When will A Place To Be open?

We’ll finish the purchase of a 530.000m2 piece of land in Canical and have started opening our (out)doors in spring of 2025 for day visitors whenever we feel like gathering. Building the whole neighorhood will take about one year once we’ve received building permission (hopefully early 2026). Please subscribe to our Newsletter on the Homepage to be notified of any updates. Thank you for your support and patience.

Is APTB a school?

No, APTB is not a school and we have no intention of being one. We provide the optimal environment for children to learn and don’t see the need to call it a school. We’re a neighborhood without school. Each family is responsible for their children’s education. Whether they choose to homeschool, unschool or anything in between is each family’s choice.

Children learn from anything and everything they see. They learn wherever they are, not just in special learning places. John Holt.

Does APTB include methods such as Montessori, Steiner or Waldorf schools?

We differentiate ourselves from these schools in the following way:

• we’re not a school but offer spaces to use for everybody, including adults

• we don’t ask anybody to follow a curriculum

• rather than focussing on children’s developmental milestones, we give children the freedom to develop in their own individual way and time, in their own nature

• we don’t do any type of assessment or evaluation of the children’s progress or growth even when offering classes

Will there be Wifi available?

Yes, every house and other spaces such as the co-working space and other buildings will have access to Wifi.

What if I need peace and quiet to work in the Coworking space when children are allowed in all the time?

One part of the coworking space is marked as ‘A Place to Be Working QUIETLY‘. Everybody in this area must remain silent and not disturb parents working there and children know that people working in there have no task to offer. The other area is for everybody to share projects, tasks and information. If you need absolute privacy due to a private session for example or to shoot a video, we recommend to do this in your apartment or dome.

Do I HAVE to stay at APTB as a parent?

We don’t offer childcare. Therefore, you and your children can come and hang out or your kids can come with other families.

Can we do a trial phase to see whether APTB/unschooling is the right thing for us?

Yes! Once our houses are ready, we’ll offer short-, medium-, and long-term rental options. If there’s availability, you’re welcome to book a stay and experience life at APTB firsthand—an opportunity to immerse yourself in the unschooling lifestyle, connect with the community, and see if it feels like the right fit for your family.

What if my child is being homeschooled and follows a curriculum? Will someone teach him/her the content?

If your child is following a homeschool curriculum, they will remain in charge of their own learning process. Once we have Partners, they won’t enforce structured content—but they will always be available to support, answer questions, and offer guidance when a child seeks it.

If there’s something specific your child needs to cover as part of their curriculum, you’re welcome to support that learning at home or see if another community member can assist. While at APTB, children are free to explore their interests, follow their own rhythm, and engage with the community in a way that feels natural and self-directed.

My kids go to school. Can we come to APTB in the afternoons or during holidays?

People can visit friends whenever any APTB member is happy to ‘welcome‘ you. If in the future we offer any workshops, classes or events in the afternoon, you and your kids are welcome to join. Yes, you will be able to spend your holidays at APTB by renting a house.

What kind of areas of interest/classes will you offer?

In the beginning we will have a very basic repertoir and will focus on getting to know each other. However, later we’ll provide an extensive offer of what everyone likes. You can read the full list of what you are going to be able to explore freely here: Blocks.

Do you have a policy to prevent child sexual abuse?

Yes we do. Our children’s safety comes first and we give every family, staff member and visitor a briefing about these policies:

Every person has body-safety-rules

1. ‘I’m the boss of my body and I say No when somebody touches me in a way that I don’t like.‘

2. ‘Nobody is allowed to touch or take photos of my private parts’

Which age groups are present at APTB?

There is no age limit at APTB.

How much does it cost?

We haven’t finished our price structure yet for when we have houses for purchase or rent, however you are able to become a shareholder and use not only APTB but all other locations of our partners Citadel Garden.

Please email us for further information on how to become a shareholder.

Where are you located?

We’re setting up APTB on a 530.000m2 piece of land in Caniçal, the East of Madeira.

Do you have other locations outside of Madeira?

Yes! APTB is one of several neighborhoods we're co-creating through our partnership with Citadel Garden. While the other locations will have their own names, character, and unique communities, they’ll be part of the same extended network—and open to APTB members. Citadel Garden are currently scouting land in Italy, Namibia and Vietnam. They also own a walnut farm in Georgia and a Canadian island.

Each place offers a different flavor, but they’re all built on the same core values: freedom, connection, and self-directed living.