What is the SummerAcademy?
SummerAcademy
The Summer Academy is an interdisciplinary week that brings together experts from a variety of theoretical and practical fields with young participants from across Europe. This unique event is designed to delve into and explore profound questions that are often overlooked in everyday life, approaching them from a multidisciplinary perspective. The academy provides a space for exchange, creativity, and growth, where ideas are shared and developed within a healthy and respectful environment.
SummerAcademy 2025
Looking ahead, the theme for SummerAcademy 2025 will be “Exploring Polarities.” Participants will delve into the complexities of opposing forces like tradition versus innovation, individualism versus collectivism, and stability versus change. The aim is to view these polarities as opportunities for dialogue, creativity, and balance. By exploring these tensions, the academy equips young people with the critical thinking and problem-solving skills needed to navigate a world increasingly defined by contrasts.
Learning4Unity
The driving motive of the SummerAcademy is “Learning4Unity”, and in 2025, as in the previous years, this means to learn and grow from and with each other in an open and familiar atmosphere on an equal footing. The participants will be encouraged to help shape society in an opinionated and responsible way and to change it positively, especially in times of increasing polarities and crisis.
A dialogue in Europe
Alone we move fast but not far, making dialogue in Europe essential. The SummerAcademy is committed to involving young people in an intercultural European dialogue to tackle future challenges. Participants engage in meaningful discussions, share experiences, and deepen their understanding of the diverse perspectives shaping European society. These dialogues aim to foster a strong sense of common purpose and solidarity among young Europeans.
Would you like to be part of it?
- Are you between 18 and 30 years old?
- Do you speak English?
- Do you like to learn and meet new people?
- Do you want to learn to explore the polarities of this world?
If yes, then join us!
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6 types of dialogues
Input
Listening to a given input you might start rethinking your own thoughts. This is where the inner dialogue takes place.
Small Group
Small group offer a room for trust and careful communication. By training your abilities of sharing personal experiences, you also work on dialogue competences.
Panel-Discussion
Usually we discuss for the purpose of gathering argument. The art of discussion, then, is not just to repeat but, develop your argumentation by listening to others.
One-To-One
The most intimate setting for real dialogue always was and will be a talk among two. Either friends or couples, collegues or family member might be common dialogue partners.
Workshop
Experiencing the possibility and limits by doing arts or handicraft opens a new space of self awareness. This might increase your ability to enter a dialogue with other.
Self Reflection
After listening to input, discussion or debate, it might be useful to rest for a while and let your self calm down. Then you might become aware of a new facette in the mirror.
How was it founded?
In 2015 the idea of the SummerAcademy emerged from conversations with young adults. They wanted a genuine dialogue with experienced professionals, who in turn felt the need to understand their hopes and the related challenges.
The ensuing academic conference in 2017 was a good start, but not entirely in line with the original idea of an intergenerational exchange; so we took a step back, looking for a more fitting form of meeting, which we found in the SummerAcademy.
The fundamental question to address was who would be involved. The core team quickly came together: 3 young adults in charge supported by a couple of “professionals”. The focus was on integral, mutual, interdisciplinary learning that enabled dialogues between students and lecturers, seeking, finding and sharing knowledge and wisdom within a material and intellectual community of resources.
The programme got off to a successful start in 2019 with the topic: ‘Yes, No, Maybe’, followed by ‘Leadership between Trust and Responsibility’ in 2021 and the first European SummerAcademy in 2023: ‘Dealing with Uncertainty’.
The 4th SummerAcademy is currently in the starting blocks, with the theme ‘Exploring Polarities’.
Annemarie Imhasly
Founder
SummerAcademy 2023: Dealing with Uncertainty – A Dialogue in Europe
For a week, around thirty people from all over Europe, accompagned by 11 teachers, attended the SummerAcademy in Planina, Slovenia.
They shared their uncertainties and encouraged each other to build a fairer society. The workshops, both theoretical and practical, provided an opportunity to explore the various themes in greater depth in small groups. The day’s visit to Ljubljana, which included a tour of the parliament, the bishops’ commission, and the library, made the discussions on politics, culture and inter-religiosity even more concrete. “The SummerAcademy succeeded in bringing together professors from all horizons to cover an inexhaustible theme: uncertainty. What I take away from this week is the fraternal atmosphere that encourages me to work with others to find solutions for a common future”, says Alice Varone (21).
Would you like to be part of it?
- Are you between 18 and 30 years old?
- Do you speak English?
- Do you like to learn and meet new people?
- Do you want to learn to explore the polarities of this world?
If yes, then join us!
Price: /.- €
Organizer: Focolare Movement
Follow us on social media!
SummerAcademy 2021: Leadership
Antonia Deister (19) 
Leadership in games
Playing games, leading games well, experiencing the often underestimated value of playing games. We had a super time, a plenty of fun and take home a lot of inspiration.
Victor Locher 
Leadership in music
The future of the world can only be interdisciplinary, intergenerationaland collaborative and collectively; the SummerAcademy can be a model for this.
Aline Züger (25)
Leadership in economy
The workshop opened my eyes to a lot of interpersonal and economic tensions. I became aware my priorities have their price – and are my responsibility.