With great joy we invite you to the IDEC@EUDEC conference in Belgium!
Wat is democratic Education?
A democratic school is a learning environment, based on the following 2 pillars:
- Children and young people have the right to make their own choices regarding learning and all other areas of daily life. In particular, they can individually decide what to do, when, where, how and with whom, as long as their decisions do not infringe on the freedom of others to do the same.
- Children and young people have an equal share in decision-making about how their organizations – in particular their schools – are managed and what agreements are needed.
IDEC?
IDEC stands for International Democratic Education Conference. Since 1993 there is every year an IDEC conference, where people from over the whole world come together to meet about Democratic Education.
EUDEC?
EUDEC stands for European Democratic Education Community. It is a non-profit organization that promotes democratic education as a sensible educational model for all democratic states. Its members are individuals, schools and institutions throughout Europe with decades of experience in democratic education.
Since 2008 there is every year a EUDEC conference, where people who are active in the field of democratic education, or are interested to get to know more about it, meet, discuss ideas, work on projects, play and have fun together.
IDEC@EUDEC 2025 Belgium proudly supports
IDEC 2023 Resolution on Compulsory Education
This Resolution led to the foundation of the first Rights-Centric Education network. A network with the goal of children’s rights being fully realised in education.
What is in it for teachers,
educators, researchers and
change makers?
- Get to know a whole new approach towards education.
- Meet teachers, facilitators, children and parents from all over the world that are already part of a democratic learning community.
- Hear the latest research about learning.
- Learn about collective decision making, conflict resolution, non violent communication, neurodiversity, and…
- Exchange ideas and experiences with other teachers, mentors, facilitators and students.
What is in it for parents?
Parents who are unsatisfied with the current educational system and that are looking for other options (democratic schools, homeschooling, unschooling), can get at the conference information, empowering insights and the opportunity to share experiences and connect with like-minded parents.
What is in it for children/youth?
A lot of space for free play: forest, fields, a playground and a craft room.
Children and youngsters are welcome at all of the activities of the program. Part of the program will be aimed especially at young people.
Program: Open Space
An important part of the program consists of open space. Open space gives all participants, adults and children alike, the opportunity to give a lecture, lead a workshop, host a circle or organize an activity, about anything they feel worth sharing. This always leads to a very rich variety of learning opportunities.
Food
The food options are: vegetarian, vegan, with or without gluten. People with special requirements can bring their own food and use a kitchen to prepare their meals.
Volunteers
We need volunteers for all kinds of tasks: help with the organization of the conference (from now on!), help to build up some days before the conference, help during the conference and for break down and clean up.
The venue
The conference takes place at De Kluis, a youth residence in a beautiful forest near the old university town of Leuven.
Address: Kluis 1, 3051 Sint-Joris-Weert, Belgium
How to get to IDEC @ EUDEC 2025?
With public transport:
The nearest airport is Brussels Airport. From the airport you can take a train to Leuven (Louvain) (about 13 minutes). From Leuven you take another train to Sint-Joris-Weert (another 13 minutes). From there it is a 1,6 km walk. Coming out of the station you turn right, at the railway crossing you turn right again and at the next street (Molenstraat) you turn right again. Follow this until you reach Polderstraat on your left. Turn into this street and walk until the end.
By car:
With GPS: enter ‘Polderstraat’. De Kluis is at the end of this street.
From Leuven: On the ring road around Leuven, follow Naamsepoort towards Namur. On the Naamsesteenweg, turn right before the railway crossing and take the next street on the left. Continue to follow this road until you reach the center of Sint-Joris-Weert. After the church, turn left into Molenstraat. Then take the first street on the left (Polderstraat) and keep following until you reach the Kluis parking lot.
From E40 Brussels-Liège: Take exit 23 (Haasrode – Waver – Oud-Heverlee) and follow the direction of Waver. At the first traffic lights, turn right and immediately turn left (direction Zoet Water/Oud-Heverlee). Follow this road until you reach the Zoet Water. At the first intersection after the ponds, turn left towards Sint-Joris-Weert. After the church, turn left into Molenstraat. Then take the first street on the left (Polderstraat) and keep following until you reach the Kluis parking lot.