BRING PHILOSOPHY FOR CHILDREN TO YOU:
HOST THE NEXT SOPHIA NETWORK MEETING IN 2026
This is the call for proposals for hosting SOPHIA Network Meeting in 2026. Deadline for proposals is noon on November 30th 2025. The host country will be selected by the Executives and will be informed at the latest by December 26th 2025.
Please send a completed proposal to:
President Emma Swinn emmajswinn@gmail.com
Treasurer Sylwia Falinska sylwia@kinderfilosofie.nl
Secretary Joos Vollebregt joosvollebregt81@gmail.com
Network Meeting Co-ordinator Tugce Ebesek Buyukugurlu tugceebesek@gmail.com
Network Meeting Co-ordinator Support Anni Nielsen annin@sdu.dk
Hosting a SOPHIA meeting is an opportunity to raise the profile of your institution and awareness of philosophy with children in your country and community. It is a wonderful opportunity to meet others from across Europe practicing and researching philosophy with children and can help to produce long-term relationships and advocacy for philosophy.
Proposals should follow the outline below and will be selected according to which proposal best fulfils the criteria.
If you have any questions about the proposals or procedure, please contact tugceebesek@gmail.com
SOPHIA EXECUTIVE CHOOSE HOST COUNTRY/COORDINATOR USING THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA:
- Reliable contact (replies promptly to e-mails etc.)
- Free venue
- National advertising of SOPHIA in Host country
- Should stimulate Philosophy with Children in Host country
- Should generate new members for SOPHIA
- Accessible for travel throughout Europe
- Accommodation available near to venue
- Accommodation reasonably priced (members pay their own accommodation)
- Lunch, coffee, tea and water etc. provided (these costs will be paid by SOPHIA but need to stay below €20 per person)
- Technical equipment provided (for videos, power points, etc.)
- Technical equipment and venue suitable for Hybrid meeting (meeting will be available for online attendants and audio & video equipment to link the room to the online community will be necessary)
PLEASE INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IN YOUR PROPOSAL:
- HOST/S
- MAIN CONTACT
- MARKETING / ADVERTISING OF MEETING WITHIN HOST COUNTRY
- SUGGESTED DATES
- PROPOSED TIMETABLE
- SUGGESTED THEME/S TO TIE MEETING TO LOCATION (will be discussed with Executive Team)
- ADDITIONAL MATERIAL / EVENT DETAILS (additional events that draw attention to the host country’s activities, research or other efforts in the field are encouraged)
- VENUE & SUPPORT AVAILABLE
- VENUE’S HYBRID FACILITIES – please note we would like to ensure that accessibility to the SOPHIA meeting online is as smooth and as interactive as possible, and we will work with the chosen host to ensure this is the case. You must be willing to work with our team to help support this aspect of our conference.
- TRAVEL – including details about getting to and from the venue and the dinner on Saturday evening.
- ACCOMMODATION – recommended places to stay.
- CULTURAL EVENT – in order to distinguish between online and in-real-life events we are suggesting that hosts propose a cultural event to introduce visitors to their country / town. This could be an arranged walk on the day after the meeting, for example, or an evening tour of local sites.
Please note:
SOPHIA events are held at the weekend, and a joint social meal is offered to attendees on the Saturday evening. This will ideally be arranged by the host and be near the venue, or easily accessible from the venue. We ask your support in helping to arrange communication between our guests and the restaurant, but individuals will pay for their meal themselves.
Hosts should be willing to support the meeting by being a part of the workshops and sharing their own practice, as well as giving attendees an experience of the local culture (even if just recommendations where to go) and hopefully joining us for the meal on the Saturday evening.
Hosts are expected to be, or to become members of SOPHIA, and ideally have attended a meeting before. This is an ideal, not a ‘must meet’ criteria.
If you would like to hold an academic conference or an introductory event the evening before the SOPHIA meeting please let us know and a member of our team may be able to help make arrangements or give you guidance. This will however, be an event that is separate to SOPHIA and not affiliated directly with us, but supported by us. But with international participants arriving from across Europe it might be an opportunity for you to host such an event.