Funding of the School
As an independent school funded by a charitable society, we are dependent on financial support – especially in the first years after establishment. Although the State is obliged to support independent schools financially, there are differences in the way this duty is handled. Independently maintained schools in Berlin, like APEGO-Schule Berlin, face a delay of state support between 5 and 6 years. This means that during this waiting period, we have to secure our existence through self-funding, donations and loans.
To sustain our school and to deliver the level of quality we are aiming for, we rely on financial contributions from parents. These will be adjusted to income levels. This will also apply after the waiting period, since state subsidies will only partially cover staff costs. For everything else we rely on our creativity and your support.
Young people spend a lot of time at school, and just like their parents, they are often dissatisfied with the learning environment and personal relationships. We, the founders of the APEGO-Schule Berlin, have visited various alternative schools in Germany and abroad and are in touch with the Federal Association of Free Alternative Schools (Bundesverband Freier Alternativschulen – BFAS).
The essence of our experience, the essence of years of working in business, coaching and parental support, is that students need a prepared environment and dedicated adults who treat them as equals.
In addition, students must be able to make decisions about their education and about the operation of the school. This is why we decided to open a sociocratic, intercultural school in Berlin which is organized in accordance with these principles and creates optimal learning conditions and opportunities for self-development, focusing, above all, on our relationships with each other and the needs of all.
To make this proposal a reality, to bring our vision to life and to make a contribution to a better world we have worked on this project for over a year, full-time and part-time, voluntarily and at our own expense with loads of love and commitment. Now we need your help!
Below, we will show you how you can help us out in a very practical way and contribute to school and to the development of the educational landscape in Berlin.
How You Can Help
Taking on guarantees
We will take on a loan from GLS bank to finance our school’s set-up costs and running expenses. The GLS bank offers comprehensive experience, built up over many years, in the area of establishing new schools and the bank is already in partnership with numerous independent schools.
We need people who can sign a guarantee of €3,000 so that the bank gives us the loan. If our project fails, the bank will ask you for the €3,000 but we are convinced that this school will be successful and that we will be able to repay the loan.
Here are two files about guarantees. They are in German, so if you need assistance, please email us (see “contact and enrollment”)
Become part of a loan and gift community
The GLS Bank’s loan and gift community offers an opportunity to support the school in the long term and to invest “loose change” immediately.
The principle is quite simple. You may support us with a small monthly payment over a long period. The amounts can be 5, 10 or even 50 Euro. You agree on both the amount and the period over which you would like to support us. We will form a loan and gift community from many donors – or you can do this yourself. In response, the bank will pay us the corresponding total amount for school investment costs immediately.
You can download a PDF file with all the relevant information here. It’s in German, so if you need assistance, please contact us (see “contact and enrollment”).
Donate!
Donate directly via bank transfer:
Madrina Sophia e. V., IBAN: DE89 4306 0967 1196 3072 00, BIC: GENODEM1GLS, GLS Bank
Membership of Madrina Sophia e. V.
Do you want to be part of the big picture, offer long term support, follow our project and always be kept up to date? You can become a supporter of our society.
Please click on the logo of our patron for more information.
