Winter Academy 2024
5-9 February 2024, Leuven (Belgium)
The second edition of the EFRJ's Winter Academy will take place between 5 - 9 February 2024 in Leuven, a significant European hub for restorative justice.
The Winter Academy creates an international learning opportunity for those interested in restorative justice and its high-quality applications in different contexts.
It includes three parallel practice-oriented courses led by experienced trainers. These courses invite participants to develop and strengthen their skills, get a hands-on experience of good practices, to get challenged by complex questions, and inspired by innovative and nuanced methods.
The event also offers common learning activities for the participants of all courses to allow cross-disciplinary exchange and shared learning experience.
The three courses will adress the following topics:
- Facilitating Restorative Justice Processes in Cases Involving Children and Young People
For facilitators, criminal justice professionals, children's rights experts.
Trainers: Bie Vanseveren and Lynn Gastmans - A Practical Introduction to Trauma Informed Work
For people working with clients at the risk of trauma (including restorative facilitators)
Trainers: Claudia Christen Schneider & Gael Cochrane - Restorative Training Facilitation
For trainers
Trainers: Tom Mellor & Anna Gregory
More details to be announced soon!
Early bird registration is available until 21 December 2023. The registration closes on 1 February 2024.
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Draft schedule
| 5 February Monday | 6 February Tuesday | 7 February Wednesday | 8 February Thursday | 9 February Friday | |
| 9:00 — 10:00 | Workshop (2) | Workshop (4) | Workshop (7) | Workshop (10) | |
| 10:00 - 10:30 | |||||
| 10:30 - 11:00 | coffee break | coffee break | coffee break | coffee break | |
| 11:00 — 12:30 | Workshop (2) | Workshop (5) | Workshop (8) | Closing plenary activity (4) | |
| 12:30 - 13:30 | Lunch break | Lunch break | Lunch break | ||
| 13:30 - 14:30 | Registration | Workshop (3) | field trips | ||
| 14:30 -15:00 | Opening plenary activity (1) | Workshop (6) | |||
| 15:00 - 15:30 | coffee break | ||||
15:30 - 16:45
| Workshop (1) | Plenary activity (2) | Plenary activity (3) | Workshop (9) | |
| evening programme | Social dinner |
Participation Fee
For the 2024 edition the basic participation fee does not include accommodation. In case you would like to get the accommodation as well, you can choose either to be in a shared room or a single room. (The accommodation organised by the EFRJ will be at the Irish College in Leuven). When registering you will need to select your preferred package. See the explanation below for what is included in the different registration packages.
Default fees
(for non EFRJ members)
| Early bird (until 21 December 2023) | Full price | |
| A) Basic - without accommodation* | 580€ | 670€ |
| B) With accommodation in a shared room** | 900€ | 1105€ |
| C) With accommodation in a single room*** | 1150€ | 1305€ |
Discounted fees for EFRJ members
EFRJ members get a discount of the fee. The discount is automatically applied to members (after logging in to our website). If you haven't paid your membership due for the current year yet, you will not get the discount automatically. If you don't get the discount for any other reason, please contact Bálint Juhász to get your discount code before you fill in your application.
| Early bird (until 21 December 2023) | Full price | |
| A) Basic - without accommodation* | 470€ | 560€ |
| B) With accommodation in a shared room** | 790€ | 995€ |
| C) With accommodation in a single room*** | 1040€ | 1195€ |
Partial waivers of the fee
Is the participation fee a barrier for you to participate? We can offer a limited number of partial waivers of the fee. If you would like apply for these please fill in this application form by 6 December 2023. The applications will be reviewed after that, and responses will be sent by 12 December evening.
What is included in the registration fee?
* Included in all packages: A, B, & C
- Participation in the course you have selected, the plenary learning activities for participants of the three parallel courses
- 3 lunch meals (on 6, 7, 8 of February), 1 dinner (on 7 February), and coffee breaks each day
- Welcome package
** Included in package B
- Everything included in basic package (see above)
- Accommodation in a shared room at the Irish College. (You will share the room with more person from the same gender. If you sign up with a friend, we can put you in the same room, please complete our form for such requests.)
- 4 Breakfasts (on 6,7,8, & 9 February)
*** Included in package C
- Everything included in basic package (see above)
- Accommodation in a single room at the Irish College.
- 4 Breakfasts (on 6,7,8, & 9 February)
Cancellation Policy
If you cancel your participation before 21 December 2023 you get 70% refund of your subscription fee. If you need to cancel after 21 December 2023 your participation for a 'vis major' reason (including Covid-19 infection), and you can provide a proof of this, you may get a voucher for another EFRJ event in the future in the value of maximum 50% of your registration price. In other cases we cannot refund your registration fee.
You may transfer your registration to another participant without any costs until 28 January 2024.
A possibility to support your attendance: check if you are eligible for the Erasmus+ mobility programme on training opportunities. These are available to staff working in education, both in teaching and non-teaching capacities. Training periods abroad can consist of job shadowing, observation periods or specific training courses abroad. https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/opportunities/opportunities-for-individuals/staff-training
In this case the EFRJ would be a receiving institution (not responsible for reporting). Higher education institutions must have been awarded the Erasmus Charter for Higher Education (ECHE) before applying for a mobility project to their Erasmus+ National Agency. A call for proposals for the award of an ECHE is held on yearly basis. The ECHE is awarded for the full duration of the Erasmus+ programme up to 2027.
Accomodation and Practicalities
Participants who choose to register for accommodation (package B & C) will be hosted in the beautiful facilities of the Irish College in Leuven, an institution that was originally created for contemplation, study and strengthening international connections by Irish Franciscan friars. Today it is an international residential centre for education, training and research.
The address of the Irish College is: Janseniusstraat 1, Leuven, 3000 Belgium. It is just a few minutes walk from the venue of the Winter Academy's courses.
Participants will be able to choose between shared or single rooms. In shared rooms 2 people will stay together. The choice has to be indicated at the registration. Single accommodation has a higher price. In case you want to share your room with a specific person (another participant), or have other special requests, please fill in this form.
Breakfast will be served at the accommodation.
The event also includes refreshments during the breaks and lunches from Tuesday to Thursday (6 - 8 February), and a Social Dinner (on 7 February). If you follow any diets, please indicate this at the registration, otherwise we cannot guarantee that suitable food will be available for you.