Pestalozzi International Village (formerly called Pestalozzi Children Village Trust, PIVT) is an educational charitable organisation based in East Sussex

East Sussex

East Sussex is a county in South East England. It is bordered by the counties of Kent, Surrey and West Sussex, and to the south by the English Channel.-History:...

, England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

.

Overview

The charity model was established in 1946, after the Second World War, to accommodate and educate children from both sides of the war. The concept soon spread to other Countries, in the UK, Pestalozzi Children Village was opened. The charity is named after a Swiss educationalist called Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi

Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi

Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi was a Swiss pedagogue and educational reformer who exemplified Romanticism in his approach....

 who believed in educating the heart, hands and head as a complete educational system. Pestalozzi Village initially offered children vocational courses to equip them with skills from agriculture to carpentry.

Today, Pestalozzi International Village UK sponsors students from developing countries

Developing country

A developing country, also known as a less-developed country, is a nation with a low level of material well-being. Since no single definition of the term developing country is recognized internationally, the levels of development may vary widely within so-called developing countries...

 to study the International Baccalaureate Diploma Course program at Sussex Coast College Hastings, (formerly called Hastings College of Arts and Technology) in St Leonards-on-Sea

St Leonards-on-Sea

St Leonards-on-Sea is part of Hastings, East Sussex, England, lying immediately to the west of the centre. The original part of the settlement was laid out in the early 19th century as a new town: a place of elegant houses designed for the well-off; it also included a central public garden, a...

. The village also sponsors different programs oversees such as educational empowerment of Tibet

Tibet

Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...

ans living in India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

. The charity relies on contributions from the public government bodies and individuals.

History

Pestalozzi International Village is an educational charity based in Sedlescombe, East Sussex, England. The charity was founded in the UK in 1957 to support the Pestalozzi Swiss Village in Switzerland

Switzerland

Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....

. The village was built on a 170 acre (0.6879662 km²) estate in Sedlescombe, UK and opened in 1959. 40 children between the ages of 10 and 18 from 15 European countries were accommodated and educated according the principles of Swiss educationist called Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi

Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi

Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi was a Swiss pedagogue and educational reformer who exemplified Romanticism in his approach....

. Children were educated in local schools in Hastings and St Leonards-on-Sea. In later years, the trusts focus has changed to providing educational opportunities for young people aged 16 to 19 who are academically bright but financially disadvantaged..

Educational program

Pestalozzi Scholars study the International Baccalaureate at Sussex Coast College, Hastings. They come from different countries, live and learn together. While in the village, scholars participate in other programs such Pestalozzi Outreach educational programs, gardening, Ecolab and others.

Today

Pestalozzi offer a unique two year scholarship programme in the UK for academically bright, but economically disadvantaged 16-19 year old students from developing countries the chance to realise their potential using the Pestalozzi principles of educating the head, heart and hands.

The selection process carefully identifies motivated young people who have demonstrated the desire to help their home communities but have limited educational opportunities at home.

At Pestalozzi, the students come together to live as a multi-faith and multi-cultural family. The students study for the International Baccalaureate (IB) at Sussex Coast College, Hastings whilst actively contributing to the local community, as well as sharing and promoting international understanding to people of all ages.

The scholarship empowers the students to make informed decisions and take a confident step towards their future aspirations.

The success of Pestalozzi is demonstrated by the achievement of our Alumni and the communities they help. To continue their work, they rely on financial donations and the on-going support of their partners.

Patron and management

HRH The Duke of Gloucester GCVO

Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester

Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester is a member of the British Royal Family. Prince Richard is the youngest grandchild of King George V and Queen Mary. He has been Duke of Gloucester since his father's death in 1974. He is currently 20th in the line of succession...

is the Patron of Pestalozzi Village. The village is headed by a Chief Executive Officer.