Elverum folkehøgskule

What Elverum folkehøgskule does

Elverum folkehøgskule is a private Norwegian folk high school (folkehøgskole) founded in 1928, located on a historic campus at Strandbygdvegen 143 in Elverum, between Sagtjernet lake and the Glomma river. The institution delivers non-formal, grade-free and exam-free residential education to approximately 130 students per year across nine main program lines, including Afrika – Bistand/Kultur, Backpacker/Ekstremsport, Foto/Opplevelser, Keramikk/Maling/Opplevelser, Kunst/Opplevelser, Musikk – Band/Vokal, Norwegian – Culture/Adventure, Snowboard/Freeski, and Styrkeløft/Vektløfting/Functional fitness, with over 30 elective courses available. The school also offers half-year variants of most lines, and an international line targets non-EU/EØS students through rolling admission from October 1st. Programs are delivered on a boarding-school model with shared accommodation, meals, common subjects, study trips, and theme weeks, supported by physical infrastructure including music recording studios, photography darkrooms, ceramics workshops, a ski/snowboard rail park, and strength training facilities.

The school generates revenue primarily through annual tuition fees, which vary by program line and accommodation choice (rooms with or without private bathroom). The institution is approved by Statens Lånekasse (Norwegian State Educational Loan Fund), enabling students to access full loans and stipends to cover tuition — a regulatory prerequisite for demand at this price point. A secondary revenue stream comes from a rentals and services business that hires out minibuses, accommodation, event venues, conference facilities, lighting/sound/stage equipment, and catering to local businesses, wedding parties, and organizations in the Elverum area. Students apply via the centralized national folkehogskole.no portal (school ID 9) or directly through the school's own website. The organization is registered as a Norwegian nonprofit educational entity (Org. nr 971 533 889 MVA), holds Miljøfyrtarn (Eco-Lighthouse) environmental certification, and operates a long-standing aid project — the Rwenzori Elverum Educational Centre in Kasese, Uganda — that has run since 2005 and now provides over 800 school places.

Name

Elverum folkehøgskule

Legal name

Elverum folkehøgskole

Website

https://elverumfhs.no

Company type

Private

Founded year

1928

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Elverum folkehøgskule is a Norwegian private folk high school founded in 1928 that delivers residential, grade-free personal-development programs to ~130 students annually across nine specialized lines, plus rentals and event services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Folk High School Education

NAICS

All Other Schools and Instruction (61169), Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000)

akta.pro primary industry

Field Schools & Experiential Academic Programs (Archaeology, Ecology, etc.) (EDAIAIAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

School, University & NGO Outdoor Programs (Curriculum/Program Delivery) (THAAAOAD), School Group & Curriculum-Led Trips (THAKAGAB)

Keywords

• Folk high school education
• Boarding school programs
• Experiential learning
• Gap year education
• Arts and sports education

Headquarters

HQ city

Elverum

HQ country

Norway

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: The school generates revenue primarily through student tuition fees. Prices vary by program/line selection and whether students choose rooms with or without private bathrooms. The school is approved by Statens Lånekasse (Norwegian State Educational Loan Fund), allowing students to apply for full loans and scholarships to cover tuition costs.
2. Rental and Event Services: The school rents out facilities including minibusses, accommodation, event spaces, conference facilities, and sound/lighting/stage equipment. Catering services are also offered. These services target local businesses, wedding parties, and organizations seeking venue hire in the Elverum area.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Elverum folkehøgskule is a Norwegian folk high school that offers full-year and half-year residential educational programs (lines) covering arts, music, photography, ceramics, snowboarding/freeski, strength training, backpacking/extreme sports, Norwegian culture and adventure, and Africa aid/culture, focused on personal cultivation ("danning") without grades or exams. The school also rents out facilities including minibuses, accommodation, event venues, conference facilities, lighting/sound/stage equipment, and catering services to local businesses and event organizers.

Product overview

Elverum folkehøgskule is a Norwegian folk high school offering a diverse portfolio of educational programs (linjer) focused on personal development, skill-building, and cultural experiences. The school provides nine distinct full-year educational lines covering arts (photo, ceramics, painting, music), sports (snowboard/freeski, strength training), adventure (backpacking/extreme sports, Norwegian culture/adventure), and international aid (Africa aid/culture). Additionally, the school offers rental services including minibus hire, accommodation, event venues, conference facilities, lighting/sound/stage equipment, and catering. Most lines are also available as half-year courses. The school emphasizes 'danning' (personal formation) without grades or exams, with all programs including elective subjects (valgfag), study trips, and common subjects (fellesfag).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Afrika – Bistand/Kultur A specialized folk high school line focused on international aid and cultural exchange, with students traveling to Uganda to support the Rwenzori Elverum Educational Centre and participating in development projects. Targets students interested in global development and cross-cultural experiences.
• Backpacker/Ekstremsport An adventure-focused educational line combining backpacking and extreme sports, including activities like caving, glacier hiking, and mountaineering. Designed for students who enjoy outdoor adventure and physical challenge.
• Foto/Opplevelser A photography and experiences educational line where students develop skills in photojournalism, travel photography, and visual storytelling. Targets students passionate about photography and visual arts.
• Keramikk/Maling/Opplevelser An arts educational line focused on ceramics and painting, allowing students to develop creative skills in a supportive artistic environment. Targets students interested in visual arts and craft.
• Kunst/Opplevelser An art and experiences educational line combining visual arts with cultural adventures and study trips, including travel to destinations such as Berlin.
• Musikk – Band/Vokal A music educational line focused on band performance and vocal training, including music production and studio recording at the school's recording studios. Targets aspiring musicians and vocalists.
• Norwegian – Culture/Adventure

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% of collected funds go directly to aid projects in Uganda
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Rwenzori Elverum Educational Centre (R.E.E.C.)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2005Aid project in Kasese, southwestern Uganda operated since 2005. The school center has nursery, primary and secondary levels with students from 3-18 years. Provides over 800 school places. 100% of collected funds go directly to projects. Elverum FHS contributes financial support and guidance.
• FolkehøgskolerådetminorOthersJoint council for Norwegian folk high schools representing both Norsk Folkehøgskolelag and Norges Kristelege Folkehøgskolelag. Provides advocacy and policy representation for the folk high school sector.
• InterfolkminorOthersFolk high schools' own international aid organization. Elverum collaborates on international development projects.
• Lånekassen (Norwegian State Educational Loan Fund)coreOthersGovernment agency providing student loans and grants. Elverum FHS is an approved institution, allowing students to receive full loan and stipend support for tuition.
• Elvebris FestivalminorOthersAnnual large music festival held at the folk high school each summer. Local cultural partnership.
• Festspillene i ElverumminorOthersFestival arrangement in Elverum with program information, artist showcases, and ticket sales.
• Ungdomssymfonikerne (Norwegian National Youth Orchestra)minorOthersNational youth orchestra that uses Elverum FHS facilities for summer courses in July/August.
• Movies on War Film FestivalminorOthersAnnual film festival in Elverum focused on themes of peace and reconciliation, war and conflict.
• Åmot MunicipalityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFriendship municipality partnership with Bwera, Uganda. Collaborating to improve 'Rena School' in Bwera district.
• Terningen ArenaminorOthersMulti-purpose arena in Elverum used for sports (home to Elverum Handball), concerts, and events.
• Hovedorganisasjonen VirkeminorOthersNorwegian confederation of enterprises. Elverum FHS received training in 'Balansekunst' competency documentation system developed by Tormod Skjerve, which has become a standard for documenting competencies in the workplace.
• Hvite BusserminorOthersOrganization helping convey the history surrounding the April 1940 events and 'Kongens Nei'. Collaboration on historical education and memorial activities.
• Rotary International / Rotary KongsvingerminorOthersIn summer 2021, Rotary International and Rotary Kongsvinger provided a large water tank for the tourism project in Kilembe, Uganda, supplying water to buildings and small surrounding villages.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• NOLS (National Outdoor Leadership School): U.S.-based global leader in wilderness and experiential education. While Elverum is much smaller, the operating model — multi-week to multi-month residential courses combining outdoor skills, leadership, and personal development — is closely analogous to Elverum's Backpacker/Ekstremsport and Norwegian Culture/Adventure lines, making it a useful scale benchmark.
• Outward Bound International: International umbrella for experiential outdoor education providers; Norway has its own Outward Bound Norway. Conceptually analogous to Elverum's experiential/adventure programs but at national/regional scale, with similar target audience of young adults seeking character-building outdoor experiences.

Direct peers

• Hurdal folkehøgskole: Another Norwegian folkehøgskole with multi-line arts/outdoor programming and a similarly small residential footprint. Operates under the same Folkehøgskolerådet framework and competes head-to-head for the same young-adult gap-year segment.
• Danvik folkehøgskole: Established Norwegian folk high school covering arts, music and outdoor adventure, comparable to Elverum in target audience (18+), programs, and reliance on Lånekassen-financed tuition. Direct competitor for Norwegian and international gap-year students.
• Bakketun Folkehøgskole: Another Norwegian folkehøgskole offering full-year and half-year personal-development programs to young adults 18+. Directly comparable non-profit boarding school with similar lines, Lånekassen funding, and centralized national application via folkehogskole.no.
• Grimstad folkehøgskole: Long-established Norwegian folkehøgskole offering music, arts and outdoor lines. Comparable on program mix, age range, and government funding model, serving as a direct substitute option for prospective students.
• Ringerike Folkehøgskole: Norwegian folk high school with a comparable mix of arts, outdoor, sports and travel-focused 'linjer' for the same 18+ gap-year demographic. Direct peer in scale (~70-150 students), pricing, and Lånekassen-backed tuition model.
• Nordmøre folkehøgskole: Norwegian folk high school with broadly similar linjer-based curriculum and boarding model. Competes with Elverum for the same national applicant pool via the same centralized folkehogskole.no admission system.

Others

• Folkehøgskolerådet (Norwegian Folk High School Council): Joint coordinating body for Norway's ~80 folkehøgskoler (already a named Elverum partner). Shown as a peer because it sits at the sector level rather than as a competitor; relevant ecosystem participant for policy advocacy, benchmarking, and sector-level brand reach.

Emerging players

• Gordonstoun School: UK boarding school founded on John Willie's experiential/character education principles — historically the template for Norwegian folkehøgskoler. Comparable on residential 'danning'-style ethos, outdoor/adventure programming, and full-year/course-style structures, though operating in a different country and education segment.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/elverumfhs
• Facebookfacebook.com/elverumfhs
• Instagraminstagram.com/elverumfhs
• TikToktiktok.com/@elverumfhs

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Elverum folkehøgskule