9. team
StuDEC
Welcome to the official website of StuDEC 2026 in Poland. StuDEC is an international gathering of students from democratic schools.
Come join us if you want to:
- Meet great people
- Learn from each other
- Gain interesting experiences
- Learn English
- Participate in creating the history of democratic schools
Prices:
EARLY BIRD
until 31.12.2025
830 zł
REGULAR
starting on 1.01.2026
950 zł
Diets
+140 zł
💜 We want StuDEC to be accessible to everyone.
If the cost is a barrier, please contact us before 31 December 2025 at [email protected]. We’ll let you know by the end of January if we can support your participation.
Practical info
✅Dates: 9-13 of March 2026
✅Location: Ośrodek Wypoczynkowy MIKOMANIA
✅Surroundings: We will be surrounded by the stunning nature of Bory Tucholskie, one of Poland’s largest forest areas. Tall pines, clear air and the nearby Charzykowskie Lake create a peaceful setting perfect for walks and relaxing time in nature.
✅ Accommodation
We will stay in large hotel pavilions, in 2-, 3-, and 4-person rooms with private bathrooms. Bed sheets, towels, and electric kettles are provided in each room.
Please indicate your accommodation preferences on the registration form.
✅ Facilities
The venue has football, volleyball, basketball, badminton and tennis courts, trampolines, a playground, and a bonfire circle. There is some Nordic walking equipment. Indoors, we can play billiards, table tennis, and “table football”. There are several spaces for meetings and activities. Fishing is permitted in the lake, but you must bring your own equipment.
There is WiFi at the venue — although it may not be very strong, as we will be in the middle of a big forest!
✅ Meals
Vegetarian meals are served three times a day in a buffet style. Additional dietary options are also available — including meat, vegan, lactose-free, gluten-free, and other special diets (on request). Just let us know your needs in the registration form.
Please note that special diets require an additional fee of 140 zł / 35 euro (for the entire event, paid together with the conference fee).
✅ Weather
In Poland in March, the weather is still quite cool and changeable (W marcu jak w garncu – “March is like a pot of mixed ingredients”) — it’s the transition from winter to spring. Average daytime temperature: 3–10°C, Average nighttime temperature: -2 to 2°C Typical weather: cloudy days, some rain or light snow, occasional sunshine. It’s good to bring warm clothes, waterproof shoes, and layers — it can feel cold, especially in the mornings and evenings.
BRING SOME SNOW 😉
✅ Transportation
Once your registration is complete, when it is closer to the date – we’ll send everyone information about the transportation options by email.
Nearest train station: Chojnice
Nearest aiports: Gdańsk, Poznań, Bydgoszcz, Warsaw.
✅ Arrival & departure
The event starts on Monday, March 9, with the Opening Meeting in the afternoon (around 18:00). It ends on Friday morning, March 13, with the Closing Meeting (until 11:30).
✅ Programme:
The Open Space format works around a shared board divided into days, time slots and places. Each day anyone can add an activity they’d like to offer in one of the spaces available at the venue. The board shows the days across the top, the times along the side, and the different locations we can use. You simply place your activity in the time and place you choose. People who are interested can then go to that spot. Everyone picks the sessions that interest them, decides whether they want to lead something or join one, and there’s no obligation to attend anything you don’t feel like participating in. Simple as that
>>> Do tej sekcji pasuje zdjęcie “Open Space.jpg”
✅ Languages
English is the main language at StuDEC — but don’t let that scare you! You’re welcome even if you’re not confident in English. Our community is friendly and supportive, and we help each other communicate. Most of us are not native English speakers, so your openness and willingness to communicate are more than enough.
Registration
Who can register
StuDEC welcomes participants from democratic schools aged 13 and above, including high school students and recent graduates. Students — please make sure that at least one staff member from your school joins you. If you are an adult graduate of a democratic school, you are welcome to come on your own.
Registration form
We prefer to receive registration forms submitted by groups of participants from the same school — it makes our work easier. If you register your group and later more people from your school decide to join, that’s perfectly fine! Fill out the new registration form – just make sure to indicate the same school name and accompanying staff member on the new form.
Payment
We need the payment within 7 days of your registration. We will send the payment instructions to the email address you provided.
FAQ
StuDEC is an international gathering of students from democratic schools across different countries. It’s a space where participants can share perspectives, spend meaningful time together, and co-create the event through an Open Space format. StuDEC encourages connection, cultural exchange, and openness to diverse viewpoints. Every participant can contribute — by offering workshops, proposing activities, or starting discussions. The event is shaped collectively by the community itself.
Students’ Democratic Education Conference
The core idea of StuDEC is to create a space where students from democratic schools can have fun together, connect, and build meaningful relationships — while also exchanging perspectives and learning from each other. StuDEC is about community, shared experiences, and the joy of meeting people who understand democratic education. It combines the spirit of fun with collaboration, equality, and student agency — values at the heart of democratic education.
StuDEC welcomes participants aged 13 and above, including high school students and recent graduates.
The idea of StuDEC was born in 2022 at the Summerhill Festival in the UK. There, a group of people noticed that young people’s participation in both European and international democratic education spaces was very low. Even though young people are the protagonists of democratic education, the potential these spaces hold for them was being left unexplored — or even forgotten.
— Paula, co-founder of the first StuDEC and alumna of the Free School Leipzig (Germany)
In 2024, a group of students, alumni, and a teacher from the Free School Leipzig in Germany came together to organize a student-focused gathering for young people in democratic education. The goal was simple: to have fun, connect, and feel part of a wider community. In many countries, democratic education is not the norm, and students often feel judged or distant from peers in traditional schools. But democratic education exists all over the world, so using networks like EUDEC or IDEC is a great way to share experiences and celebrate being together.
— Paula, co-founder of the first StuDEC and alumna of the Free School Leipzig (Germany)
StuDEC 2024 turned out to be a wonderful event, bringing together around 120 participants from various European countries. The Freie Schule Leipzig was the perfect place to host it. There was baking, dancing, debating, and drawing — and nothing topped the talent show on the final day.
— Paula, co-founder of the first StuDEC and alumna of the Free School Leipzig (Germany)
In 2025, a group of students and teachers from the Democratic School Sofia decided to bring StuDEC back to life. This time, around 90 participants gathered in the snowy and magical Vitosha Mountains. Alongside hiking and skiing, the event was filled with board games, dancing, sword-making, and even sword battles!
— Paula, co-founder of the first StuDEC and alumna of the Free School Leipzig (Germany)
This is the third edition of StuDEC.
- The first StuDEC was held in Leipzig, Germany, in 2024.
- The second StuDEC took place in Sofia, Bulgaria, in 2025.
- The third edition will be held in Poland, from 9–13 March 2026.
No worries, the venue provides all bedding.
Each democratic school taking part in the event should have at least one staff member attending with its students.
If you are a student at a democratic school, you may come on your own — but please make sure that at least one adult staff member from your school is also attending the event.
If you are an adult graduate of a democratic school, you are welcome to come on your own.
Organizers
- Follow us on Instagram:
- Contact:
- Organized by:
“Bullerbyn” Free Democratic School – Fundacja Bullerbyn (Poland)
With support form: EUDEC
- Fundacja Bullerbyn
GALLERY
7. rejestracja
8. przerywnik przed faq
6. po 4 sekcjach
5. sekcja iv open space
4. sekcja iii komunikacja
3. sekcja ii zakwaterowanie
2. sekcja i okolica
1. przerywnik