Classroom Alive

Classroom alive is about trying out a new format of education. With nature as our classroom and a daily rhythm of studying and walking we aim to bring aliveness and movement into our thinking. We all decide what to study ourselves and will create our own ways of studying, in this way reconnecting strongly to the natural joy of learning.

Most days we hope to study for about 4 hours. Of course this can be done in a variety of ways. Alongside individual studies we imagine things as peer-instruction sessions, having workshops for each other and especially study check-ins (mentor groups you could say): at least once a week we will create a space where we can share what we are learning, ask each other questions about our studies and help each other overcome obstacles we might face.

All of this of course brings along the need for some preparation. Although what you will study is totally up to you; we do encourage everyone to design a curriculum or study plan for their subject(s). We feel that by doing so we take an important step committing to realize our intentions. We'll also have to answer questions such as: ‘’what study material to bring on a two month walking journey through nature?’’ For that we find that bringing an e-reader along is excellent, it has long battery life (ca. 3 weeks) and you can load it up with all your favorite books, texts and instructions. Of course we're also curious to be surprised by your own creative solutions!

Going along with the fast pace of modern society, we often find ourselves caught up in the rush of every day life and exposed to a constant overflow of information.

With Classroom Alive we want to slow down, only moving by our own strength.
Walking with its rhythmic and reflective qualities helps us to clear our minds and in doing so brings us closer to the beauty of the landscape around us.

Walking in a rhythm of four hours a day we will be activating our bodies and bringing movement into our thoughts. This also offers us the opportunity for conversation and exchange with a more natural flow. Natural, in the sense of being surrounded by nature, but also regarding building up ideas, cross pollinating with others, and slowly weaving together the different threads, as we will find ourselves with varying walking partners. This, combined with space for one’s own thinking, facilitates a more in depth and holistic study process.

This journey aims to foster the ability to live in healthy relationships with ourselves, others and nature as a whole.
Therefore we see Classroom Alive as a laboratory to explore what it means to create a healthy and sustainable culture together.

To do this we will work with community building-, decision making- and communication tools. With mentor groups for our studies and community check-ins to hold our group process we’ll create an intentional way of living together, supporting each other from the understanding that we’re all each other’s teachers.

In this process, each person will be encouraged to step up for what they want to see and take initiative to create it. In this way empowering ourselves towards becoming more active co-creators of our world.
Classroom Alive is a co-created journey. To facilitate a smooth experience of the daily routine we will divide tasks among ourselves such as: camp building, cooking, route- and budget planning. In this way everyone will gain experience of carrying responsibility in a group.

With Classroom Alive we want to invite a conversation about a healthy relationship to nature. To bring awareness to our inherent interdependence with her. Rather than having an experience of living next to nature, common to modern life, we want to experience living as a part of her…

Being out hiking and camping with whatever weather, we'll come closer to the elements of nature and experience her moods as our own rhythm. On our journey we will be walking, studying, cooking and sleeping outdoors. The only thing we will have above our heads at night will be the thin layer of fabric of our tents and the starry sky.

We will also be dependent on what the places we are at provide us with. Sometimes that will mean having the luxury of a drinkable river we can wash ourselves in, but other times… we'll just be smelly.

This Journey invites us to deeply and truly meet ourselves, to hear our own inner calling – which might be the first step towards answering this call.

For two whole months we will be in a space of intensive confrontation with ourselves; by living and walking in nature, by our study processes and by being mirrored by our community.

This journey will teach us a lot about who we are and what we individually bring to this world. Besides that it allows for ongoing reflection on our way of being in the world and gaining more clarity about our personality.

Through committing ourselves to this time of walking for several hours through nature each day, we will also reconnect to ourselves and give space to get aware of what is going on deeply within ourselves. Furthermore it invites us to become conscious of how we live our life and we can ask ourselves how we want to live and who we want to become.

Subsequently we will strengthen the relationship with ourselves, which will support us to live a more self-determined life and therefore a life of more freedom.

The starting point of our journey will be the town of Villach, situated in the Alpes in the south of Austria. From there we will walk in southern direction into Slovenia. Shortly thereafter we will enter the beautiful Triglav National Park from where we will continue our way to Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia. Making our way to Hungary through Slovenia, we'll have the option to follow the European long distance walking path, the E7.

The google maps image above gives a general picture of our route. As we enter new areas we will buy more detailed maps. These we'll use to decide together on the specific routes we'll follow for the days to come.

We will plan the route as such that every three or four days we'll come by a town or village where we can shop for food. The food will then be divided over all our backpacks so everybody will carry some extra kilos every few days.