The folk school movement began in Denmark in the early 19th century, a period of rapidly accelerating social change accompanying the industrial revolution. Danish philosopher Nikolaj Grundtvig propounded folk schools as a way to support democracy through personal and community development. He called them “schools for life,” grounded in principles near and dear to us at the CCLC: education should be available lifelong, open to all, place-based, rooted in relationship and community, and embracing the whole person—physical, emotional, social, cognitive, spiritual.

Folk schools are experiencing a resurgence in the US. See brief profiles of American folk schools throughout this edition of Cobscook Currents.