On 27th August 2024, Dartington Hall Trust made the decision to close all programmes at Schumacher College with immediate effect due to continued financial difficulties on the estate. The Schumacher community now needs to gain financial independence to be able to continue the pioneering work of this internationally renowned college.

Our vision is to support Schumacher College in its rebirth as an independent charity, with the goal of raising £8 million to secure a new permanent home for the college. We also aim to create an endowment fund to ensure its financial security for the future.

A beacon of regenerative learning, Schumacher College has inspired a global community of individuals ready to take their place in the world, to stand up for social justice and our precious planet. Hundreds of social enterprises and innovative practices have emerged from alumni over the years, with some taking up significant political roles, such as advising Barack Obama on environmental matters or leading climate negotiations at the UN. The college has also given rise to partner organisations around the world including in Brazil, Colombia, Belgium, India, China and France.

Right now, our world needs this sort of learning more than ever. Institutions like Schumacher College play a vital role in showcasing the education that meets the challenges and opportunities ahead - responding to the needs of our time and those of future generations.

For so many people in Schumacher College’s global community, the abiding memory when thinking about the college is the feeling of coming home. It is the experience of living together in community – even for a short time – that has resonated with so many students and alumni over the years. Whether sharing tea and toast by a warm hearth, convivial mealtimes discussing new thinking and practice over conscious food, or enjoying the nourishment of time in nature..

The learning experience at Schumacher College brings us home in so many ways. The love, care, and attention offered across the learning community give all of us who study, work, or volunteer there a deep sense of belonging to ourselves, each other, and the earth and a commitment to change. And when we return to our own homes, we don't just carry intellectual relics of our time together but something much more significant—the memory of a feeling we can return to again and again, reminding us of the way home and the desire to work so that all are able to feel at home in the world.

Our pathway may be uncertain but our mission remains as strong as ever as we seek your support in helping us secure a home once more. If you feel moved to help us, we welcome you to support Schumacher College to continue offering an education that paves the way for the more beautiful world our hearts know is possible.

More about Schumacher College: 

Founded in 1991 by Satish Kumar, Schumacher College established its home in the Old Postern on the Dartington Estate. Honouring the legacy of Dorothy and Leonard Elmhirst and the spirit of Rabindraneth Tagore, the college has been offering learning through head, hands, and heart for over 30 years.

Schumacher is globally renowned for its transformative education centered on ecology, community, and contemplation.  Rooted in place and relationships, learning at Schumacher College helps connect students more deeply with the  world by nurturing their ecological self.

The College has remained committed to these principles since its inception, offering postgraduate and undergraduate courses, as well as non-formal learning, to over 20,000 alumni. Working with luminaries in the fields of ecology, philosophy, climate science, economics, design, art, sustainability, and social justice, the college has welcomed educators such as James Lovelock, Vandana Shiva, Fritjof Capra, Lynn Margulis, David Orr, Rupert Sheldrake, Janine Benyus, Brian Goodwin, Henri Bortoft, Charles Eisenstein, Bayo Akamolafe, Kate Raworth, Stephan Harding, Jason Hickel, Daniel Christian Wahl, and many more.