Frequently asked questions
GENERAL
The day begins with breakfast, but you can join sport 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 accommodations can provide a vegetarian (or vegan), gluten-free and lactose-free diet. In case of different dietary restrictions, we shall communicate with the provider on an individual basis and do our best to cater your needs.
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. Session A and E are this year organized at Hostacov, a barrier free venue that should be wheel chair accessible. Please do email liza.mrackova@discover.sk if you want to learn more about our accessibility.
It is essential for you to take part in the whole event, as the time schedule is packed and highly interconnected. So, late arrivals and early departures are not allowed.
Discover is organised under the auspice of the Slovakian Debate Association (SDA), which is liable for potential damages. Participants of Discover sign a statement that they will adhere to the instructions of the organising team as well as the internal rules of the SDA and the laws of Slovakia or Czechia, depending on the location of the session. The smooth running and safety of the sessions is under the responsibility of the individual session coordinators. At each session, a medic with certified training and a qualified therapeutic counsellor are present.
No situation can put out the inner flame of Discover. Aware of the gravity of the pandemic, we regularly monitor the restrictions of the Czech Government, as well as the developments of the pandemic, and we evaluate their impacts on Discover Summer Academy. We strongly hope for and actively work towards having a safe and responsible Discover whilst preserving the maximum of the core of the Summer Academy.
Standing hopeful, the applications remain open. Aware of the risks and uncertainties surrounding summer events, we have decided all students will be fully reimbursed for the participation fee, should the Summer Academy be cancelled under the restrictions of the Czech Government or by a decision of the Discover executive team. So do not hesitate to apply – there is nothing to lose!
The health and safety of our students and organising team is of our highest priority. If summer events will be permitted, we will make sure Discover can take place safely and responsibly. All accepted students will be informed on time about possible pre-Discover testing and other measures in regards to the pandemic.
In last two years, we managed to successfully hold eight sessions in pandemic conditions. Heightened hygienic conditions are set in place. All teaching rooms are sanitised in between lessons. A medic is present at all sessions and all participants have their temperature taken regularly. We are in regular contact with local hygienic authorities, in advance and during the sessions. All venues have a dedicated isolation room and the necessary supply of cleaning, disinfection and protection equipment. We also kindly ask all participants to pack a sufficient number of respirators (current restrictions of the Czech Republic demand respirators in public, masks are not satisfactory) and personal disinfectants for the whole duration of the Summer Academy.
Please contact us at discover@discover.sk with your queries and we will gladly help you.
STUDENTS
Discover Summer Academy is open to all highschool students (minimum age 15 and in your final year of high school the latest), who are interested in the world around them and understanding its intricacies. It does not matter which school you attend or what are your grades. 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. And if you are not sure what to study and do later in life, our courses and experienced tutors may inspire you and assist you to find your path.
The full fee is set at €290, which covers:
- Accommodation
- Food (5 times a day)
- tools for workshops and courses
- Discover starter pack
If you wish to secure insurance, please do so at your own capacity.
In case you have doubts about any of the issues listed above, login into the login portal with the email and password you provided in the application form. In the login portal, you can find all of the information on the status of your application, the session and courses you have chosen, payment and request for a scholarship. In case you’ve forgotten your login portal password, please write us at discover@discover.sk and we will provide you with a new one.
The international session is traditionally oversubcribed, and thus we give priority to some applicants based on:
- nationality (ie. international students cannot attend any other session and our goal is 50% international students and 50% Czechs and Slovaks),
- application scores (applications are graded anonymously),
- whether the applicant has attended Discover and the international session before,
- student’s motivation.
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, you list two preferential sessions. You will be updated on the status of your application and about which session, or which waiting list, you are currently on through 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. A switch from your primary to secondary session is not possible.
Yes, partially. All participants can anonymously ask for a reduction of the admission fee based on the economic situation of their family. These requests are assessed separately from your application and they do not influence the selection process. The fee is rarely lifted in full, however partial reductions are possible.
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 applicants, especially from from marginalized communities to apply to Discover.
Starting in 2023 we also offer full scholarships for Roma and Ukrainian students.
When awarding scholarships, the committee takes into account:
- Demonstrated need for the scholarship to attend Discover
- Your motivation to come to Discover
- Where and from what school the candidate comes from
- Ethnicity of the candidate
- Highest educational level achieved by candidate’s parents
In awarding scholarships, the committee does NOT make decisions based on:
- Gender
- Nationality
- The overall quality of the application
- Extracurricular activities of the applicant
Information regarding the coronavirus pandemic: if Discover Summer Academy is cancelled under the restrictions of the Government of the Czech Republic or by a decision of the Discover executive team, all students will be fully reimbursed for their participation fee. In case a student chooses to withdraw their participation by their own decision, regular cancellation policies apply.
We give back the admission payment based on the date of annulment.
- until the 31st of may we give back 75 %
- until the 30th of june we give back 50%
- until 2 days before the session we give back 25 %
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 the other student. But do not worry, Discover session offer a plenty of opportunities to spend time with your friends.
TUTORS
You can become a tutor if you have completed three years of university studies. The only exception is if you want to teach a non-academic course such as yoga or debate, for which we do not require three years of study. Also, if you are at least 22 years old, in exceptional cases the condition of 3 years of university education can be also lifted.
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 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 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, the course can be cancelled. However, it’s up to you whether you want to teach a specialized course for a few enthusiasts or a broad course for more students.
Yes! All you have to do is to connect them in an interesting way.
It has to be sufficiently strong so you would feel comfortable throughout the whole session. It’s not just the courses that take place in English, it is the entire programme including discussions during meals. The international session is in English from start to finish. The other sessions, however, are in Czech and 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 to be eager to share your enthusiasm. In that case it doesn‘t matter whether you have a degree from a 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 organisors. 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 tutors and organisers list in their application. However, it is not always possible. Matching tutors with sessions is a complicated process. We are striving for a balance in representation of fields and experiences. So we are unable to promise you will be able to attend your preferred session
Definitely! Discover started eleven years ago and its first lecturers were therefore never students of Discover. It has been only a few years since student alumni started to return as tutors. We take this as a strong indication we are doing our jobs well <3
