Apply now! (Deadline 14th December)

Limited capacity. Late applications can only be considered if we have spots left.

Summary

• Weekend retreat for up to 50 people interested in Effective Altruism (both old and new community members) to learn, connect and collaborate
  • primarily for people from the South of Germany. Note that we have two sister events in January: One near Hannover for North & West Germany and one in Berlin for East Germany.
• Content: 2.5 days filled with talks, workshops, meetups and plenty of time for 1-1 conversations and socialising
• 20.-22. January (from Friday ~4pm until Sunday ~3pm, arriving late or leaving early is fine) at DJH Sigmaringen
• Costs (incl. accommodation and vegan food) covered by EA Germany, travel subsidies available if needed
• COVID policy: All attendees need to be fully vaccinated and self-tested before arrival.

Content

• Purpose: We want to provide a space for participants to 
  • connect with like-minded people from their city and region and find advisors, collaborators and friends
  • share ideas, discuss and make progress on their plans to do more good (through their careers, volunteering or donations)
• EA Content
  • We will invite a few experts to cover some of the most pressing problems to help inform participants considering entering those fields. Participants are encouraged to contribute content.
  • You can suggest specific content in the application form – we will do our best to make it possible.
  • There will be structured content such as talks & workshops and unstructured, informal discussions and 1-1 conversations). Here's some content from past retreats to get an impression. 
  • All sessions are optional. If you feel like you are not learning or contributing to a session, you are always free to do something else. 
• Space to relax and connect
  • During the afternoon breaks and in the evenings, there will be space for fun activities, to relax and get to know each other on a more personal level – feel free to contribute content unrelated to Effective Altruism.

For whom? 

We expect this retreat to be most beneficial for people who:

• Are familiar with the basics of EA
  • If you are very new to EA, we recommend you first check out some of the online resources (effectivealtruism.org and 80000hours.org) and if you can, visit a local or virtual EA event first. If you’re unsure, please err on the side of applying!
• Share the Guiding Principles of EA: Commitment to Help Others, Scientific Mindset, Openness, Integrity, Collaborative Spirit
• Understand and speak English (no need to be perfect, though!)
• Live in the South of Germany (Bavaria or Baden-Württemberg). If you live in North, West or East Germany, we recommend you have a look at our sister events near Hannover and Berlin.

Participants do not need to:

• Know everything & everyone (this might be particularly valuable if you’re not yet well-connected in the EA community)
• Already work in EA cause areas, or even know what you would like to work on (this can be particularly helpful if you’re undecided about your career & life plans)
• Speak German (everyone speaks English)
• Give a talk/workshop (program contributions are encouraged but not required)

The EA community benefits from a diversity of backgrounds and beliefs, so non-German speakers and people from underrepresented groups are particularly encouraged to apply.

Location

Jugendherberge Sigmaringen (Google Maps)

Accommodation in shared 2/4/6 person rooms. Additionally, we’ll have up to 4 seminar rooms and a large outdoor area, so there will be plenty of space for content, socializing and relaxing.

Getting there: From the train station in Sigmaringen, you can take a bus (~every 30min), walk (22min), or we can pick you up by car.

Apply here

(Deadline 14th December, same application form for all three retreats)

• Limited capacity. Late applications can only be considered if we have spots left. 
• Unsure if you can attend? Apply anyway and mention your uncertainty in the form. 
• Uncertain whether you would benefit from this? Questions? Don’t hesitate to email us! 

Organisers

Johannes Koch (EA Tübingen), Vanessa Werner (EA Munich), Hauke Harders (EA Freiburg)

With support from: 

Yannick Mühlhäuser (EA Tübingen), Sarah Tegeler (EA Germany)