Project World School | Berlin to Budapest – Central Europe Adventure -26 Day Teen Learning Community
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Berlin to Budapest – Central Europe Adventure -26 Day Teen Learning Community

Will be RESCHEDULED – Dates TBD

This 26 day learning community takes place in Central Europe, launching in Berlin, exploring Poland and finishing the tour in Budapest. This trip was designed to explore plights throughout the ages which resulted in acts of extreme human resilience.    During this trip, we will explore the nature of human resilience as reflected through history, nature, culture, adversity and triumph.  This is Project World School’s first Central European backpacking trip, traveling via trains and coaches, and staying in local youth hostels. 

The 2020 Central Europe Retreat is a temporary learning-community, mainly focusing on Central Europe’s history as a means for immersive discovery into the idea of human resilience. Project World School is not a typical study abroad program as it takes advantage of the power of a learning-community to produce collaborative goals, knowledge acquisition, personal development and changes in global perspectives.

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  • 01 WHEN

    May 18th – June 12th, 2020

  • 02 WHERE

    Central Europe, starting in Berlin, traveling through Poland, ending in Budapest

  • 03 WHO

    8 or more participants (ages 15-25) self-directed learners, unschooolers, homeschoolers & worldschoolers

  • 04 COST

    $4350 USD - before January 1st, 2020
    $4650 USD - after January 1st, 2020

  • 05 STATUS

    Open & Accepting Applications

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

01 WHAT'S INCLUDED

Full accommodation for the duration of the learning community retreat
•  All airport transfers
•  All ground transportation
•  Breakfast, lunch, and dinners during the retreat
•  Entrance fees to all the included attractions
•  All workshops, talks, guided tours, and classes throughout the retreat.
•  Filtered drinking water to refill your water bottles (water bottle not included).
•  Fun!

02 WHAT'S NOT INCLUDED

•  International airfare
•  Laundry
•  Snacks
•  Souvenirs
•  Other personal items
•  Meals on travel days (arrival & departure)
•  International flights from your home country to each retreat location are not included

03 MEALS

Many of our meals will be prepared by our team in our hostel. Breakfasts will consist of fresh fruit, juice, eggs, fresh yogurts, cheeses and local breads. Lunches will be a combination of local dishes, salads, fish and other local Central European flavors such as Haloushki and Pierogi.  On the days we have full-day outings, we’ll prepare and pack lunches for our trip, including sandwiches, fruit, chips and juice. Dinners will be a combination of self-prepared meals in our lodging and dinners in local restaurants. We will make every effort to accommodate everyone’s diet restrictions including having vegetarian and gluten-free options. Please indicate any special needs on your application.

04 ACCOMMODATIONS

During the Berlin to Budapest – Central Europe Adventure -26 Day Teen Learning Community, we will stay in several locations including hostels in Berlin, Warsaw, Krakow and Budapest. Generally, we always occupy dorm rooms that consist of bunk beds, so between 4-8 of our teen participants will be sharing a room at any given time.

05 PACKING LIST

Packing List

What to Bring?

You’ll be gone for a month, and for those of you who haven’t traveled for long periods of time, we’ve prepared this list in case you might need some assistance with deciding what you should pack. So here it is, our packing list ‘suggestions‘!  Our recommendation to you is not to over do it. You’ll have to haul everything you pack around initially, and there are weight restrictions through all airlines. Also, keep in mind you will be living in shared space. There will be laundry available, and you will be able to purchase replacement shampoos, lotions, etc. during the trip, so no need to haul around ‘family size’ bottles of anything.

NOTE: Remember the list below is a suggested list! Feel free to modify, based on your own needs. 

Packing List:

Clothing

1 Long Sleeve Shirt
1 Long pants (I would recommend wearing this on the plane)
4 T-shirts (one should be a formal shirt)
2 bathing suits
3 shorts
1 raincoat
1 sunhat with a brim
Sneakers

personal items / toiletries

tooth paste & toothbrush
soap
shampoo & conditioner
sunscreen
lotion
insect repellant
travel towel

electronics

headlamp
small flashlight
camera
laptop computer
mp3 player/iPod
Japanese outlet  converter

miscellaneous

passport
copy of passport
water bottle
day pack
anything you will need to lead a session
sunglasses
tiny first aid kit
duct tape
laundry bag
small padlock
ATM card
small journal or notepad and pens
musical instrument
costume, wigs, funky hats, etc. (if you are into that sort of thing)
sketch book

06 ARRIVALS AND DEPARTURES

All participants must fly in to the Berlin Brandenburg International Airport (BER) and out of the Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport (BUD). Departing flights must be after 1pm.

SCHEDULE

 

 

 

*Schedule for Central Europe 

Day 1  – Berlin – Day of Arrivals 
Day 2 –  Berlin -Team building exercises, Berlin night ghost walk
Day 3 –  Berlin -Sightseeing in Berlin, Berlin Wall, etc. Travel by night coach to  Gdansk
Day 4 –  Gdansk – Solidarity Tour:  Exploring where WWII began and the collapse of communism in Poland 
Day 5 –  Gdansk – Dumplings day,  WWII evening historical walk
Day 6 – Gdansk – Day trip to Hel, visit seal sanctuary & museum of coastal defense
Day 7 – Gdansk – Walk through old town and Zaspa art suburb, visit Westerplatte 
Day 8  – Gdansk / Toruń – morning travel Gdansk to Toruń +  rest day – sessions
Day 9 –  Toruń – Copernicus museum & gingerbread workshop
Day 10 – Toruń – Tour, exploring the history surrounding the Teutonic knights  + more!
Day 11 – Toruń / Warsaw – Morning travel from Toruń to Warsaw +  rest day – sessions
Day 12 – Warsaw – Day tour of historic district, Chopin Museum, Madame Curie, Copernicus
Day 13 – Warsaw –  Exploring the Warsaw Uprising + Jewish Ghetto, 
Day 14 – Warsaw – Open choice: Shopping, visit Wilanow Castle, National Museum of Warsaw or Pawiak Prison Museum
Day 15 – Warsaw / Radom – Morning travel to Radom, day at the Skansen museum- Exploration into early century living – night in Radom
Day 16–  Radom / Kielce – Morning travel to Kielce, caramel workshop and explore old town
Day 17 – Kielce – Day trip to Krzemionki Opatoskowie- neolithic site and talisman stone
Day 18 – Kielce – Explore old town, visit institute for culture and dialogue, toy museum
Day 19 – Kielce / Krakow Morning travel to Krakow – evening macabre city tour
Day 20 – Krakow  – City exploration including visit to Wawel Royal Castle and visit to Kasimierz
Day 21 – Krakow – Wieliczka Salt Mine visit + Oscar Schindler’s Factory
Day 22 – Krakow – Visit to Auschwitz Extermination Camp
Day 23 – Krakow – Day of rest & reflection,  night coach to Budapest
Day 24 – Budapest –  Flipper (pinball) museum,
Day 25 – Budapest – City historic tour
Day 26 – Budapest – Fly Home from Budapest
Day 27 – Teens Fly Home from Berlin (optional)

*Schedule is subject to shift

SPECIAL NOTES ABOUT THIS RETREAT

NOTE: This retreat will explore some mature themes covering the atrocities of human conflict, war and genocide. We will require a certain level of emotional awareness and maturity from all of our participants for this trip. We will be unpacking many of these topics through nightly discussions, therefore we ask that each participant has the ability and willingness to express themselves in order to process our experiences.

We also ask that each participant is willing to participate in the many walking tours we have planned and be comfortable with a fast paced itinerary. Please assess if this trip is for you before applying. We’ll discuss details during our interview process, but if you have questions in the meantime, please send us a message here.

FACILITATORS & PARTNERS FOR THIS RETREAT

LAINIE LIBERTI

TRIP CO-FACILITATOR
Lainie Liberti, is a Project World School co-founder and facilitator who has organized and run over 15 international retreats since 2013. She is passionate about learning, archaeology, community and empowering young learners. To read more about her, click here.

MIRO SIEGEL

TRIP CO-FACILITATOR
Miro Siegel is a 20 year old Project World School co-founder and facilitator, who specializes in writing, mythology, history and cultural studies. Miro acts as both a mentor, and a friend to all. To read more about him, click here.