The Escola da Esperança wants to become the first international school in the Alentejo region in Portugal.
It shall be a place of learning for children from the region, for the children of the community of Tamera and for children and young people from all over the globe.

The Children and young people are the carriers and designers of the future of this planet. Each child carries within itself a direct, authentic peace power. The main goal of the Escola da Esperança – the School of Hope – is to nurture this peace power.

The Escola da Esperança aims to offer an educational model, which is based on progressive, internationally-researched teaching methods. The concept is inspired mainly by the fundamental thoughts about pedagogy by Maria Montessori: sensitive stages of learning, directing learning to the children’s inner growth strengths, working with materials in a prepared environment.

The Escola da Esperança takes a holistic approach to learning. The creative curiosity of children and young people and their absolute joy and enthusiasm for learning is protected and strengthened through positive learning experiences.

“Learning is a natural life-process which happens by itself because life itself is aligned to continuous development and improvement.  Learning is not linear but moves in oscillations along a line of tension; an irresistible draw which we call interest, curiosity or intrinsic motivation.  An efficient learning system is guided by these motions of life. […]Like the experiences of a child, the world cannot be divided into categories without us losing the sense of the whole. […]. It is therefore very important for us to create interdisciplinary learning opportunities and mixed-aged learning groups.” (Excerpt of our school concept.)

The Escola da Esperança is developed by the co-workers of the Tamera Peace Research Centre and remains embedded in project. Tamera’s international environment provides students with opportunities to learn about different cultures. This experience is a central basis for an understanding of global cooperation and solidarity. Multilingualism and media literacy will therefore be very important tools for our students in finding their way through the globalized and digitized world.

Escola da Esperança is meant to become a private school. Its supporting organization is “Associação G.R.A.C.E. – Grupo para a Reconciliação em Áreas de Crise e Educação” (Non-profit) based in Monte do Cerro, 7630 – 392 Relíquias – Portugal.

For more specific information about the coming school, qualifications and structure click here!

What is Tamera?

Started in 1978 with a small group, Tamera is currently a community of around 200, working towards autonomous decentralized models for a post-capitalist world, with those who share the vision of Terra Nova.
We believe in a future without war, in love without fear, and work to build Terra Nova by creating Healing Biotopes as centers to research and model a new planetary culture, with strong ethical foundations.

“The crisis inside of us and the crisis in the environment are two parts of the same whole and can only be solved from that perspective.”  (Dieter Duhm, co-founder of Tamera)

An important part of the sustainable research model is the development of an appropriate education for children and young people.
In addition, Tamera provides opportunities for an ongoing education for adults (Youth School, Peace Education, Global Campus).
You can find more Information about Tamera here!

The Importance of Community

“If we want to survive the environmental and social crises that we have caused, we would be forced to go along with completely new dramatic community enterprises.“ (Lynn Margulis)
The experience of a human being of feeling completely embedded among other human beings is an important basis for the development of his or her own potential and for becoming an active participant for a peaceful future.
We regard the Escola da Esperança as a school of life or a school of community. The social structure is based on the principles of community. Our ethical values (see above) serve as basis for the social life and learning among adults as well as with and among children. This enables the students to experience mutual acceptance and support through direct experience. On the foundations of solidarity they learn to solve conflicts among each other and learn that it is very efficient to cooperate.

Trust as a base for free learning

Children need to know that they can rely on adults. They can trust when they know that the adults take a stand for truth and for the protection of all life. This gives the children orientation for the development of their own personalities.
Maria Kessler, student of the Escola da Esperança (at age 13):
“The most important thing to me in school is that I can trust my teachers! If I really trust I get a huge power. I can be sure that the teachers want to support me, that they tell me the truth and that we can ask all the questions that are really important to us, including when the questions are about the topic of love.”

You will find more information about raising children in Tamera here!
And to learn more about this approach, we regularly offer online courses on the topic: Raising free children.