to fly long distance to attend our course

 We understand that this may seem unfair to those of you outside Europe, but we believe that in face of the climate emergency we need to very carefully weigh the costs and benefits of our actions.

Will I need to pay anything during the two weeks?
If you are admitted to the summer course then all costs (accommodation, meals and transport) are covered. This project is supported and financed by the Dieter Schwarz Foundation. The only thing you will need to pay for yourself are (optional) personal expenses, e.g. going for an ice cream in the city.

Will I need to pay for my travel to and from Freiburg?

For participants travelling within Germany, transport costs to and from Freiburg will be fully covered.
For participants travelling from elsewhere in Europe, we aspire to also cover all travel expenses but we will need to assess this on a case-by-case basis. Our aim is that nobody will be excluded because they cannot afford travel!

Living

Where will we stay?

The course will be based at the United World College Robert Bosch College (UWC RBC) campus in Freiburg, Germany. Course participants will be accommodated in student houses of the UWC international boarding school.

Will I share a room?

Generally, course participants will live in shared rooms (2-3 participants in a room that normally accommodates four students). However, in exceptional circumstances, we may be able to provide single rooms – please contact us to discuss this.

What food will be provided?

We are currently planning to provide mainly vegetarian food. If required, we will ensure that there are vegan options. If you have additional dietary requirements then please feel free to contact us.