International - Catch Norway

At Folkehøgskolen Sørlandet you'll get the opportunity to grow as a person in an international environment. Our school is varied in terms of courses and people attending, meaning you'll definitely meet people who are different from you - and definitely meet people who share your interests too. We see this as valuable, because we believe it's important to meet and make friends with people who you normally wouldn't interact with. In addition to our International course, we have courses surrounding sports, health, travelling, cars and mechanics, digital creativity, football, and team building. Throughout the year you will also have some electives alongside the classes with your course teacher. These subjects can be anything - from knitting, to workouts, to painting, to cooking. There will be plenty to choose from, and you'll have several through the year. In the electives you'll meet students from other courses, and different teachers too. 

This is our Classroom - check it out! (It's a 3D-model):

Living together with this many different people, and on a varied schedule, makes for a great opportunity for learning and for friendships to be made.A school year at a folk high school lasts for 9 months. We begin in August - excited and a bit nervous, and end in May - with our hearts full, sad that it's over already. The schedule is varied, but you always have some form of class Monday to Saturday. The school has no upper age limit, however most Norwegian people choose to attend this school prior to studying. Meaning the majority of the students here are between 19 and 24 years old. 

The school is located in Birkeland, a town in the far South of Norway, quite close to the coast. But because we are not situated directly at the coastline we are more likely to have snow in the winter!

In addition to learning the language, we'll teach you about Norwegian culture and society. Music, food, traditions, nature, and much more! In class we'll get to know each other through games, discussions and projects, and we welcome you to share your culture with us too! 

We use a form of language learning called Suggestopedia. 

It's a fun, intuitively and joyful way to learn languages. This is suitable for beginners particularly, but will also be useful if you already know a few words, or want to freshen up old knowledge.

We focus on learning how to speak, so you can start to understand and talk with Norwegians. We recommend you spend time with others at school and participate in evening activities. This will give you lots of opportunities to hear and practice speaking with Norwegian students. 

• The coastline with lots of small islands - we'll even camp out on one! 
• Experience Oslo, our capital.
• A cosy cabin trip. You'll learn the word "koselig" soon enough. 
• Concerts with Norwegian artists.
• Museums.
• Hikes in Norwegian nature.
• Play in the snow! We'll go skating, maybe skiing and definitely sledding! 

The whole school goes to Denmark 

We'll start off the year with a trip to Rønbjerg Holiday Resort in Denmark. During this trip we'll get to know each other better, and build the foundation for a good environment back at school. You'll get to see a bit of Denmark and participate in lots of activities together. A great way to start the year! 

Going abroad - across courses 

In Spring the whole school will travel again - this time to multiple destinations. You'll have to choose one out of four options. More information will be given after the beginning of school, and you'll make the choice when you're here. These are all great trips with special opportunities you'll be happy to be a part of. 

One of them is included in the tuition fee, for the three other options an additional charge applies. 

The options are:

1. Copenhagen, Denmark - included in the tuition fee. 
2. Budapest, Hungary - cost extra. 
3. Cambodia- cost extra
4. Ecuador and the Galápagos Islands - cost extra

The trips will take place in March 2025. 

You'll be part of a large group in an including environment where everyone gets to know each other. We prioritize activities for the whole group. 

We'll have days that are different from our normal schedule. Days where we travel somewhere, hike together, have tournaments, create things together, and so on. Through the year we will:

• Camp on an island with the whole school (Havglimt!) 
• Go to Denmark together.
• Have a day out hiking at a nearby mountain.
• Have tournaments.
• Hang out together in the big living room (stue).
• Have voluntarily Christian gatherings, one night a week. 
• Have a couple of MIX-weeks, where things are very different.
  • We'll put on a musical and a theater for children.
  • You'll get to participate in acting, dancing, scenography, make-up, production, light, cameras, or other things. 
• Have activities you can choose to participate in every day. 
• Hike during night time - we're talking bonfires, starry skies, getting used to the dark.
• Have a Christmas workshop
• Play sports and have activities in our sports hall. 
• Have entertainment nights. You'll watch them together with everyone, and arrange your own together with your class.

Facilities 

Our school has plenty of space and facilities for different use:

• A large sports hall
• Swimming pool. 
• Our very own Café.
• Big screen and sofas for watching football and movies.
• A gaming room
• Gym.
• Large living room and eating area. 
• Room for reflection and prayer.
• Sound studio. 
• Car mechanics workshop 
• Arts and crafts room

Contact Person

Please note that applicants from other countries must have relatives or friends in Norway who can take the responsibility of a Contact Person between the school and the student. This person must be fluent in Norwegian and have a Norwegian residence. The Contact Person is also supposed to invite the student to stay with him or her in the school’s holidays (the Autumn, Christmas, Winter and Easter holidays), as the school is closed on these occations.

Economy 

For the school year 2024/2025 the following figures are valid:

• Admissions fee (which must be paid when you are admitted to the school): NOK 2.600,-
• Tuition fee (food and lodging in twin bed room - also includes Wi-Fi, use of washing machine, copying fee, etc.): NOK 104.500,-
• Course fee (books, materials, trips, excursions etc.): NOK 16.000,- 

Please note that the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) requires that applicants from outside the EU pay for the entire year before any application for a residence permit can be processed. For the academic school year of 2024-25, the amount will be released shortly. 

Please contact the school if you would like to receive a payment plan for your stay.

NOTE! Every folk high school, including Folkehøgskolen Sørlandet, has a rule that any student who quits prematurely must pay for six weeks in addition to the time he or she stays at the school.

How to Apply

To apply for this course you have to fill out a form on an external website. You can go straight to the online application form by clicking here.

Prices for the year 2024-25

Course cost for International - Catch Norway : 16 000 NOK

Total price for the whole year: 123 500 NOK

This is included in the total, among other things: 

• A registration fee of 2 600 NOK. 
• Trip for the whole school to Denmark.
• Living costs for a double room (all rooms have showers). 
  • 4 meals each weekday. 3 meals each day during the weekend. 
  • Washing machine and dryer.
  • WiFi and cable internet access
• Trips with the class - cabin trip, concerts, trips to the cities around, Oslo, train ride north bound ++
• Shorter trips with the whole school: Hike, camping on an island ++
• Access to all the school's facilities. 

Please don't hesitate getting in touch. 

There are various way you can reach us: 

E-mail: post@fhssorlandet.no

Telephone: +47 37 28 11 00

Some more information about the school can be found on this page too. 

You can also find our school and the International class on Instagram to ask questions through Direct Message and see what were up to. 

International - Catch Norway - @internasjonalfhs

Folkehøgskolen Sørlandet - @fhssorlandet