🇺🇸 Welcome!

Recognizing strengths - uncovering potential - living inclusion - shaping community

My name is Damon Ruhländer. I am a passionate educator from Berlin with a clear goal: 

I want to live inclusion in schools and help students to recognize their individual strengths and realize their full potential.

My journey has taken me to many different places:

• Teacher training at the Humboldt University of Berlin - B.A. and M.Ed. in teaching History and Philosophy/Ethics at Highschools in Berlin

• Youth group leader in the Berlin Red Cross Youth - founding and leading a youth group, awarded the JRK needle of honor in bronze in grateful recognition for the commitment in exceptionally high degree

• Conducting career orientation workshops at Studio2B - helping numerous students in Berlin and Brandenburg to recognize their potential and strengths and to explore suitable career paths

• Organization of educational projects at wortlaut Sprachwerkstatt - organization, qualitative and quantitative evaluation and documentation of language education and learning support projects in refugee shelters, family centers, daycare centres and schools

• Direct Support Professional at Camphill Communities California - life sharing with people with disabilities, working together in the biodynamic garden, organizing community activities and home support

• Social Therapy Studies at Camphill Academy in California - social, educational and therapeutic support for people with disabilities, interdisciplinary approach (social work, human services, medicine, psychology, nursing, community education, gardening and art)

• Caregiver and farmer at the Triform Camphill Community in New York - supporting young adults with disabilities in their transition to adulthood and working together on the biodynamic and Demeter-certified farm

How can school become a place where everyone belongs - regardless of their background, abilities or biographical path? This question has been with me for many years. 

When I left Berlin in August 2023 and moved to the USA, I started writing about my experiences every week in this blog. On this website you will find...

• learnings from my work with people with developmental disabilities

• Insights into my social therapy studies at the Camphill Academy

• numerous photos and experience reports from community life in Camphill communities

• travel highlights from New York City, Washington, Philadelphia, Boston, Albany, Santa Cruz, San Francisco, Miami, Lewes, Los Angeles, Las Vegas & National Parks like Death Valley and Grand Canyon

• more than 100 articles from more than 2 years I spent away from home in New York and California

This site is my digital learning and thinking space - a place where I share my experiences and learnings. It is aimed at everyone for whom inclusion is an attitude and not just a tool:

• to teachers and school administrators who deal with inclusion,  

• to students of education or social work, 

• to parents, educational institutions, multipliers,

• and to everyone who sees education as a shared process of growing

Whether teachers, learners or interested visitors - I invite you to accompany me on my journey and to exchange ideas - because I am convinced that good education happens when people share their thoughts. I would be delighted if you find inspiration on this page, have questions or would like to get in touch.

Sincerely, 

Damon Ruhländer