The Institute of Civic Studies and Learning for Democracy offers educational programs that bring together international groups of practitioners, graduate students, and scholars from diverse professions and fields of study. In these intensive retreats, participants stay in the same hotel and participate in workshops, planning sessions, and social events all day and evening throughout the retreat. 

This program deals with issues related to the development of civic society, the role of the individual/citizen in society, the role of education in promoting democracy, the role of institutions in the development of a civic society, and similar questions. These topics are examined in international and comparative perspectives.

The ICSLD engages participants in challenging discussions such as:

• What kinds of citizens do democracies need?

• What do citizens need to know and be able to do in order to participate effectively in democratic society?

• What practices and institutional structures promote effective adult civic learning?

• What ought to be the relationships among empirical evidence, ethics, and strategy?

• How can we learn from influential theorists and practitioners at important turning points in history?

We offer this program in three formats.

1. As an open-application, 10-day residential retreat at our headquarters in Augsburg, Germany. For these, a Call for Applications is distributed and from those, 20-22 participants are selected. We actively seek a geographically diverse pool and normally have at least 8 countries represented. These events normally include: scholars, civic activists, graduate students, politicians, and others who are interested in promoting civic participation in their various spheres of influence. In addition to learning and discussion wide-ranging theories and concepts related to civic life, participants discuss, plan, and create plans to enact collaborative projects.

2. As an invited event at hosting institutions worldwide. For these events, we customize our normal 10-day residential retreat to fits the needs of the hosting institution. Typically, these institutions are universities or civically-oriented organizations. We help plan the event, co-design the curriculum, and provide and/or train the facilitators.

3. As a study abroad program for either undergraduate or graduate students. We converted our traditional retreat into a turnkey, 10-day study abroad program in Augsburg, Germany, on the topic: “Learning for Democracy and Social Change.”  We coordinate local logistics (e.g., transportation, excursions, hotel reservations) and provide documentation required by the institution’s study abroad office (e.g., safety assessments, emergency plans). Excursions include the Dachau concentration camp, the Nazi Rally Grounds and Propaganda Museum, and the Nuremberg War Trials Museum. We work with the institution’s instructor to customize the curriculum to meet their requirements and then co-teach the course with them.

If you are interested in attending an open event, hosting an event at your institution, or collaborating on a study abroad program, please contact us.