What is Waldorf Education?
The educational approach founded by Rudolf Steiner in 1919 known as Waldorf Education orientates itself towards the development of the child’s individuality. As ‘an education towards freedom’ its central aim is to support the child’s development as a whole person by cultivating interest for the world, intellectual thinking, creativity, healthy morality, artistic sensibility, manual skills and social abilities. Waldorf Education seeks to nurture that which lives within the individual as potential. This is the best basis for a world that can grow together and that trusts in the abilities of each individual in order to be fit for the future.
Our publication Waldorf Education offers an excellent and accessible introduction with over 40 separate thematic sections.
Further information:
>> Our link page
>> Bund der Waldorfschulen
>> List of countries with Waldorf Schools and similar institutions.
About us
Waldorf teachers around the world want to educate children in such a way that they can develop each child’s unique individuality. Their intention is nurture imagination, interest in the world and later independent thinking, instead of causing these gifts to be buried. Thus one can hope that as many children as possible can be able to attend a Waldorf school. But in many countries Waldorf schools receive little or no support from the state. In 1971 the Friends of Waldorf Education were founded to support the worldwide Waldorf movement. Since then we could help with millions of Euros - and we pass on 100%!
Helping worldwide from Berlin and Karlsruhe
From our Berlin office we have contacts all over the world and support Waldorf schools and other initiatives in around 70 countries. We report on the worldwide movement in our newsletters and through this website. We facilitate individual sponsorships and arrange advisory visits and much besides. Our voluntary co-workers coordinate projects that are co-financed by the state.
In our office in Karlsruhe 20 co-worker organise the voluntary service programs by which young people can carry out a voluntary year or work placement abroad.
Get to know our co-workers and our areas of work better on the next pages!
Donations - we pass on 100%
An essential principle of ours is that we pass on 100% of all donations - over 3 million Euro per year. We fund our work through the donations of members and funds specifically designated for our own work.
Most of the donations we receive (around 97%) are designated for specific institutions. But we also receive around 80.000 Euro per year without designation - for our International Support fund. With these donations we can help regarding the urgent requests we got almost every day. During our monthly board meetings we decide, where and on which ways we can help. It is very important to us that the donations we receive are used carefully in order to help the worldwide Waldorf school movement as effectively as possible.
More information
>> Development of the "Friends of Waldorf Education" (from: "Waldorf Education worldwide").
>> On the worldwide support by the Friends of Waldorf Education (from: Newsletter Spring 2008, with four graphics).
>> The "Friends of Waldorf Education" and the worldwide Waldorf movement (Rundbrief Herbst 2008)