Elverum Folkehøgskole: Immerse yourself in something you love, or discover something new
By Molly McPharlin | Photos: Elverum Folk High School
Ever since opening in 1928, Elverum Folkehøgskole, located in central Norway near the city of Hamar, has been an important part of the local community. In 1940, it became the centre for government resistance after Nazi occupation of the country. From day one, the school’s mission has been to give young people time and space to develop both professionally and personally.
Elverum offers ten programmes. These include African culture and aid, music, Norwegian culture, extreme sports, backpacking, ceramics, snowboarding, and weightlifting and functional fitness. In addition, students can choose from over thirty different electives – from creative crafts and photography to sports and outdoor activities. Trips are a central part of the school year, too. “They provide academic depth, unity, experiential learning, and memories for life. All programmes have their own study trips, and we also arrange a joint getting-to-know-you trip,” says Kristian Wessel Finstad, assistant principal at Elverum. Experiences include travelling around Norway, further into Europe, and, for some, to Africa.
Students live in campus dormitories and can choose between rooms with private or shared bathrooms. The dormitories are organised into house groups, and social activities such as competitions and social events create strong communities. Facilities include art and music studios, a darkroom, gym, and outdoor areas with a beach, soccer field, and sand pit for volleyball.
Daily Norwegian lessons are part of the Norwegian cultural programme, but English-speaking students can choose from any of the study programmes. Teachers use both Norwegian and English and boarding life naturally immerses students in the language. “Families can be confident that their children are being looked after academically and socially, learning Norwegian in an inclusive environment,” says Wessel Finstad. International students enrich the school environment. “Their culture, languages, and different perspectives on life bring a broader horizon and more global understanding to campus,” he says. Normally, over a quarter of the student body comes from outside of Norway, giving Elverum a truly multicultural outlook.
Elverum’s students speak highly of the keen sense of community they find at the school. They also enjoy trying activities they have never before experienced and are happy to be encouraged to develop courage, flexibility, and self-development. “Students say that the teachers are always cheering you on here,” says Wessel Finstad. What students like best – community, mastery, security – are the same things that give them the competence and confidence that they carry with them into study, work and life beyond school.
Web: www.elverumfhs.no
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