Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Study in Denmark
Using sports, music and arts as tools for personal development, Gudenaadalens Efterskole gives students a head start on adult life.
Get a jump start on life For more than 70 years, Gudenaadalens Efterskole has provided its students with a year full of sport, music and camaraderie. Named after its location at river Gudenåen, the school has provided thousands of students with essential skills, not just for their future studies but for their future life. By Signe Hansen | Photos: Gudenaadalens Efterskole
Established in 1948, Gudenaadalens Efterskole still carries on its founding ambition of helping students form and develop not just as academics but as social beings and responsible citizens. Now, as then, this is done with a strong focus on sport, music and creativity. “The school was founded on the idea that we should educate young people to become responsible citizens capable of functioning in a democratic society, and song, storytelling and sports were the tools,” explains principal Jesper Emil Sørensen, who has been at the school for the last 17 years. “Today, we’re running a modern efterskole; we have modernised facilities and so on to match our time, but the focus on sport, music and solidarity is still at the heart of everything.” 108 | Issue 109 | February 2018
An active day – an active year With around 170 students from all over the surrounding area, there is only one criterion for success at Gudenaadalens Efterskole: a desire to live an active life. “All our students come here because they’re looking for an active school day. They all do gymnastics at some level. That doesn’t mean that they have to be gymnasts, but most have a liking for it, or they will have when they leave,” explains Sørensen. On top of the sports subjects, the school also offers music and arts, and the year is full of special sports activities and events throughout. At the same time, there is a strong focus on providing students with the academic skills they need
for their exams and further education. “A school is composed of several parts, where one is about delivering the goods academically; our role is to qualify and form our students,” Sørensen points out. “Not just for their future career, but for their future life.”
Facts: Subjects: Handball, gymnastics, music, e-sport, football, rhythmic, art. Accommodation: Students share double, triple or quadruple rooms. To ensure fairness in accommodation and social interaction, all students change rooms and room mates three times during the year. Location: Gudenaadalens Efterskole is located in the small town of Ulstrup between Viborg, Randers and Silkeborg.
Web: www.gudenaadalen.dk