Students in the North Atlantic class come from the Faroe Islands, Greenland, Iceland and Denmark.
Turn school into an Arctic adventure Three years in four different nations – Gribskov Gymnasium’s North Atlantic class gives adventurous and independent students the chance of a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Launched last year, the course brings together students from Iceland, Greenland, Denmark and the Faroe Islands, in an ambitious programme that sees students living and learning in each other’s home countries. By Signe Hanse | Photos: Gribskov Gymnasium
Designed to give students an authentic, challenging and eye-opening experience, the North Atlantic class is structured like no other ‘gymnasium’ (Danish upper secondary school). While the students spend their first year in Denmark, they then travel to the Faroe Islands and Iceland for their third and fourth semesters and finish with a year in Greenland. This structure gives the youngsters a unique chance to use their time in secondary school not just to prepare for their further education, but also to broaden their cultural and so78 | Issue 133 | February 2020
cial horizon, says one of the founders of the course, Kristoffer Høy Sidenius, the principal of Gribskov Gymnasium. “The students get a completely different experience than on a traditional exchange programme, where they might stay in one place for a few weeks. Here, they will get to experience everything in the North Atlantic, from the vibrant life of Reykjavik to the midnight sun and dark winter in Greenland.” With around 50 applications for last year’s first class, the programme suc-
ceeded in grabbing the interest of many youngsters. Furthermore, the concept also got recognition from the Danish Royal Family, who invited representatives from the schools to attend a special event celebrating the Danish Commonwealth.
Academic and social skills Despite the historic and current connections between the four nations, the North Atlantic class is the first of its kind. This means that students have had to take a bit of a leap of faith, but those who have done so have no regrets. Having previously visited Greenland, the Faroe Islands and Iceland, Danish student Caroline Thermansen Willumsen has been in love with the North Atlantic cultures since she was child. “Before I started, I was really looking forward to going on adventures in the