Danish Folk High Schools present 2015 catalog – for young adults, seniors, families and more

The Danish Folk High Schools have issued their 2015 catalog with a vast array of interesting programs. If you’ve never attended a Danish Folk School – which emphasize “Learning for Life” – there are long courses, short courses, travel courses, senior courses, family courses and more.

The idea of the folk high schools emerged in the 1830’s. The founding father was N.F.S. Grundtvig – a Danish theologian, writer, philosopher, historian, educationist and politician.

There are many different types of folk high schools in Denmark that offer a wide variety of courses, study tours and specialized subjects. On the website www.danishfolkhighschools.com, you can read about the main categories of schools, including Christian or Spiritual Schools, General and Grundtvigian schools, Gymnastics and Sports schools, Lifestyle schools, Schools for Senior Citizens, Specialized schools and Youth folk high schools (16 to 19 years).

The shorter courses (1 week – 7 weeks duration) are mainly aimed at adults. The longer courses of 2 to 10 months duration are aimed at younger people, who might be interested in coming to Denmark to attend a folk high school.

According to the website www.danishfolkhighschools.com, “There are approximately 70 folk high schools spread across Denmark, most of them are situated in rural areas or smaller towns, and they are typically named after the local district. Some are quite old, others more recent. Some are large and can accommodate more than one hundred students, while others have room for only 30. Some are well consolidated, others less well off. Some are architectural gems. With one single exception, all of the folk high schools are residential schools. They become microcosmic societies, with students and staff living, eating, and sharing the same daily routines together for the duration of the course. Three folk high schools are especially for young people between 16½ and 19, and four others cater exclusively for senior citizens. Over the past few years, an average of 50,000 people have attended a folk high school course. In other words, every year some 2% of Denmark’s entire adult population go to a folk high school. Most of them sign up for courses lasting only a few weeks, but some 21% a year attend courses lasting several months.”

Have you been to a Danish Folk High School and want to share your story and recommendations? Please send your article and images to The Danish Pioneer Newspaper at dpioneer@aol.com.

For more information on the Danish Folk High Schools, visit the websites: www.hojskolerne.dk (Danish) or www.danishfolkhighschools.com (English).