Finding out who you are and becoming a whole person
Among the hallmarks of a folk high school is that nobody tells the students what to think or what do with their life. They need to figure that out themselves. This is freedom, the Nordic way.
While the formal education system focuses on the acquirement of a preplanned set of facts, factors and frameworks, the folk high schools don’t aim for the student to arrive at a preset goal.
Target Audience
Folk high school students, high school students, educators, and administrators in education
| Format | Keynote | Workshop | Course | Collaboration |
| Time | 1-2 hrs | 1-3 days | n/a | Customized |
The Backdrop: Personal Bildung
The purpose of the Danish folk high schools is to promote personal bildung and to help young people become conscientious and active citizens who appreciate diversity and who can stand up for democracy.
At a folk high school, you dedicate time to figuring out who you are. You are exposed to all kinds of knowledge about the world, from history and philosophy to science, politics, and the arts, and then you are expected to form your own taste and opinions.
Folk high schools are a Danish invention from the 1850s, they were exported to Norway and Sweden in the 1860s, to Finland in the 1870s, and they are a substantial part of the reason why the Nordic countries are among the happiest and most prosperous countries in the world today.
This presentation introduces the history, the concept and the unique pedagogy of the folk high schools:
- What makes a folk high school a folk high school:
- How teaching at a folk high school is different from other kinds of education
- How studying at a folk high school is different from other kinds of education
- How the folk high schools were invented and developed in Denmark and exported to the rest of the Nordic countries.
Testimonials
An absolutely outstanding presentation.
Thomas Høg Nørager
Pastor, Denmark
Participating in the future academy training has been like opening new windows of possibilities in my mind. Grounded scientific content, disruptive innovative ideas brougth with wisdom and care by Lene in each module enhances the curiosity and willingness to cocreate a more meaninful future for education and society.
Ines Medeiros
Psychologist and founder of Values Move, Brazil