Venø Efterskole – An island above the rest

A t Venø Efterskole, the sea is never far away. Located on the beautiful island of Venø, the small boarding school offers ninth and tenth graders the chance to experience all the unique aspects of island life while studying and pursuing their passions.

Connected to the town of Struer by Denmark’s shortest ferry route (the ride is just two minutes!), Venø provides a peaceful and inspiring environment away from the hustle and bustle of the mainland. “It’s a completely different feeling – as soon as you get off that ferry, everything slows down,” explains principal Tage Jepsen. “But even though it feels like we’re far away from everything, it’s very easy for students to get to and from the school.”

Venø Efterskole offers four main subjects: surf and sail, outdoor life, creative writing, and art and design. The variety of the subjects means that the school attracts students with a broad range of interests and backgrounds. “You have students who are jumping around on their surf board all day, some who are buried in books, and others who spend all day hiking or climbing,” says Jepsen. “I think that the diversity is one of the best things about our school – meeting people who are not like ourselves is one of the most essential parts of growing up.”

For those into activities such as hiking, surfing and biking, the island’s natural landscape and the school’s proximity to the water offer obvious advantages. But it is not just students in the outdoor classes who benefit. “For our creative students, there is a lot of inspiration to be found in the beautiful nature,” stresses Jepsen.

All students also get to experience and become part of the small island community, as the school was founded by and works in close collaboration with Venø’s 200 inhabitants.

In brief:
Venø Efterskole was founded by the local community in 1997.The school has 96 students living in shared four-person rooms.The school’s facilities include a new gym, fitness centre and climbing wall.Students get a free annual pass for the ferry to Struer, and free bus transport to and from the ferry is available on Fridays and Sundays.The school offers four main subjects: surf and sail, outdoor life, creative writing, and art and design.

venoe-efterskole.dk