The Christian folk high schools are built on Christian values. They are owned by, or associated with, Christian organizations or denominations. They encourage students with different interests and beliefs to apply.
Food: Vegetarian
Most schools will accommodate food allergies and other dietary needs. If you have questions, please contact the school directly.
Environmental certification:
Fairtrade
Location: Birkenes Kommune
Study tour for the course: Tokyo - Japan, Europe
Study tour for the school: Havglimt, School trip to Denmark, Valgfri tur: Danmark - København, Valgfri tur: England, Valgfri tur: Ecuador og Galápagos
In the Digital Nomad course, you learn video, photography, animation, 3D, music, web development, and programming. Study trips to Tokyo, and Europe offer practical experience and lifelong friends.
We learn and explore digital media based on the idea that it doesn’t matter where in the world you are as long as you have a camera, laptop, and wifi. This is a forward-thinking and exciting way to organize your life.
We will live out this philosophy together as a class in a good classroom environment with new friends, be introduced to many different subjects within digital media, and create many creative and exciting photos, videos, websites, music, animations, and games. We will do all this with the excellent facilities at the school and, not least, travel to Tokyo, Japan, and explore Europe.
Subjects:
Learn to use a camera to take photos and videos
Edit photos in Lightroom and Photoshop
Edit videos in DaVinci Resolve
Create graphics in Illustrator
Animate in After Effects
Make music in Ableton Live
Process sound in Fairlight
Program and create dynamic websites using HTML, CSS, JavaScript, PHP, and MySQL
GAMING and streaming
Explore and keep up with the latest in technology
Get inspired by movies, series, anime, and other popular cultural expressions
Generate money from your digital projects
Trips to Tokyo and Europe
Language
You should expect most of the teaching to be in Norwegian. We do offer to join the Norwegian class one day a week. You should be motivated to put some efford in to learn the Norwegian Language on your own.
Tokyo - Japan
Mandatory: Yes
Price: Included in course price
Meals included per day: 3
A whole week in Tokyo
One of the world’s most fascinating and technologically advanced metropolises. A unique opportunity to combine learning, culture, and adventure. Futuristic skyscrapers, ancient traditions. One of the most modern cities in the world. A cultural melting pot where history, technology, and art meet.
Explore culture and iconic landmarks
Bird’s-eye view of Tokyo from the Tokyo Government Building in Shinjuku and Tokyo Skytree, one of the world’s tallest towers.
Studio Ghibli - World-class art and animation
Known for films like Spirited Away and My Neighbor Totoro. Experience how animation is created and gain insight into creative processes. Inspiration on how film, art, and technology create magic.
Technology and gaming in Akihabara
Tokyo’s famous electronics and gaming district. A mecca for technology and pop culture. From the latest gadgets to retro games, it’s a paradise for enthusiasts.
Traditions and shopping
Ameyoko - the authentic Tokyo atmosphere with a lively market of exotic spices and street food.
Two bustling districts: Shibuya Crossing, the world’s busiest pedestrian crossing, and Harajuku, known for its youth culture and colorful fashion scene.
Future technology on Odaiba
Futuristic island with hyper-modern buildings and technological wonders. Explore interactive art installations.
Learn to navigate Tokyo on your own (Trail of Tokyo)
Experience and become confident in navigating a world metropolis with its network of trains and subways.
An unforgettable week!
Europe
Mandatory: Yes
Price: Included in course price
Meals included per day: 3
Planning and carrying out a class trip to Europe is an incredibly exciting and educational experience. In April, when spring blooms across Europe, a week filled with adventure and learning will give you memories for a lifetime. The best part of this trip is that the class gets to decide which places to visit, tailoring the journey to your interests.
Europe offers an endless array of exciting destinations. You can explore historic cities like Rome, known for the Colosseum and the Vatican, or Paris, where the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre await discovery. Perhaps the class will take a trip to Berlin, a city rich in culture and history, with sites like the Brandenburg Gate and remnants of the Berlin Wall. No matter which cities you choose, the trip will provide deep insights into both Europe’s history and culture.
Planning the trip will teach you important skills such as budgeting, organizing travel itineraries, and planning activities that suit everyone. In addition to visiting famous attractions, you can experience local cuisine, explore exciting markets, and participate in unique cultural experiences that can only be found in Europe.
Carrying out the trip also provides practical experiences in teamwork and problem-solving. You will become more independent by navigating new places, using public transportation, and finding the best sights. This will strengthen both the class’s unity and individual skills.
The trip is a fantastic opportunity to learn, grow, and have fun!
I ukene før påske har vi også våre valgbare skoleturer. Dette er ulike turer som pågår i samme tidsperiode. Turene har ulike destinasjoner og ulike priser. Du velger skoletur etter at de blir presentert i oppstarten av året.
Pris og destinasjon kan bli endret til skolestart.
Optional trip: Copenhagen, Denmark
Price: Included in course price
This is one of the 3 group trips you can choose from. It takes place in March/April. You choose the trip after you have started school (The cost is included in the school fee - so this trip does not cost anything extra).
Copenhagen is a vibrant capital with a European flair. There are many opportunities here!
Lonely Planet named Copenhagen the best city in the world to visit in 2019. If you choose to join us to the “King’s City,” you might understand why.
We stay very centrally, within walking distance to most of what the charming capital is known for: bustling street life, cozy cafes, happy people, peaceful parks, magnificent architecture, beautiful streets and alleys, exciting art and cultural life, shopping, and Tivoli.
The Copenhagen Card is included, giving you access to free public transport and about 80 attractions and sights. Some activities we do together, some in groups, and some you can choose freely. Together, we create a program that is educational, exciting, and unique.
Since the price for Copenhagen is included in the school fees, this is a budget trip. But you will see and experience that it is entirely possible to have a rich and unforgettable trip without it costing too much.
Optional trip: England
Price: 10 000
This is one of the 3 group trips you can choose from. It takes place in March/April. You choose the trip after you have started school (This trip costs an additional 10,000).
Join us on a rich journey you will not soon forget! We travel across England. From the port city of Liverpool to the capital London. Experience musicals, Stonehenge, Oxford University, Silverstone Racetrack, and the city of London itself! This is a trip for those who want to see and experience a lot!
We start the trip in Liverpool, where we visit the Beatles Museum, the Merseyside Maritime Museum, and try to schedule the trip on a match day so that those who wish can get tickets to a Liverpool match at Anfield! We then travel to Birmingham, where we both explore the city and attend a musical together.
Next, we travel to Silverstone, a renowned Formula 1 track, where we visit the motor history museum. Here you have the opportunity to book a drive on the track in beautiful supercars! (This is paid for by the student if desired).
We then visit Oxford University, where we get a tour from local students, before traveling to see perhaps the world’s most talked-about mystery: Stonehenge. The trip ends in London, where we have plenty of time for sightseeing, shopping, and exploration.
This is a fantastic opportunity for those who want to experience the best of England!
The trip may vary slightly from year to year. This outline is based on the trip in March 2025.
Optional trip: Ecuador & the Galápagos Island
Price: 33 000
This is one of the 3 trips you can choose from. The decision you make after arrival at the school.
Join us on an exclusive journey in beautiful Ecuador! A trip of a lifetime. High mountains, jungle, and lush nature on the mainland, before flying 100 km out into the Pacific Ocean to the world’s most exotic place: the Galápagos Islands. On this trip, you will experience unique encounters with local people and see parts of the world that are difficult to visit.
Do you want to experience being 4000 meters above sea level? Meet people who live in the Amazon? Meet monkeys and wild animals? From high mountains, to jungle, rivers, and an incredible coast.
Here is a bit of what you will experience if you choose to join the trip to Ecuador:
The Andes - the world’s longest and South America’s highest mountain range
The Amazon jungle - a walk in the forest to see insects and plants is something entirely different here
The Galápagos Islands in the Pacific Ocean - here there will be sun, sea, and snorkeling
Swimming with sharks, iguanas, and giant tortoises
Wonderful people
Great contrasts
The beautiful city of Cuenca
Rafting and cycling in Baños
Jogging at 4000 meters altitude
The magical coast of Ecuador
The big city of Guayaquil
Beautiful architecture
Indian market
Different, lush nature
Ecuador is a fantastic and varied country! It just has to be experienced!
We have ourown guide and bus driver whowilltakeusaroundthe country. We will travel a lot and get many impressions!
We have three different kind of trips:
Linjeturer: Trips with your class. Mandatory, and is included in the price you pay.
Fellestur: Trips with the whole school. Mandatory, and is included in the price you pay.
Valgbar skoletur: You chose between three trips. The choice is made in the beginning of the year. The students joining the trips are mixed from all classes.
Copenhagen. Is included in the price
England. Additional cost.
Ecuador and Galapagos. Additional cost.
Price and destination for school trip is opt for change before the school begins.
Havglimt
Mandatory: Yes
Price: Included in course price
Duration: 2 dager x2
Meals included per day: 3
We travel to the archipelago of Southern Norway for overnight stays and fellowship twice a year. The first time is at the beginning of the school year to get to know each other better, and the second time is at the end of the school year to reminisce and enjoy good times together.
School trip to Denmark
Mandatory: Yes
Price: Included in course price
Meals included per day: 3
The first overseas trip of the year is a group excursion where friendships are forged, laying the foundation for an amazing year ahead!
At the beginning of the school year, we travel to Rønbjerg Holiday Center in Denmark. There, we mainly stay in cabins grouped by our respective classes, but much of the program is communal and cross-line. As part of the mandatory activities, you can choose from an activity menu based on your own interests and preferences.
During the four days of this getting-to-know-you trip, we bond together. In many ways, we lay the groundwork for a safe and strong community, which in turn contributes to making the year at Folkehøgskolen Sørlandet great!
We are a comprehensive school. We are proud of that.
By comprehensive school, we mean:
A wide variety of course offerings
A wide variety of staff expertise and backgrounds
A wide variety of facilities, and thus opportunities for leisure activities
A diversity of courses attracts a diversity of students
A diversity of expertise allows for a variety of elective subjects
We have a well-maintained school. We are proud of that too.
Even though the school started in 1912, we have a well-maintained school that has been well-run for many years.
By well-maintained, we mean:
We have two skilled caretakers who constantly maintain and refurbish rooms and buildings
The student rooms are of high standard, with showers and toilets attached to the rooms. In the dormitory, there are common rooms and kitchens
We have a well-equipped gym, a large new sports hall, and our own swimming pool with a sauna
In addition to wireless and wired internet in the dormitory, we have our own LAN room for connecting with your own computer
We have our own café, car workshop, football room, billiards, table tennis, garage, arts and crafts room, barbecue hut, and large common room. Everything is set up for a fulfilling school year and varied leisure time!
The school is centrally located in Birkenes center. Here, it is a short distance to shops and eateries, a lighted trail, an artificial turf field, and hiking trails in the nearby nature. Public transport is our nearest neighbor. Buses go to Kristiansand and Lillesand from here. From Kristiansand, there are trains and buses to Stavanger and Oslo. Only 20 kilometers away is Kjevik airport.
The Christian folk high schools are built on Christian values. They are owned by, or associated with, Christian organizations or denominations. They encourage students with different interests and beliefs to apply.
