Pestalozzi International Foundation (formerly called Pestalozzi Children's Village Trust and then Pestalozzi International Village Trust) is an educational charitable organisation based in

East Sussex East Sussex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England on the English Channel coast. It is bordered by Kent to the north and east, West Sussex to the west, and Surrey to the north-west. The largest settlement in East Su ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

Overview

The Pestalozzi Children’s Village (German: Kinderdorf Pestalozzi) was established in

Trogen Trogen may refer to: People * Karl-Erling Trogen (born 1946) Places * Trogen, Switzerland Trogen is a municipality in the canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden in Switzerland. The town is the seat of the canton's judicial authorities. History The ...

, Switzerland, in 1946, after the Second World War, to accommodate and educate children from both sides of the war. The concept soon spread to other countries, and in the UK the Pestalozzi Children Village was opened. The charity is named after a Swiss educationalist called

Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi (, ; 12 January 1746 – 17 February 1827) was a Swiss pedagogue and educational reformer who exemplified Romanticism in his approach. He founded several educational institutions both in German- and French-speaking r ...

who believed in educating the heart, hands and head as a complete educational system. Pestalozzi Village initially offered children vocational courses to equip them with skills from agriculture to carpentry. Until 2019, Pestalozzi International Village UK sponsored students from

developing countries A developing country is a sovereign state with a lesser developed industrial base and a lower Human Development Index (HDI) relative to other countries. However, this definition is not universally agreed upon. There is also no clear agreem ...

to study the

International Baccalaureate Diploma The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) is a two-year educational programme primarily aimed at 16-to-19-year-olds in 140 countries around the world. The programme provides an internationally accepted qualification for entry into ...

Course programme and then A Levels at Sussex Coast College Hastings, ''(formerly called Hastings College of Arts and Technology)'' in

St Leonards-on-Sea St Leonards-on-Sea (commonly known as St Leonards) is a town and seaside resort in the Borough of Hastings in East Sussex, England. It has been part of the borough since the late 19th century and lies to the west of central Hastings. The origina ...

. From 2016 - 2019 students attended Claremont School in Bodiam. The charity relies on contributions from the public government bodies and individuals.

History

Pestalozzi International Foundation is an educational charity which is based in St Leonards on sea, East Sussex, England. The charity was founded in the UK in 1957 to support the Pestalozzi Swiss Village in

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

. The village was built on a estate in Sedlescombe, UK and opened in 1959. 40 children between the ages of 10 and 18 from 15 European countries were accommodated and educated according to the principles of Swiss educationist called

. Children were educated in local schools in Hastings and St Leonards-on-Sea. In later years, the trust's focus has changed to providing educational opportunities for young people aged 16 to 19 who are academically bright but financially disadvantaged. Pestalozzi Scholars studied the International Baccalaureate at Sussex Coast College Hastings. They come from different countries, live and learn together. While in the village, scholars participated in other programmes such Pestalozzi Outreach educational programmes,“Pestalozzi for Schools”
Pestalozzi International Village Trust gardening, Ecolab and others. In 2016, some of the Pestalozzi Scholars attended Claremont Sixth Form to study A Levels.

Educational programme

In September 2019, the scholarship programme evolved and Pestalozzi now works in partnership with United World Colleges. The Pestalozzi-UWC scholars now attend UWC Atlantic in Wales where they study the International Baccalaureate Diploma course.From 2022 students will also attend UWC Mostar. Pestalozzi International Foundation still works with young people from the most marginalised communities of Belize, Bhutan, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe as well as Tibetans in exile in India and Nepal. In many of these countries the schools struggle to meet the needs of high-achieving, low income students. These young people are passionate about using their education to make a positive difference in society.

Patron and management

The Duke of Gloucester GCVO is the Patron of Pestalozzi International Village Trust. The Foundation is headed by a Chair of Trustees.

References

{{Reflist Charities based in East Sussex