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"About the Alliance The work of the Alliance is carried out by its board and staff, in consultation with its partners and its national advisory board on early education. The Alliance's work is funded by grants and donations from foundations and from hundreds of individuals. We are a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization, incorporated in the state of Maryland.   Mission Statement The Alliance for Childhood promotes policies and practices that support children's healthy development, love of learning, and joy in living. Our public education campaigns bring to light both the promise and the vulnerability of childhood. We act for the sake of the children themselves and for a more just, democratic, and ecologically responsible future.  We encourage all visitors with an interest in our work to register with the Alliance. We'll keep you posted on our activities as well as issues of concern."

Pedagogic approach - We believe that the education system's role is to support children's growth from their own areas of strength. A child that discovers an area he or she excels in, will experience success, a necessary prerequisite for growth and for the capacity to advance towards areas of lesser strength. In order to support a child's quest for strength areas, the city as a whole must transform into a school. Every enterprise, whether a theater or a soccer team, and every available resource in a child's city can serve as a fertile ground for his/her learning. Simply put, a child embraced by the city will reciprocate with love.

Summerhill is a democratic, self-governing school in which the adults and children have equal status. The daily life of the school is governed by the school Meetings, usually held twice a week in which everybody has an equal vote. The school's philosophy is to allow freedom for the individual - each child being able take their own path in life, and following their own interests to develop into the person that they personally feel that they are meant to be. This leads to an inner self-confidence and real acceptance of themselves as individuals. All of this is done within the school's structure of self-government through school meetings which are at the core of the school and emphasise the distinction between freedom and licence. Living life in a community is of great importance to the pupils here. Through this they learn to compromise, communicate, negotiate and assume responsibility. It also teaches them empathy and a consideration for the feelings of others. The adults and children have equal status in the school but, of course, they have very different roles. Everybody in the school is aware of the responsibilities that the adults have and which the children are not subject to. The atmosphere of the school is informal and first names are always used. The school is international, reflecting the extent of A.S. Neill's continuing influence in the world.

Esta escuela lleva más de 90 años en funcionamiento. Es interesante analizar qué ha sido de los alumnos que pasaron por ella. "After Summerhill: What happened to the pupils of Britain's most radical school?" ----> Summerhillians join outer society with a strong sense of self-confidence. They tend to be remarkably honest. They tend to choose professions with creative elements. They dislike "people who have the power and no imagination", in the words of Danë Goodsman (p. 152). They dislike hierarchical work organizations which can be nasty and petty. In personal life they prefer choices which emphasise their freedom. For instance they prefer relationships without formal marriage. Their attitude to sex and nudity is unproblematic. Gender equality is seen as something natural. Summerhillians don't value formal educational achievements. The school gave them the ability to learn by living: not to be afraid of life. Summerhill may not be perfect in every aspect but it has kept important ideas of freedom alive.

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EUDEC es una organización sin ánimo de lucro que promueve la educación democrática como un modelo razonable de educación para todos los estados democráticos.