The holistic learning place for unschooling in Italy
Why we created LAVIF
Calabria combines the sea, mountains, olive groves, and untouched nature, creating a unique living space for families. At the same time, many young people are leaving the region. LAVIF Calabria aims to create a positive counter-impulse—highlighting the true potential of the South.
Our project in Scalea is a home for families to land, stay, and co-create the future. We connect education, nature, work, and community into a vibrant new way of living—in the spirit of ’Bentornati al Sud’.
Calabria’s nature, culture, agriculture, and local craftsmanship will be an active part of our daily life. We want to involve local people and businesses, create meaningful encounters, and show children just how vibrant life and work in Calabria can be.
Together, we are building a vibrant home for unschooling in Italy—a place where children can grow freely, discover their talents, and learn with and from one another, and where adults can grow, thrive, and contribute alongside them.
Learn more about our vision and our connection to Calabria in the detailed PDF.
Who we are & what drives us
Simone
Emotional health coach, actress & visionary
Steffi
Yoga teacher, coach & organizational talent
Philipp
Web designer, IT specialist & problem solver
Peppino
Integrative Physician, Musician & Visionary
The Founding Team
“We are four people with different paths, experiences, and skills. We are united by one shared vision. We are creating a space for unschooling in Italy. Here, children can grow up freely, consciously, and in community.We are four people with different paths, experiences, and skills. We are united by one shared vision. We are creating a space for unschooling in Italy. Here, children can grow up freely, consciously, and in community.
We share a common desire to shape a new way of learning, living, and family life. Each of us brings a unique perspective. Our experience spans education, medicine, creativity, organization, and daily family life.
Together, we carry the vision of LAVIF Calabria. We are building a space for living and learning that is free to grow. It is rooted in trust, responsibility, and genuine connection.”
Our Core Principles
Intrinsic
learning
🤝
Living
community
❤️
Respectful
togetherness
🕊
Culture
of peace
🌿
Mindful
guidance
✨
Holistic
development
🌍
Living
diversity
🧭
Self-
responsibility
Our Learning Space
For our project, we found a special place in Scalea, Calabria. Our non profit association aims to secure it for the long term and develop it into a vibrant living and learning space.
Located just a few kilometers from the sea and surrounded by forests, mountains, and waterfalls, we will start there in September 2026 through a rental project.
Our goal is to purchase the property long term and shape it together. Step by step, we want to build housing options and allow families to live close to the learning hub. This creates a thriving unschooling community in Italy where children and adults learn, grow, and shape life together.
Learning together
🌿 Nature & environment
🧠 Learning & thinking
🏡 Everyday life & living
❤️ Emotion & community
🏃 Body & movement
🎨 Creativity & expression
Learning Space
For children from 6 years
Our learning place is aimed mainly at children from 6 years and takes place on 3 days a week.
A varied rhythm of morning circle, workshops, shared lunch, creative and movement activities, as well as special projects, creates a vibrant daily learning routine.
Each group is accompanied by dedicated learning guides. The team is complemented by experts from the region and our community, who pass on their knowledge in workshops and projects. With a supervision ratio of about 1:5, we create a protected setting for personal and individual learning through unschooling in Italy.
The learning place is bilingual, and trilingual in the long term. German and Italian shape everyday life; English is meant to be added later. At the same time, it is important to us to integrate into the region and grow into the Italian language together.
Play group
For children from 3 to 6 years
A day at LAVIF
Arriving and Starting the Day
The morning starts peacefully without fixed schedules, bringing everyone together in a circle to connect and plan the day. From there, learning flows naturally: children dive into hands-on projects, participate in workshops, or study independently across our gardens, surrounding nature, and dedicated indoor spaces.
Lunch break & community
At lunchtime, all groups come together for a shared meal, with parents always welcome to join.
Afternoon and end of the day
Space for movement, creativity, play and deeper focus. In the closing circle, we let the day resonate and reflect on it together. Afterwards, there is valuable time for personal exchange and a relaxed pick-up without time pressure.
Join LAVIF
What Makes Us Unique
LAVIF Calabria is aimed at families who wish for a holistic learning place beyond classical school structures. With us, learning happens consciously, guided and within a clear structure – with plenty of room for individual discovery and development. We are looking for families who trust in the natural development of children, actively help shape community, and therefore take responsibility for their child’s learning path. Wir wünschen uns Familien, die Vertrauen in die natürliche Entwicklung von Kindern haben, Gemeinschaft aktiv mitgestalten und daher Verantwortung für ihren Lernweg übernehmen.How to Become Part of Our Community
LAVIF is not a finished system, but a growing project that lives from the people who help shape it. So that it works for both sides, we take time to get to know each other: after the application form and a conversation, families are welcome to arrange a trial week or trial month. As a young project, we are especially happy about families with a pioneering spirit, initiative, and a desire to contribute – in everyday life, with their skills, or in projects.Growing and Guiding Together
Community is a central part of LAVIF. Weekly parent coaching sessions create space for exchange, growth, and shared shaping. After all, our learning place is not a drop off point, but a living space where families learn together, and children – depending on their age – step by step discover their own path.For families
For learning guides
Structure & financing
Our project is currently being built up. All organizational and legal matters are handled through a non-profit association, ensuring that all income flows directly and entirely back into building and developing the project.
While the founders reserve the right to make fundamental and key decisions for the initiative, actively involving families in the ongoing development of our learning place remains a central priority. To foster this, we host regular meetings, exchange formats, and joint gatherings where ideas, feedback, and new developments are discussed openly.
The life-learning place is financed through monthly parent contributions per child, alongside a one-time deposit at the beginning of each learning year. Additionally, we aim to secure financial support for the setup and initial year of the project through crowdfunding, donations, and sponsors.
If you would like to accompany LAVIF Calabria over the long term, we would be delighted to welcome you to our circle of supporters. With a monthly contribution, you help us build sustainable structures, plan for the long term, and enable families to participate in a stable, reliable way.
