FAQ

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What is the cost of enrolling? Are there any ongoing costs?

Each course is $450 AUD (~$320 USD)

For Foundations in Anthroposophy, a $50 AUD discount is offered to members of Steiner/Waldorf Schools and an additional $50 AUD when forming a local study group of 6 or more.

Study groups and practice sessions are free. Extensions are additional.

Books, paints and other materials for exercises are suggested along the way.

When can I start a course?

You can start any EduCareDo course at any time throughout the year. EduCareDo courses were designed for people who have busy lives. You have the freedom to work at your own pace and establish a study rhythm that works for you.

Is this an online course?

Participants receive lessons and submit diary sheets or assignments via email. There are no online assessment requirements. Full-color hard copies of the Foundation Course lessons can be sent to your residential address for an additional cost.

What are the time commitments?

The Foundation Course
The average study time for the Foundation Year Course is 3 – 5 hours per week, although students may choose to devote more time to supplemental reading and artistic projects. Completing the requirements for a certificate calls for an additional commitment of time.

Subject Courses
Time commitments may vary for each subject courses, but all courses encourage regular engagement and working with the course content and exercises consistently over a four-week period. You may find more information about the time commitment of a particular subject course, on the subject course page, or please contact us with further questions.

Can I pay in installments?

The course is priced so that it can be made available to everyone at a low cost and accounting fees for monitoring payments in installments would considerably increase the costs. Therefore, payment by instalments is not possible. However, there is a small scholarship pool available. Please contact us if you need to discuss your personal circumstances.

Are there scholarships available?

Erwin Berney left a small financial trust as a scholarship fund and to fund the completion of subsequent EduCareDo courses. The Berney Foundation funds at least two students per annum. Contact us to apply for this scholarship.

Do I have to read all the books and articles on the Foundation Year Course Reading List?

The Foundation Course Reading List is only for your information if you wish to read further on a subject. It is not required reading. Each subject course is distinct and may have its own readings or suggested readings.

Do I need to purchase extra books?

It is up to you. Purchasing books is not a requirement for any course.

What is the difference between a tutor and a mentor?

An EduCareDo tutor is someone on the EduCareDo team who will provide feedback to help further your understanding of the content of the lessons of the Foundation Course or any subject course, when you submit your diary sheets and/or assignments each month. Diary sheets are a requirement to receive the Foundation Course Certificate.

On the other hand, a mentor is someone chosen by you to have discussions with to further your interest and understanding in a particular subject within the Foundation Year Course lessons. A mentor or mentors are required only if you decide to pursue the Foundation Certificate for Teachers. The diary sheets are at the end of each lesson, but extra copies and the mentor diary sheets are found in the student handbook appendices.

Are there any artistic activities in the course?

Painting lessons (with examples and instructions given), sculpting work, and speech and eurythmy exercises appear in some of the Foundation Year lessons throughout the course. There is an artistic activity in most lessons which helps to bring the lesson content into a living experience.

Each subject course is unique, however all subject courses include some artistic exercises. If you have more specific questions about the time commitment of a particular subject course, please contact us.

Are there pre-requisites for enrolling in subject courses?

Each subject course is unique. Some recommend previous or concurrent completion of the Foundation Year Course, or some familiarity with particular anthroposophical content, while others do not require any previous background experience.

I have never painted before. Can I still take the Foundation Course?

You will be guided through step-by-step instructions on how to do everything in the watercolour lessons. Also it is helpful to know that the watercolour painting is about the process of colour development, not about having a perfect or particular painting at the end of the lesson.

Are there assessments/grades?

The courses are self-directed, which means you are free to enter into the course content as deeply and thoroughly as you are able, at your own pace. When you submit your diary sheets for lessons (and when you submit assignments to fulfil the requirements for a Foundation Year Course certificate of completion) confidential constructive feedback is given. The submissions are not graded.

Do I have to send in my work?

Students who want a Certificate of Completion must send in the required diary sheets and/or other assignments and assessments. You are welcome to contact us with any questions you have about the course material, but if you’re not planning to receive a certificate, it isn’t necessary to submit anything.

If I need some help who can I ask?

Our administrative team is here to help with general questions. We will put you in touch with one of the EduCareDo tutors to guide you through the course content if needed.

I have been working from the impulse of Rudolf Steiner’s work for many years. Is the Foundation Course still relevant to me?

People who have studied anthroposophy for over forty years have taken the Foundation Year Course. They have given feedback that such an ordered overview gave them a new orientation and that the experiments and exercises provided new experiences for their on-going work. There are also subject courses available some of which recommend prior knowledge and experience with anthroposophy. Have a look at the different subject course descriptions for further information.

My children go to a Steiner/Waldorf School. Do the courses support my work as a parent in this approach?

The Foundation Year Course will help you to understand more clearly what your children’s teachers (want) aim to achieve. Waldorf education, also known as Steiner education, is based on the educational philosophy of Rudolf Steiner, the founder of anthroposophy. Its pedagogy emphasizes the role of imagination in learning and strives to holistically integrate the intellectual, practical, and artistic development of the growing child. The focus of Waldorf education is to give a child an understanding of and appreciation for their place in the world, not as a member of any specific nation, sex, gender, ethnic group, or race, but as a member of humanity — as a free, world citizen. The subject courses also offer insight and experience that can support your work as a parent. Feel free to contact us with specific questions or explore the subject course descriptions for further information.

I teach in a Steiner/Waldorf school. Are the courses for me?

The Foundation Year Course gives teachers a well-organized overview of the practical aspects of anthroposophy and child development, and it will inform your classroom practices. The course includes many exercises and experiments for teachers and children alike. The Foundation Year Certificate for Teachers is designed for you to study at your own pace, work with a mentor of your choice, and choose workshops and intensives suited to your area of teaching. There are many Waldorf Schools that have taken up EduCareDo for pedagogical study and professional development and training for their teachers and staff members. The variety of EduCareDo subject courses also offer insight and experience that can support your work as a teacher.

What happens if my study time commitment changes and I fall behind?

You may consider continuing to receive the lessons, and filing them away until you have time to catch up.  Some students report that when they’re busy, they read through the lesson as it arrives to allow them time to think through the content even if they are not actively working on the lessons. Then they will work with the content more thoroughly when they have the time. You can also contact us to have the lesson mail-outs paused until you are ready to recommence.

Can I study on my own or in a group?

It depends on your circumstances, but in many cases it can help if you know others (have an interested partner or friends who want to join with you in studying the Foundation Year Course or in some cases, a subject course. EduCareDo was initially designed so that people who are affected by the distance to an educational institution or by personal circumstances, can learn about anthroposophy through self study. Now more and more study groups are forming all the time. Some students attend a study group year after year because each time they find a new layer of meaning in the subject matter of the lessons. Contact us if you want to start or find a study group in your area.