The school units in Tvind

Written by Susanne.

Near a small town called Ulfborg, in western Jutland, surrounded by fields and farms, you can find an amazing sight. A windmill, different than any windmill you have ever have seen before, a windmill that once was the biggest of its kind, built by volunteers, teachers, students – amateurs – at the school centre in Tvind.

The school centre itself can look back on a long history, first founded some 40 years ago as an alternative school project for people who wanted to make a different kind of school.

A school that traveled to all kinds of destinations in old busses, meeting the people of this world, wherever they went, making friends with the locals and getting an insight of what the world really looked like.

Many things have changed since then, but still we want to have a lively place, with many different people living and learning together, fighting for more justice and equality in the whole world, making a political stand, joining forces with people alike and educating teachers who dedicate themselves to caring about the children they will teach, using new methods, trying new ways.

Today the Tvind school centre consists of :

  • DNS ( Teachers Training College )
  • The Heart Chambers ( Care homes for students with special needs )
  • The Day school ( Integration school for youngsters between 14 and 25 years)
  • PTG ( Practical Theoretical Basic Education ) for youngsters from 16 years and up
  • Tvindkraft ( Wind energy centre )

Each school unit has their own programme and students, starting from around 14 years of age up to any age above, but the units also have a lot in common. They eat most meals together, they share responsibilities and they do a wide range of activities together. The students benefit a lot from an international environment, where there are adults as well as teenagers with and without social and/or learning problems. The integration of all these different students, with DNS students giving a lot of input to the other units, arranging programmes and activities for them and some also work during their teaching practise there.

For the DNSers it is a very good preparation for their teaching practise, to organize and take part in weekly activities, like Centre afternoons, with sports, handicraft, art, music programmes, Tuesday cafes, political discussion evenings for DNS and youngsters together etc.