International course:

Norway – language, culture and travel

About the course:

Language
Basic outdoor education: All seasons
Sustainable lifestyle
Nature and environment
Community involvement
Culture and religion
Travel and explore
Europe: Erasmus plus
Norwegian lessons

Busy:

Norway
Spain and Gibraltar with whole school

Experience Norwegian culture and beautiful nature

Learn Norwegian, explore local and Nordic culture, outdoor education and local perspectives on environment and sustainability. We will have Norwegian lessons, and we will speak both English and Norwegian in the classroom. The learning curve is steep!

You will experience the Norwegian outdoor culture and learn basic practical skills. Together with your classmates you will explore the outdoors in a variety of environments in the local area of the school: Mountains, fjords, forests and lakes. We will make food at the bonfire, go skiing, moose watching, try dog sledding, hike, build a shelter in the snow, sleep under the stars and look for the northern lights during the winter. All seasons will be represented during the year, and there is so much to do and explore within each season!

Through volunteering, visiting local organisations, learning more about indigenous rights and challenges in the area, local history, discovering wildlife protected areas and meeting people who are fighting for their cause, you will get a deeper knowledge about local culture and society involvement. We will be on several shorter trips throughout the year, and the main study trip in Norway/Sweden will be in March.

Join us at Bakketun for a year of exploration, self-discovery, and global friendships. Your adventure awaits!

Subjects

Outdoor Living

Basic outdoor education: All seasons
Sustainable lifestyle
Nature and environment

Community, culture and language

Language
Community involvement
Culture and religion
Europe: Erasmus plus
Norwegian and English lessons

Activities

Travel and explore Norway

Travel - Norway

Class excursion in Norway for 2 – 3 weeks, where we will visit both coastlines with fjords and coastal culture, and Norwegian mountain airs autumn and wintertime. We will plan the trip together in the class.

During the journey we will focus on language, culture and history, together with a lot of exiting activities and experiences

Teachers on the course

Johanne Ottilie Espe

With a background as a teacher, a Master's in Cultural Encounters, and study experiences in Bolivia, India, and Germany, Johanne brings diverse educational insights. Here commitment extends to volunteering and societal development. An outdoor enthusiast in both summer and winter, Johanne is excited to share her passion for nature and community engagement with you.

Equipment list

You will need to provide this equipment yourself:

Backpack: 75 l
Small backpack
Sleeping bag (all seasons)
Sleeping food
Cutlery for camping (cup, plate, knife, fork, spoon)
Warm clothes – we recommend wool
Wind- and rainproof jacket and pants
Hiking boots
Head lamp
Sketch (cross country or mountain skis)

Please let us know if there is anything you need help with! Some of the equipment will be possible to borrow at school. All the sport stores in Verdal give our students a 20 % discount, and there you will find everything you need.

Weekly Schedule

In addition to the core subjects, you also have common subjects, elective subjects, and project subjects. The common subjects are invaluable for building community and preparing you for life after school. We offer many exciting elective subjects, such as golf, horseback riding, photography, hunting license, boating license, and much more. In project subjects, you have the opportunity to, among other things, retake subjects or explore different career paths.

No two weeks are the same, but a typical week might look like this:

Every day: breakfast + morning assembly (thought for the day, news highlights, birthday acknowledgments, and other important information).

Monday: Room cleaning, Dormitory subject, Dormitory meeting, lunch, and core course.
Tuesday: Elective subjects all day.
Wednesday: Common subjects, lunch, and core course.
Thursday: Core course all day.
Friday: Core course. Dormitory cleaning before dinner.
Saturday: Seminar/activity/trip, student evening, Saturday treat with a warm meal.

Price

From NOK 140 980,-

Included:

Classes
All meals
Room in a shared accommodation at the school
All mandatory activities of the course
School-wide trip to Spain and Gibraltar (incl. 3 meals per day)
Course trip: Norway (incl. 3 meals per day)
Local excursions
Songbook
Accident insurance
Free use of student kitchen and specialty rooms
Internet
Washing machine

Minimum price for the course: 140 980,-
The price includes a double room with a bathroom in the hallway.

Loans and Grants

For the academic year 2024/2025, Norwegian citizens can receive up to NOK 137 907 from the Norwegian State Educational Loan Fund. 60 percent of this amount is a loan, 40 percent is a grant that can be converted to a scholarship upon approved completion of your year at the folk high school.

For international students it is possible to apply for scholarships through the Norwegian folk high school movement. Please contact the school for more information (mail: adm@bakketun.fhs.no)