Gymnastikhøjskolen i Ollerup

Gymnastikhøjskolen i Ollerup (The Academy of Physical Education in Ollerup, hereafter just referred to as Ollerup) is the oldest Academy of Physical Education in Denmark, working entirely with non-formal education. The school was founded in 1920 and is a residential school with more than 250 students each year and 85 employees divided between administrative department, educational department and practical and kitchen department. The school is based in a local community outside Svendborg on South-Funen. The students are part of an environment based on social responsibilities, which brings along exceptional challenges and possibilities for personal development. Since the foundation of the Academy in Ollerup, several other academies have been established based on the same ideology, and many of the recent schools have strong roots back to Ollerup. The fundamental objective of the Academy is: • To educate physical education instructors with addition of project management and leadership in general • To combine philosophy and society awareness with physical training that leads to the development of each individual ́s personal competence. • To inspire to lifelong learning, active citizenship and active living, based on the ideas of Grundtvig. • To create an environment of strong international network to develop intercultural understanding and competences • To establish a non-formal education program based on enlightment and structures and methods that develop democratic skills in the social interaction between the students Sport and especially Sport for All plays a key role in society and have the democratic characteristics needed to promote an educational dimension in a holistic approach to human development. Within the special Danish Folk High School system, Ollerup is one of the most popular folk high school in Denmark with more than 250 students every year (between the age of 18-30 years old).