The foundation of the Democrazy Course is two days pr. week, which will be spent discussing and looking at a certain theme or topic from different angles. Classes will be in the shape of workshops and group activities, where the idea is to invite a competent person from either Denmark or the rest of the world to give a presentation and spark a debate. That could be a revolutionary from Egypt, a famous Danish politician, or a representative from one of the many European NGOs. The first guests will have been decided by the time you arrive, and we will let you know on Facebook and our website as soon as the names are available.
A few weeks into the course we will all help decide who should be workshop leaders, and determine the purposes of the workshops. It is our priority that you get as much influence on designing your stay as possible. Each week we offer eight hours of branch specific self-elected subjects, where you decide if you want to immerse yourself further into the topics of democracy and society, if you want to add language education to your stay, or if you want to focus on body and exercise. The remainder of your schedule will be filled by optional subjects, and we do offer a wide variety.

A HEALTHY BODY = A HEALTHY MIND

Sports and outdoor activities are a regular part of the schedule. We use the surrounding nature actively, so you will not spend all of your days hunched over a school desk. The local fjord is the scene for sea kayaks and other types of boating, while the forest is used for adventure racing, and the local sports facilities are used for indoor sports and ballgames. We use our regional network to offer you a selection of great activities on a level where everyone can participate.

AN INTERNATIONAL MELTING POT OF IDEAS

At Højskolen Østersøen, you get the chance to discuss your ideas about democracy with young people from all over Europe. The school becomes a living melting pot of language and culture, where your opinions become central to the debate and the entire school environment. When you leave the school, you will have made friends and acquaintances from all over Europe – and that is a network you will be able to use at all times.

LANGUAGE SKILLS PROMOTE GOOD CONVERSATIONS

At Højskolen Østersøen we are experts in teaching language. That is why we offer to stimulate your linguistic talents with optional classes in German, Danish, or English, for up to eight hours pr. week. You will be able to use your new language skills in the day to day communication with the rest of your team, and you will of course be able to add your language skills to future job applications.

THE OUTCOME

Towards the end of the course we aim at producing papers, newspaper articles, videocasts and even a bill that will presented to the Danish parliament. The aim is to extend the number of people involved in the project, as well as producing a tangible outcome of the time spent at Højskolen Østersøen.