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

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.

One camp - Two Cities

21/07/2024 – 29/07/2024 **) The first half of our Sustainable Cities Summer Camp will take place in Freiburg at UWC Robert Bosch College.

29/07/2023 – 03/08/2024 The second half of the camp will take place in Heilbronn at the Experimenta.

**) Note: the exact date when we move from Freiburg to Heilbronn is still subject to change as part of our planning process

Experience gives rise to knowledge. That is the philosophy of Experimenta, Germany´s largest science center. With its affirmation of “lifelong learning” Experimenta is committed to this intergenerational approach, inspiring its invitation to visitors of all ages.

The Discovery Worlds, more than 270 interactive stations in the exhibition, are spread out on four levels and have something for everyone. The stations not only encourage critical thinking, the unraveling of mysteries, and experimentation, but also occasionally require use of the body. Entirely in keeping with the motto “Experience facilitates knowledge”.

In the Experience worlds, visitors explore unknown worlds without visual limits. Access to the Science Dome, Experimental Theater, Observatory, Experimenta Labs, Experiment Kitchen and Maker Space further offer numerous opportunities to explore different interests and passions.

The theme of the Maker Space is “From theory to practice”. This open platform is free-of-charge and is a venue  for teens and young adults ages 14 to 25 and older guests as well to develop and create, program and discuss. Movers and doers can pursue their own projects here. The facilities include a wood workshop, several 3D printers, a sewing and photo studio with green screen.

APPLYING

Who can apply?

Anyone who by 21th of July 2024 is between 16 and 18 years old can apply. Applicants should feel comfortable to have conversations in English language – 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.

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.

Why are there different deadlines for German and international applicants?
We want everyone to have enough time for their application, but for international applicants we often need more time to arrange travel and, in some cases, travel details.
German students can already apply for the earlier deadline if they want, you do not need to wait for the later deadline.
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.
For transport to and from Freiburg, see below.

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 partially take place on the United World College Robert Bosch College (UWC RBC) campus in Freiburg, Germany and partially in Heilbronn. Course participants will be accommodated in student houses of the UWC international boarding school and a youth hostel.

Will I share a room?

Generally, course participants will live in shared rooms (two participants in a room that normally accommodates four students on UWC RBC Campus and four people in a room at the youth hostel in Heilbronn). 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 vegetarian food and, if required, ensure that there are vegan options.
If you have additional dietary requirements then please feel free to contact us.
In addition to the food provided for the course, there are also various fast-food places (Wok, döner kebab, pizza etc) at a nearby shopping centre where you can buy your own food (e.g. if you cannot live for two weeks without meat!).