Frequently asked questions

GENERAL

The day begins with breakfast, but you can join sports activities beforehand (jogging, yoga, stretching, meditation). Mornings are dedicated to the two week-long courses of your choice. Next on the schedule is lunch, followed by free time and voluntary activities, such as sport or arts. Afternoons and evenings are filled with various activities such as team games or hikes. Large parts of the day are also taken by individual workshops covering wide ranges of topics. You can choose to attend whichever workshop you please, topics you are interested in or completely new themes you wish to discover. The schedule for the day at Discover Summer Academy usually looks like this: 

7:00-7:45 – [Morning movement] Yoga or run

8:00-8:45 – [Breakfast]

9:00-10:30 – [Course 1] Neuroscience

10:45-12:15 – [Course 2] Salsa

12:15-13:15 – [Lunch]

13:15-13:45 – [post-lunch movement]

14:00-17:00 – [Afternoon activity] Fortress game

17:00-17:45 – [Free time]

17:45-18:00 – [Team check]

18:00-19:00 – [Dinner]

19:00-20:30 – [Evening programme] Workshops on studying abroad, henna, astronomy

21:00-21:30 – [Soulfulness] Evening meditation

21:30-… – [Free time]

Our venues can provide a vegetarian (or vegan), gluten-free and lactose-free diet. If you have different dietary restrictions, we will communicate it with the venue on an individual basis, do our best to cater your needs and let you know.

If you face extra barriers due to specific needs—including but not limited to chronic illness, mental health problems, limited vision or movement, being deaf/hard of hearing or neurodivergent (dyslexia/ADHD/autistic spectrum etc) – Discover is trying to be accessible for everyone. This year, session E (available to Czech- and Slovak-speaking students only) is organized in Hostačov, a barrier-free venue that should be wheelchair-accessible. Please email discover@discover.sk with the subject line “accessibility” if you want to learn more. 

It is essential for you to take part in the whole event, as the programme is packed and highly interconnected. As a result, late arrivals and early departures are not permitted.

The Discover Association is responsible for any material damages. Before the start of the event, the participants formally declare that they will follow the instructions of Discover’s organising team, the internal regulations of the Discover Association and the laws of the Czech or Slovak Republic, depending on the place of the event. At the same time, the coordinator(s) of each session is (are) responsible for their own session, and for ensuring that the event runs smoothly. Moreover, there will be a medic who has completed at least 3 years of their medical education (or an organiser who has completed the required medical course for recreational events), and a qualified therapist in attendance at every session. 

Everyone can support Discover through a donation made to our Darujme portal.

If you are a student, you can also support Discover by paying a higher fee than standard. 

If you can pay at least the full fee, choose one of the options below. Your higher fee would greatly help us maintain and improve the activities we do.

  • 40 € / 1000 Kč above the standard fee – in addition to covering all the basic expenses for you and the organisers, you will help us: 
    • offer one scholarship for a student
    • provide equipment for one activity or course 
    • organise Discover by contributing to the costs of year-long preparations, which include, among other things, the tutors’ and organisers’ meetings, where the programme is planned and didactic preparation is provided
  • 80 € / 2000 Kč above the standard fee – in addition to covering all the basic expenses for you and the organisers, you will help us: 
    • increase our budget for promoting Discover to more students, as well as potential sponsors 
    • provide equipment for one activity or course 
    • organise Discover by contributing to the costs of year-long preparations, which include, among other things, the tutors’ and organisers’ meetings, where the programme is planned and didactic preparation is provided
  • 120 € / 3000 Kč above the standard fee – in addition to covering all the basic expenses for you and the organisers, you will help us: 
    • offer at least one scholarship for a student 
    • increase our budget for promoting Discover to more students, as well as potential sponsors 
    • provide equipment for one activity or course 
    • organise Discover by contributing to the costs of year-long preparations, which include, among other things, the tutors’ and organisers’ meetings, where the programme is planned and didactic preparation is provided
  • Standard fee (249-329 € / 6499-7999 Kč) – this amount will cover all basic expenses for you and the organisers

Please check the sections below. If you can’t find an answer, please contact us at discover@discover.sk with the subject line “Question” and we will gladly help you.

FOR STUDENTS

WHO IS DISCOVER SUMMER ACADEMY FOR?

Discover Summer Academy is open to all high school students (who are at least 15 years of age, or who are enrolled in a high school at the time of application), who are interested in the world around them and want to understand its intricacies. It does not matter which school (or type of school) you attend or what your grades are. Although some of our tutors study outside of Czechia and Slovakia, Discover is a community open to everyone no matter what or where your future plans may be. If you are not sure what to study and do later in life, our courses and experienced tutors may inspire you and assist you in finding your path. 

For legal reasons, Discover Summer Academy is not open to students younger than 15 years of age, even if they are enrolled in high school. 

If you are not enrolled in a high school (or equivalent) yet but are already 15 years old, or will be 15 years old at the time you attend, you are eligible to attend Discover Summer Academy!

If you are 16 and older, you must be enrolled in a high school (or equivalent) at the time you submit your application. 

The participation fee differs depending on which session you attend.

Session A (classic), happening 21st – 28th July in Turistický ráj (SK), costs 6499 CZK / 269 EUR.

Session B (classic), happening 4th to 11th August in Svatý Jan pod Skalou (CZ), costs 6999 CZK / 289 EUR.

Session C (classic), happening 11th to 18th August in PT Javorina (SK), costs 6749 CZK / 279 EUR.

Session D (International), happening 11th to 18th August in Svatý Jan pod Skalou (CZ), costs 7999 CZK / 329 EUR.

Session E (Experiential), happening 18th – 25th August in Hostačov (CZ), costs 7299 CZK / 299 EUR.

If you can’t afford to pay the full fee, we offer students partial and full scholarships, ranging from 7999 CZK / 329 EUR to 1500 CZK / 60 EUR. You can apply for a scholarship when applying to Discover. In the scholarship section of the application, state the reason(s) why you are requesting a scholarship. Please provide as much detail as you can, such as:

  • How big a scholarship you need (i.e. how much you can pay, or how much you’d like Discover to award you)
  • Your family situation (e.g. do you live with only one parent or do other relatives live with you and your parent(s)/siblings?)
  • The employment situation of your parent(s)/legal guardian(s) (without stating the income), and whether you are working alongside school
  • Unexpected expenses

We understand that sharing this information might make you uncomfortable, but we want to assure you that only 4 people will view it: the volunteers who work for the Student Care team, and the people on the scholarship committee. We receive many requests for scholarships and do our best to grant them all, and the information you provide here is crucial in helping us award scholarships as fairly as possible. We cannot guarantee that your scholarship request will be successful, but we will make every effort we can so that no one is unable to participate in Discover for financial reasons. To make sure that your scholarship application has the best chance, please apply by 15th June 2024. If you wish to apply for a scholarship after this date, please reach out to scholarships@discover.sk.

If you are a Maximum Discover Ambassador, you can still request a scholarship on top of the 30 euro discount that you are entitled to. When indicating how much of a scholarship you need please indicate how much money you need on top of the 30 euros that are already deducted from your fee.

Learn more about available Discover scholarships. 

Discover scholarships aim to make summer sessions accessible to everyone, regardless of their socio-economic status, academic background and/or country of origin. In addition, Discover scholarships aim to create a more diverse environment in which we can all learn from each other by encouraging all applicants, but especially those from marginalised communities, to apply to Discover. 

Since 2023, we also run specific full scholarship programmes for Roma and Ukrainian students.

When awarding scholarships, the committee takes into account:

  • Your demonstrated need for a scholarship to attend Discover
  • Your motivation to come to Discover
  • Where you come from and what school you attend
  • Your ethnic background
  • Highest level of education completed by your parent or legal guardian

In awarding scholarships, the committee does NOT make decisions based on:

  • Your gender
  • Your nationality
  • The overall quality of your application
  • Your extracurricular activities 

The full fee is set at 329€ for the international session, and it covers:

  • Accommodation
  • Food (5 times a day)
  • Materials for workshops and courses

If you wish to secure insurance, please arrange this yourself.

If your question concerns any of the topics listed above, please login into the login portal with the email address and password you provided in the application form. You can find information on the status of your application, the session and courses you have chosen, payment and scholarship request in the portal. 

You can reset your password through the Log-in portal.

The international session is traditionally oversubscribed, and thus we give priority to some applicants based on:

  • nationality (ie. international students cannot attend any other session and our goal is for students at the international session to be 50% international and 50% Czech and Slovak),
  • application scores (applications are graded anonymously),
  • whether the applicant has attended Discover and the international session before,
  • their motivation for applying to Discover and the international session

We also aim not to have too many students from one school, one city and give opportunities to students from state schools rather than private schools. 

In your application, and if you are a Czech- or Slovak-speaker, you choose 2 sessions. You will be updated on the status of your application and about which session, or which waiting list, you are currently on via email. You can also find this information in the login portal. If you have been accepted to your primary session, or you are on its waiting list, you can choose to switch to your secondary session. You cannot switch from your secondary session to your primary session, or pick a new session entirely.

If you can no longer attend Discover, please let us know as soon as possible by emailing us at discover@discover.sk with the subject line “Cancellation”. This will allow us to offer your spot to someone else who wants it.

If you decide to cancel your attendance, we will refund you the participation fee based on the date of your withdrawal from the programme:

  • By 31st May (included): we refund students 100% of the fee
  • Between 1st June and at least 31 days before the session: we return 50% of the fee
  • Between 30 and 8 days before the session: we return 20% of the fee
  • 7 or fewer days before the session: no refunds

Please note that any applicable banking fee related to this transfer is at your charge and will be deducted from your refund.

There is no application fee to apply to Discover, only a participation fee. You’ll be asked to pay the participation fee by bank transfer after you have been offered a place. We will send you the necessary bank details then.

Absolutely! If you need to request a Visa to attend Discover Summer Academy, we advise you to apply as soon as possible. You will be asked to indicate whether you need a Visa in the application form, and if your application is successful, we will reach out to you to confirm what’s needed and supply the necessary documentation.

If you have any questions regarding Visas for Discover Summer Academy, please reach out to us at discover@discover.sk and use “Visa” in the subject line.

We usually do not permit students to attend more than one session of Discover Summer Academy per year. 

If you still wish to attend both your primary and secondary session, please reach out to us at discover@discover.sk, including “Academy” in the subject line.

Discover is not only about exploring new ideas but also about meeting new people. We arrange accommodation so you do not usually room with people you already know, but have a chance to meet other students. But do not worry, Discover offers plenty of opportunities to spend time with your friends.

If you are non-binary, you will be asked which gender you’d prefer to room with. If you are a trans student, please reach out to us after your application has been assessed to discuss what arrangements would make you most comfortable.

FOR REGISTERED APPLICANTS

Hello dear applicant!

If you’ve already registered in the Log-in portal, this part of the website is just for you, to spare you having to write to us with each and every of your many questions. In these sections, you will find answers to the most frequently asked questions. If your question is not here, do not hesitate to write to us at the e-mail address below with the subject line “Question”.

COMMUNICATION

We use 2 channels to communicate with you: the Log-in portal where you can find information about your application and its status, and the email address discover@discover.sk which we use to answer your questions or get in touch with you. You will find most of what you need or want to find out in these two places.

No one really asks this question, but it is still essential. To better respond to your questions, we need to know what they are about from the beginning to allocate them among ourselves. Besides, this helps us update our FAQs as needed.

Your subject line does not need to contain only the keyword, you can add complementary information if you need, but we ask that it have at least the appropriate keyword. 

For all questions regarding your application or the session(s) in general, state “Application” in the subject line of the e-mail. That includes:

  • Application assistance
  • Questions regarding evaluation, application deadlines and ambiguities
  • Questions about arrivals and departures, accommodation, transport, etc.
  • Examples:
    • I do not understand this question in the application
    • Can I have halal catering?

For all payment-related questions, please include “Payment” in the subject line of the e-mail. That includes:

  • How to pay, How much to pay, etc.
  • E.g. my payment was refunded to me, what should I do?

For all questions related to the session you are planning to attend, please use “Session [insert session letter]” in the subject line. This includes:

  • questions related to courses, adjustments, arrival and departure times, accommodation and food, what to bring, etc.
  • e.g How do I get to Hostacov?

For all questions regarding changes you wish to make to your application, please use “Change” in the subject line. This includes:

  • changing your course preferences or your session, your fee status, etc.
  • e.g. I’m changing my session choice to a cheaper one, can you refund me?

For all questions regarding cancelling your participation at a session, please use “Cancellation” in your subject line.

For all urgent questions regarding anything (even if it happens to be from the categories above), state “Urgent” in the subject line. This includes:

  • Application errors, delays, etc.
  • E.g. I forgot to pay on time, what should I do?

For all other questions regarding anything, state “Question” in the subject line as well.

It will take us longer to process your email. You make our work a little harder, because if the email is not automatically sorted by subject, we have to do it manually. In the first email we receive from you (that does not follow our subject-line system), we will remind you how to contact us.

APPLICATIONS

The key is to realise that you have no reason to be scared or embarrassed about. Try going through FAQ, previewing the application on the Log-in portal, n or writing to someone you know from Discover, they will surely be happy to help you. If these options don’t work out for you, do not hesitate to write to us at discover@discover.sk, stating “Academy” in the subject line, and we will help you as much as we can.

Once an application has been successfully submitted, we will first check it for missing information. Then we will move it to evaluation: two evaluators assess each application and grade the answers submitted in the “Questions for Evaluation” section only. We consider applications anonymously. You will always find out about the outcome of your application by the 15th day of the month after the application deadline (e.g. if you apply in February, you must wait until mid-March).

The evaluators have the task of evaluating each question separately and independently of each other. Since all questions are focused on you, the primary emphasis is placed on your ability to clarify your thoughts in written form and on your ability to define your expectations and motivation. Therefore, our recommendation is simple: your answer should be honest and reasonably long. 

In session D’s (the international session) case, language skills are also assessed, so we recommend that you answer in such a way that you can demonstrate your English-speaking ability.

Finally, we want to point out that you don’t have to worry about having very personal expectations from Discover. It is clear that we all see Discover differently, and the evaluators will take these views into account but not evaluate them. We want to get to know you!

The international session is traditionally oversubscribed, and thus we give priority to some applicants based on:

  • nationality (ie. international students cannot attend any other session and our goal is for students at the international session to be 50% international and 50% Czech and Slovak),
  • application scores (applications are graded anonymously),
  • whether the applicant has attended Discover and the international session before,
  • their motivation for applying to Discocover and the international session

We also aim not to have too many students from one school, one city and give opportunities to students from state schools rather than private schools. 

No, we don’t take the time of submission into consideration when grading applications. However, applications are evaluated on a rolling basis (i.e. we evaluate applications in several rounds throughout the year). As a result, it could happen that you don’t get selected for your first-choice session even if you have the best possible application, because all spots have already been taken, and once applicants have been accepted at a session, only they can free up a spot; either by switching sessions, cancelling their attendance, or not paying their participation fee on time. Therefore, we recommend that you apply as soon as possible to make sure that you can go where you’d like! 

You will be put on a waiting list if your application is successful, but the session you picked is full and you didn’t indicate a secondary session. There are usually several people on the waiting list. You will be offered a spot if, when you get to the top of the list (i.e. when everyone before you has either found a spot at a session or rejected the offer of a spot), someone with a confirmed spot cancels their attendance or decides to transfer to another session (transfer to another session is only possible for Czech- and Slovak-speaking students). This might not happen, especially in the case of the international session. Therefore, we recommend that you select a secondary session if possible.

Note: The waiting list works dynamically. This means that once you get to first place, it may happen that someone overtakes you, if his/her application has a higher rating. Don’t worry, in these instances, we also take time into consideration: if, for example, you have been on the waiting list since February, the chances that someone who applied in May will overtake you are extremely low.

Unfortunately not, but if your application was unsuccessful, you can try to apply again in the next application round. The same applies if your application was successful but you have been put on the waiting list. For example, if you fail to be accepted in February, you can try again in March, April and/or May.

Warning: Evaluators will not know that you are re-applying, so your grade won’t be affected by your previous rejection.

Yes, absolutely! Evaluators will not know that you are re-applying, so your previous rejection will not affect your grade.

We allocate courses after applications close, mid-June. This means that you will find out which courses you will be taking at the end of June.

We try to allocate everyone to their first two preferences, but sometimes that just isn’t possible, and you might get allocated to your third or fourth course preference. We’re pretty sure that you’ll be pleasantly surprised and will find them amazing. Maybe it’s fate!

If you feel very strongly about your course allocation, you can email your session coordinators to see if anything can be done, but we’ve usually already tried our hardest and it is unlikely that you can switch courses.

We are sorry that we were unable to answer your question. Write to us at discover@discover.sk with the correct subject line, and we will answer it as soon as possible.

PAYMENTS

There is no application fee to apply to Discover, only a participation fee. As a result, you are only asked to pay after you have been offered a place at a session. Payment information will be sent to you in your acceptance email, and you will also find it in the Log-in portal after your application status has been updated. 

There is no application fee to apply to Discover, only a participation fee. You’ll be asked to pay the participation fee by bank transfer after you have been offered a place. We will send you the necessary bank details then. 

Payment instructions are sent together with the decision on your application if you are successful, which means you will receive them by the 15th day of the month after the end of the application round. Unless otherwise stated, you then have time to pay by the end of the month. Once we have received your payment, it will show in the application portal. Please allow for one week after payment for it to show in the portal. If it has been more than a week and you are worried, you can contact us at discover@discover.sk with the subject line “Payment”.

We will not email you to confirm that we have received your payment, but we will email you if we cannot track it by the deadline.

For example: Janka applied in March. She is well aware that we will send her a decision on her application mid-April; therefore, she waits. As soon as the decision on her application is sent and Janka is accepted on 15th April, she is told she has until April 30th to send her payment to the given account. Janka sends it the next day, within 7 days, she will receive a notification on the portal, confirming her payment. She doesn’t receive a confirmation email, but she isn’t worried: she has read the FAQs and she knows how things work. If she had forgotten to pay or we couldn’t locate it, she would have received an email from us asking her to pay by mid-May, or her application would be cancelled. 

If you find that you cannot pay on time, or have forgotten to pay, let us know by contacting discover@discover.sk with the subject line “Payment”.

If we do not receive payment from you on time and don’t hear from you, we will contact you once. After one week following that email, your application will be rejected and you will be unable to apply again.

You will find out about how much you are required to pay (and/or whether your scholarship application was successful) when we send you the decision on your application, and this will also show on the application portal.

We know that things can change between the time you submit the application and the time you hear back from us on whether your application was successful and what your fee status is. If you find that you cannot pay the fee requested, or you cannot pay it by the deadline given, please *do* write to us at discover@discover.sk and enter “Payment” in the subject line. We will attend to you as soon as possible.

You will receive an email from us with the bank details you need to make the transfer when we offer you a place at a Discover Summer Academy session. You can pay in Euros (EUR) or in Czech Crowns (CZK). In case of an international bank transfer, charges (if there are any) must be paid by you.

We are sorry that we were unable to answer your question. Write to us at discover@discover.sk using “Payment” in the subject line, and we will answer it for you as soon as possible.

CHANGES

In the application, you choose two sessions – primary and secondary. You can switch to the secondary at any time. In this case, your application is considered as having been sent in that month, but it can only be done once and only in one direction. So, if you change your mind, unfortunately, nothing can be done about it. Therefore, consider the secondary session as your real alternative.

Yes! You can freely change your course selection yourself, in the Log-in portal, until 15 May 2024. It doesn’t matter that you answered questions on 2 other courses when you applied. If you decide to change your course selection after 15 May 2024 but before course allocation has taken place, please write to us at discover@discover.sk and state “Change” in the subject line. In your email, please explain what you’d like your new course selection to be. 

If you want to switch courses after course allocation has happened in early June, you will have to email your session coordinators directly, so they can check whether it’s still possible to switch courses as you’d like.  

We are very sorry to hear that! You have several options:

  • If your problem is that you cannot afford the participation fee, do not hesitate to write to us at discover@discover.sk with the subject line “Payment” and we will do what we can. 
  • If you need to cancel your participation for other reasons, please write to us at discover@discover.sk with the subject line “Cancellation”.

We will refund you your participation fee (if you have already paid) based on the date of your cancellation:

  • By 31st May (included): we refund students 100% of the fee
  • Between 1st June and at least 31 days before the session: we return 50% of the fee
  • Between 30 and 8 days before the session: we return 20% of the fee
  • 7 or fewer days before the session: no refunds

Please note that any applicable banking fee related to this transfer is at your charge and will be deducted from your refund.

We are sorry that we were unable to answer your question. Write to us at discover@discover.sk and state “Academy” in the email’s subject line, and we will answer it for you as soon as possible.

DISCOVER SUMMER ACADEMY

All information about this section will be updated on an ongoing basis, as it would not be complete at this time. Therefore, watch this page regularly!

If you have any questions now, do not hesitate to write to us at discover@discover.sk and state “LAD” in the subject.

  • Arrivals and departures
  • Transport to Discover
  • What to bring
  • Registration form and other forms
  • Contact the coordinators

We allocate courses after applications close, mid-June. This means that you will find out which courses you will be taking at the end of June.

We try to allocate everyone to their first two preferences, but sometimes that just isn’t possible, and you might get allocated to your third or fourth course preference. We’re pretty sure that you’ll be pleasantly surprised and will find them amazing. Maybe it’s fate!

We try to allocate everyone to their first two preferences, but sometimes that just isn’t possible, and you might get allocated to your third or fourth course preference. We’re pretty sure that you’ll be pleasantly surprised and will find them amazing. Maybe it’s fate!

If you feel very strongly about your course allocation, you can email your session coordinators to see if anything can be done, but we’ve usually already tried our hardest and it is unlikely that you can switch courses.

We charter a bus to take students from Prague Zličín metro/bus station to Svaty Jan pod Skalou where the international session takes place on the afternoon of the Sunday when the session starts. That same bus will take students back to Prague Zličín metro/bus station from Sv Jan Pod Skalou on Sunday morning when the session ends. You do not need to pay to take this bus. You will be told when the bus will be waiting for you in a welcome email a few weeks before the session, and a member of our team will be at Prague Zličín station to help.

Students are responsible for getting to the venues on their own, though some sessions might organise group travel, at students’ own costs.

Session A will be organising group travel from Prague, Brno and/or Poprad.

More information on group travel will be available closer to summer. 

FOR TUTORS

Tutors must be at least 22 years old at the time they teach. You can become a tutor if you have completed three years of university studies. 

There is one exception to this rule: if you want to teach a non-academic course such as yoga or debate, we do not require three years of study.

If you do not meet these requirements but would like to teach at Discover, please contact us. Discover is open to everyone, whether they studied in the Czech Republic, Slovakia or abroad. All you need is enthusiasm for your field and eagerness to share your passion.

It’s definitely dozens of hours. You have to think through the structure of the course and plan each lesson and individual act

It’s definitely dozens of hours. You have to think through the structure of the course and plan each lesson and individual activity. But it’s up to you whether you want to prepare the course in the weeks before Discover or throughout the entire year. Although we strongly recommend not to keep the preparations for the time of session itself, as there will not be enough time (or enough internet connection) available.

ivity. But it’s up to you whether you want to prepare the course in the weeks before Discover or throughout the entire year. Although we strongly recommend not to keep the preparations for the session itself, as there will not be enough time (nor internet connection) available.

Appealing enough for the students to sign up! Students choose courses themselves and if no one signs up, a course can be cancelled. However, it’s up to you whether you want to teach a specialised course for a few enthusiasts or a broader course for more students.

Yes! All you have to do is to connect them in an interesting way.

It has to be strong enough that you would feel comfortable answering students’ questions expertly and in detail, as well as interact in English throughout the whole week. It’s not just the courses that take place in English, but the entire programme, including workshops or discussions during meals. The international session is in English from start to finish. All other sessions, however, are in Czech and/or Slovak.

Discover is open to anyone, whether they have studied in the Czech Republic, Slovakia or somewhere else. All that’s necessary is to be passionate about your field and eager to share your enthusiasm. In that case it doesn‘t matter whether you have a degree from the University in Nowheresville or Harvard.

Yes, there are numerous ways of sharing your passions with others! Individual workshops are run most afternoons. These can be run by tutors, but also organisers. And we are always happy to welcome external guests, perhaps for one afternoon only – just drop us a message!

We are doing our best to cater to the preferences that tutors and organisers list in their application. However, it is not always possible. Matching tutors with sessions is a complicated process, with many requirements. We are striving for a balance in the representation of fields and life experiences. So we are unable to promise that you will be able to attend your preferred session

Definitely! Discover started in 2011 and its first lecturers were therefore never students of Discover. It has only been a few years since alumni have started to return as tutors. We take this as a strong indication we are doing our jobs well, but we still welcome non-alumni <3.