Major Conference for Boarding School Directors Organized by the DIV (Association of Boarding Schools), October 9–11, 2014, at the Steinmühle School Camp

The members of DIV—The Boarding School Association—were delighted to accept the invitation to the Steinmühle in Marburg. “The Boarding School Association” is an alliance of sixteen renowned boarding schools in Germany and Switzerland. The association’s boarding schools are united by a long shared tradition and collaboration. In addition to intensive cooperation in the areas of education and continuing education, research, and public relations, the central shared goals of the member boarding schools include actively promoting innovative boarding school pedagogy and developing a specific quality management system for boarding schools with a distinctive educational focus.

The DIV conference began on Thursday at 4 p.m. in the Forum’s lobby. Students enrolled in the elective “Catering” course provided refreshments for the guests, and the Steinmühlen jazz band “The Suited” provided musical entertainment during the reception.
Following the official welcome by DIV Chairman Dr. Rolf Warnecke and DIV Executive Director and Academic Director Dr. Inga Pinhard, Mr. Gemmer and Mr. Lange gave a brief introduction to Steinmühle. Afterward, students from the boarding school gave the guests a tour of the grounds and showed them around the facilities. The first day concluded with a lecture by Prof. Sabine Andresen of the University of Frankfurt on the topic “Boarding School as an Opportunity,” in which she discussed the educational potential of boarding schools.

On the mornings of the second and third days, the DIV held its general meeting. The focus was on the new “Framework Concept for Quality Management in Boarding Schools.”
Two speakers were invited to lead parallel workshops on Friday afternoon. The presentations addressed the topics “Boarding Schools Can Offer More Than All-Day Schools” and “The Digital Boarding School.” The content of both presentations was the subject of lively discussion in the workshops. This allowed the individual participants to exchange valuable experiences and learn from one another.

The exchange of ideas and constructive discussion on topics important to all members provide valuable impetus for educational work in boarding schools and, furthermore, lay the foundation for a repositioning of boarding school education in Germany. Close cooperation and open communication foster a culture of trust and dialogue. Finally, the participants agreed to significantly strengthen joint lobbying efforts for our boarding schools in the future.