HOPE (Hospital Organization of Pedagogues in Europe) is an international association of hospital educators in Europe with partners in Australia, New Zealand, America and Asia with scientific and educational goals - a meeting will take place every 2 years, 2014 in Bucharest. PROJECT BACKGROUND Diseases often tear people away from their usual social environment, from their life at work or school, from their families and friends. This uprooting experience reduces their quality of life. Especially for children or adolescents, who are still at the beginning of their life cycle, this is a tragic and difficult situation. Children and adolescents with a chronic or life-threatening disease such as cancer need human closeness, attention, professionalism and reliable trusting relationships with honest sympathy. And this is also valid for aggressive, depressed, drug-addicted or self-injurious children. They all need a doctor because they are sick and they need teachers/ educators because it’s their legal right to get education. But teaching not only helps to increase their knowledge; it also creates an atmosphere of normality in a situation of great uncertainty. Learning can produce feelings of happiness, distract from the disease and help in the process of coping with the disease. It also gives children and adolescents a chance to continue their school career. In some cases, educational support must assist in dealing with the threat of facing death. OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES: This special teaching requires continuous training and nationwide or global internships / meetings / conferences with presentations, workshops and internships to get professionally up to date, to be familiar with the latest teaching techniques, to share experiences and innovations in the field of special education and to tackle joint projects. This important exchange can take place through HOPE. PARTICIPANTS, BENEFITS: 12 teachers (headmistress, Country Representative of HOPE for Austria, hospital teachers of different hospitals and wards) of the Heilstättenschule Vienna School (public school at the hospital). The teachers of all types of schools require specific expertise. Teaching in a hospital requires even more - patience, motivation, endurance, stamina, confidence, trust, understanding, hope, happiness, humor and kindness are necessities. Hospital educators are part of a team of doctors, nurses, therapists, psychologists, social workers. They act with appreciation, tolerance and respect when confronted with sickness, injury, fear, pain, loss, grief and death, for the benefit of patients. All these qualities need to be developed and strengthened through international education and training in german and english.