Ukrainian former students at Danish folk high schools: The stay gave us faith that we can make a change

Publiceret 26-04-2024

For two years, The Association of Folk High Schools in Denmark has supported young people from Ukraine who wanted to stay at a Danish folk high school. But what impact did the scholarships have? Read the answers from some of the Ukrainian former students here.

Olena Tsedilina is one of the more than 60 young people who have attended a folk high school in Denmark to the Ukraine-scholarship.

Trust, invaluable friendships, the freedom to express your own opinion and a better understanding of life in an international community. These are some of the things that young Ukrainians mention when they are asked to describe their experience of being a student at a folk high school in Denmark.

At the folk high schools they have experienced that they can make changes through dialogue, respect and understanding

Oksana Nykytyuk, former program coordinator at the Ukrainian-Danish Youth House

When Ukraine was invaded by Russia in February 2022, several folk high schools opened their doors for Ukrainian refugees, and during the spring of 2022 The Association of Folk High Schools in Denmark collected money to finance scholarships for young people from Ukraine and Russia.

More than 60 people from Ukraine have attended a folk high school

One of the purposes was to support the democratic development in Ukraine by giving young people democratic skills and motivate them to help change the situation in their own home country after their stay in Denmark.

Since then, the scholarship has continued thanks to Entrepreneur Marius Pedersens Fond, which has donated around 1 million Danish kroner so far.

More than 60 young people have been to a Danish folk high school thanks to the scholarship, and 18 folk high schools have been involved.

A high degree of trust and a low degree of hierarchy

But what effect does it have to let young people experience everyday life at a folk high school and to let them get to know the folk high school tradition and the democratic processes in Denmark?

The Association of Folk High Schools in Denmark looked into this by gathering Ukrainian folk high school students at a seminar in December 2023.

Overall, the young people had many positive stories about their stay. They felt like part of a community and were fond of the social life, the singing, the coziness and the slow life at the
folk high schools – and also of the other students' interest in the situation in Ukraine.

Oksana Nykytyuk, former program coordinator at the Ukrainian-Danish Youth House

Oksana Nykytyuk, who is a former program coordinator at the Ukrainian-Danish Youth House and today works as an interpreter in Forsvaret, was in charge of the seminar.

"Overall, the young people had many positive stories about their stay. They felt like part of a community and were fond of the social life, the singing, the coziness and the slow life at the
folk high schools – and also of the other students' interest in the situation in Ukraine," she says.

Also, the young Ukrainians were particularly interested in the high degree of trust and the low degree of hierarchy they experienced at the folk high schools.

“My impression is that it really meant something to them to get away from their own information bubble and see how democracy works other places. They talked about the ability to have a conversation, where there was not just one right answer and where it was not dangerous to share one's opinion and disagree with each other. At the folk high schools they have experienced that they can make changes through dialogue, respect and understanding," Oksana Nykytyuk says, adding that several of the young Ukrainians are currently involved in various cultural projects that aim to spread Danish traditions in Ukraine.

An opportunity to share experiences

The Association of Folk High Schools in Denmark has also spoken to three young Ukrainians who attended a folk high school in Denmark with help from the scholarship.

I made invaluable friendships, insights, and renewed my motivation to make a meaningful contribution to society.

Olena Tsedilina, former student at International People's College

Two of them were 22-year-old Liudmyla Lesiv and 28-year-old Olena Tsedilina who both stayed at the International People's College in Helsingør in the fall of 2023.

“The time I spent at the school was extremely inspiring, broadening my horizons and enriching my knowledge base. I made invaluable friendships, insights, and renewed my motivation to make a meaningful contribution to society,” says Olena Tsedilina about her stay.

24-year-old Anna Smolko who attended Rønde Højskole in the spring of 2023 has also been fond of her stay, and she is happy that she was able to share her experiences in both Denmark and Ukraine.

"I have shared my experiences through my blog, conveyed information about the Danish education system through articles and interviews in Ukrainian media, and also shared insights about the situation in Ukraine with the Danish people. The school provided me with numerous opportunities to do so, and I am genuinely grateful for that,” she says.

Here below you can read more about what the stay at a Danish folk high school meant for Anna, Olena and Liudmyla.

"I made invaluable friendships, insights, and renewed my motivation to make a meaningful contribution to society," says Olena Tsedilina.

"I renewed my motivation to make a meaningful contribution to society"

Olena Tsedilina, 28 years old. Was a student at the International People's College in Helsingør in the fall of 2023.

My commitment lies in enhancing civil society. With fellow activists, I founded an NGO dedicated to preserving cultural heritage and enhance civic enlightenment over three years ago, which I currently lead.

Before the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, my focus was on civic education and identifying effective democratic practices globally. Discovering Nikolaj Frederik Severin Grundtvig's work was transformative, enriching my perspective on enlightenment.

The time I spent at the school was extremely inspiring, broadening my horizons and enriching my knowledge base.

Olena Tsedilina, former student at the International People's College

For a long time I have wanted to join a folk high school and explore Danish culture and history. Your scholarship made this possible for me.

The time I spent at the school was extremely inspiring, broadening my horizons and enriching my knowledge base. I made invaluable friendships, insights, and renewed my motivation to make a meaningful contribution to society.

Words can hardly express the depth of my gratitude and respect for the generosity and humanity you have show.

Olena Tsedilina, former student at the International People's College

My research into Grundtvig's teachings and the philosophy of the folk high schools has deepened considerably. During my stay I developed a project that aims to strengthen democratic activism in Ukraine. I conducted interviews with teachers and students to discover the influence and meaning of the folk high school and Danish culture on their life.

I also went to interview the director of a library about the development and pivotal role of libraries in the political and social landscape of Denmark. This led me to another collaboration. I am now involved in a joint grant proposal aimed at using libraries as a basis for integrating Ukrainian refugees into Danish, Finnish, Estonian, and Latvian societies.

My stay had a profound impact on my life. Words can hardly express the depth of my gratitude and respect for the generosity and humanity you have shown.

"My primary motivation for coming here was to understand why Denmark is considered one of the happiest countries in the world," says Anna Smolko.

"I learned to interact with different people and develop trust among ourselves"

Anna Smolko, 24 years old. Attended Rønde Højskole in the spring of 2023.

I am delighted to inform you that during my stay, I not only learned Danish but also gained a comprehensive understanding of Danish society and democracy.

My primary motivation for coming here was to understand why Denmark is considered one of the happiest countries in the world. Now I can confidently say that it is indeed because of the strong sense of community and trust.

Anna Smolko, former student at Rønde Højskole

I acquired this knowledge through classes, participation in school events, and school trips to Danish museums. Additionally, I was impressed by our visit to the local council in Aarhus, which was organized by the school.

Throughout my stay, I also became part of a contact family, a Danish couple living in Rønde, with whom I delved deeper into Danish traditions.

My primary motivation for coming here was to understand why Denmark is considered one of the happiest countries in the world. Now I can confidently say that it is indeed because of the strong sense of community and trust.

This formed the foundation of my entire stay at the folk high school, where I learned how to interact with diverse individuals and develop trust among one another.

As I work in the education field in Ukraine, I was particularly interested in exploring the education system in Denmark. In addition to my studies at the folk high school, I visited a secondary school in Rønde multiple times as well as Aarhus University. The stark differences between the Danish and Ukrainian educational systems will undoubtedly influence my future projects for schools in Ukraine.

I have shared my experiences through my blog, conveyed information about the Danish education system through articles and interviews in Ukrainian media, and also shared insights about the situation in Ukraine with the Danish people. The school provided me with numerous opportunities to do so, and I am genuinely grateful for that.

Anna Smolko, former student at Rønde Højskole

Moreover, my worldview expanded through living and interacting with international students from all over the world, including Japan, Australia, Kenya, Nepal, the USA, England, Italy and Iceland. This experience allowed me to view certain issues from different perspectives.

It also taught me how to find common ground and negotiate with students from around the globe. I have made many wonderful friends among them, and I hope to maintain these friendships in the future.

Another word that described my experience here is "sharing." I have shared my experiences through my blog, conveyed information about the Danish education system through articles and interviews in Ukrainian media, and also shared insights about the situation in Ukraine with the Danish people. The school provided me with numerous opportunities to do so, and I am genuinely grateful for that.

I created a lecture for Ukrainian educators about Danish education and society, and I had a huge feedback on my blog, as people in Ukraine do not know much about Denmark.

Overall I’m so greatful for this opportunity- it made a big impact on me and will make on Ukrainian society.

"The International People’s College became a place for a better understanding of life in the international community," says Liudmyla Lesiv

"We learned how even small actions can be important"

Liudmyla Lesiv, 22 years old. Was a student at the International People's College in Helsingør in the fall of 2023.

The International People’s College became a place for a better understanding of life in the international community. We were all so different and so similar at the same time, we learned how even small actions can be so important.

Asked about what I have taken with me from my stay as a person, I would say to be yourself, be courageous, discover all your thoughts, and find your peace.

Liudmyla Lesiv, former student at International People's College

With this idea, I started volunteering at Erasmus Social Network in Kyiv where I found people who create a spirit of unity for youth.

Asked about what I have taken with me from my stay as a person, I would say to be yourself, be courageous, discover all your thoughts, and find your peace. It's not enough just to exist, you need to be an active citizen, a global active citizen.

Folk High Schools Stand With Ukraine

The war is still raging in Ukraine. Millions of Ukrainian families have been forced to flee, while others have stayed to fight. Even though the war is fought far away, it is followed closely and leaves its marks on the folk high schools in Denmark.

#FolkHighSchoolsStandWithUkraine