English

School & College Weeks 2013-2014

School and 6th-form college groups with students
in Years 10-13 are especially invited in June and July.

Information for teachers and group organisers (2014) (updated 9 May 2013)	Information for teachers and group organisers (2013) (updated 4 April 2013)	Flyer (template) This leaflet can be adapted to the needs of the school or diocese.
See also:
Coach travel to Taizé	¦ Contact and Registration

A view of the week at Taizé in pictures (3 mins.)

Download this film as mp4 file (zipped 200 Mb)

What the week is about

A stay at Taizé helps young people mature in a safe but challenging environment. Each day includes biblical reflection, small international discussion groups, some practical activity and prayer with the whole community. It is a kind of slice of Christian community life which, because it is experienced rather than just talked about, is very accessible to those who do not think of themselves as religious, or who are of other faiths. All the 27 school groups that took part in the 2012 weeks included non-Christian young people. Some snapshots of their reactions can be seen on this page.

Visits to schools

Young volunteers sent from Taizé itself will be making visits in UK schools and colleges 9-23 November 2013. They will
share their own experiences, and their life as a volunteer.
meet groups and classes to present the international youth meetings at Taizé.

At other times of year, we can try to arrange a visit to your school by someone in your region who knows Taizé well.
Click here to register an interest in a visit to your school(s) or college(s)
- School name(s)
- Town / area / diocese
- Possible dates for visit to you
- Contact person *
- Position (teacher / chaplain / ...)
- Phone number(s) *
- Email *
- Comments
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Feedback from group leaders

See full list of clips | Download mp4 files

The boys who went on the schools trip last year took a slot in one of the Friday afternoon 6th form enrichment sessions a few weeks ago, to talk about their experience and to lead Bible studies in the style of Taizé. It was extraordinary. The RE teacher gave a short introduction and then the five boys each led a different group of eight other students, having chosen Matthew 25, the sheep and the goats, as their topic.

As chaplain, I didn’t have to do anything: it was all happening from them. For three quarters of an hour, every member of our (small) 6th form was engaging fully in a shared Bible study.

I think being in the groups at Taizé last year must have taught them a lot because they all facilitated their groups brilliantly (listening carefully to people, opening out discussions not shutting them down etc.). As a chaplain, I pretty much thought I’d died and gone to heaven. It was beautiful Christian education in action, and led from below not from above.

Off the back of that session (yes, off the back of a well-led bible study!?!) we have loads of interest from the 6th formers for next year’s schools week.

Robert Stanier, Chaplain of Archbishop Tenison’s School, Oval, London, December 2012

Feedback from pupils: see Feedback from 2012 and 2011

Church leaders comment ...

Taizé offers a life-changing experience to young people for several reasons. Firstly, in this period of church decline it is mind-blowing to worship day after day with hundreds, if not thousands of young people. Secondly, it is exciting to have our island mentality challenged through growing friendships across Europe, from Ukraine to Portugal, Greece to Finland. Thirdly, and most importantly, the Taizé Community has long experience of helping young people to grow spiritually wherever they are on life’s journey.

Rev. Sheila Maxey,
Former Moderator of the United Reformed Church

I am very pleased that a good number of Catholic schools are taking a group to Taizé and I know it will be a very fruitful and happy experience. My last visit to Taizé was with an Anglican bishop-friend and 50 young people, Anglicans and Catholics. I warmly commend the School Weeks and hope there will be very many young people who will be able to share in the Taizé experience which is at the service of the Church.

Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor

I can bear witness to the extraordinary effectiveness of Taizé in helping young people of faith, searching faith or no faith, to engage with a community of vital young Christians for a week and to discover something very special to chew on for years. I’ve never known it fail! It’s not pushy at all but young people are drawn into the worship, the community life, the internationalism, the reflection, the silence, the fun.

Bishop John Pritchard,
Chairman, Church Board of Education

The Taizé Community has inspired generations of young people – it has the ability to connect with them through its worship and sense of prayer. Not only this – it is a place where young people can encounter a living faith together in an imaginative and often, for them, new way. I would encourage anyone to go there – it really is a life-changing experience.

Most Rev’d Dr Barry Morgan
Archbishop of Wales