Study Trip
Students at Åsane Folk High School have a wide range of study trips available across the different programs at the school. The school also offers a trip to Sri Lanka as one of our electives. Below you can read more about our various study trips.
Animation and Graphics: Japan
In the spring, the program travels to Tokyo, the world’s largest city, in Japan! The city is packed with exciting and memorable experiences and is known for its unique combination of the hypermodern and traditional. Skyscrapers bathed in neon lights stand side by side with ancient Shinto and Buddhist temples and gardens. In these streets, we get up close to the culture, trends, food, and not least the anime universes that the country is so famous for.
Among the highlights are the Ghibli Museum, karaoke, temple walks, food markets, arcades, and the countless anime centers. The program varies from year to year, so a visit to an animation studio or an animation festival might be on the agenda. Since we travel in the spring, we might also be lucky enough to experience sakura (cherry blossom season).
Suggested day-by-day program:
- Day 1: Fly from Bergen to Osaka
- Day 2: Visit Tokyo Skytree and Senso-ji Temple
- Day 3: Excursion to Akihabara and group dinner
- Day 4: Visit Ghibli Museum and drawing in Inokashira Park
- Day 5: Teamlab Planets (interactive art installation) + Small Worlds Tokyo (miniature gallery with animatronics)
- Day 6: Tokyo National Museum and Ueno Zoo (sketching/croquis), karaoke in the evening
- Day 7: Excursion to Kamakura; Hokokuji Temple and Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine
- Day 8: Suginami Animation Museum, Takeshita Street and Shibuya Crossing
- Day 9: Free exploration of the city, group dinner
- Day 10: Tokyo Anime Awards (Animation Festival)
- Day 11: Hokusai Museum and Edo-Tokyo (recreated district from the Edo period)
- Day 12: Return from Tokyo to Bergen
Architecture and Design: Japan
The spring semester study trip goes to Japan, a very special country where a lot of exciting developments are happening in technology and product design. We visit several recent architectural projects, both in central Tokyo and in the region. In Kyoto, we experience traditional architecture; temples, old wooden houses, and beautiful Japanese gardens. We take the bullet train to Tokyo – and if we’re lucky, the study trip will coincide with the fantastic cherry blossom season!
Suggested day-by-day program:
- Day 1: Fly from Bergen to Osaka
- Day 2: Arrival in Osaka. Train to Kyoto
- Day 3: Visit historical temples and Japanese gardens in Kyoto
- Day 4: Workshop/Free exploration in Kyoto
- Day 5: Take the Shinkansen bullet train to Hiroshima
- Day 6: Free exploration in Hiroshima
- Day 7: Take train and ferry to Naoshima. Art museums designed by Japanese architect Tadao Ando
- Day 8: Rent bikes/Experience Naoshima
- Day 9: Take ferry and bullet train to Tokyo
- Day 10: Visit design office
- Day 11: Free exploration in Tokyo
- Day 12: Departure from Tokyo
Philosophy - Island Hopping in Greece
The Philosophy program travels to Greece, where the cradle of philosophy awaits in Athens. Here we’ll see some of the world’s most iconic highlights:
- Acropolis with the Parthenon
- Agora – the ancient marketplace and meeting place of philosophers
- The area of Plato’s Academy
We follow in the footsteps of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle and reflect on how their ideas still influence us today.
After Athens, island hopping in the Cyclades awaits:
- Beautiful whitewashed villages
- Crystal clear sea
- Small picturesque beaches
- Diving and snorkeling
- Greek food
Here we can combine philosophical conversations with shared experiences, beach life, and freedom. We can take time to discuss, think, and get to know each other and the world better.
Your Future - Fall: Italy
It’s fun to watch movies about distant and exotic cultures, but it’s even better to experience them yourself! The class trips will give you the opportunity to try new flavorful dishes, see fantastic nature, and feel what it’s like to live in other countries. The trips only last a few weeks, but the memories will last a lifetime!
Already in the fall, we pack our suitcases and travel to Italy – the country known for its unparalleled beauty, rich history, and not least, food!
We first travel to the Solopaca area where the team at Ulivieti is ready to welcome us: Ulivieti Castelsanmartino
Since the time of the Roman Empire, Italy has played a crucial role in the development of our Western civilization. We will experience some of the country’s history and enjoy the sight of magnificent nature, fantastic art, and impressive architecture. We will experience Pompeii and Mount Vesuvius, as well as walk through the streets and admire the Trevi Fountain in Rome.
Italian cuisine is world-renowned, and no trip to Italy is complete without gastronomic food experiences. Good, tasty, and exciting food is everywhere! Here you can admire the Colosseum after a delicious pasta meal, or go exploring in charming small streets while snacking on cheese and prosciutto – and don’t forget the gelato!
Pack sunscreen, a sense of adventure, good shoes, and a camera, and get ready to be enchanted!
The program:
- Day 1: Travel from Bergen to Naples. Arrival and introduction to Solopaca and Uliveti Castel San Martino's olive farm
- Day 2: Harvesting at Uliveti Castel San Martino's olive grove. Visit to a local olive press
- Day 3: Departure to Pietraroja. Cheese course, guided tour of Cusano Mutri town and visit to local shops
- Day 4: Visit to Pompeii and the active volcano, Vesuvius
- Day 5: Travel from Solopaca to Rome. Spanish Steps – Trevi Fountain
- Day 6: Pantheon - Piazza Navona - Via Coronari - Castel Sant'Angelo - St. Peter's Basilica
- Day 7: Santa Maria Maggiore - Lateran Basilica - Colosseum - Capitoline Hill (Campidoglio). Departure from Rome to Bergen.
Your Future - Spring: Sri Lanka
In the spring, we’re going on another trip! We’re heading to Sri Lanka in collaboration with the aid organization FORUT.
Sri Lanka is located in the Indian Ocean, east of India, and is often called the Teardrop of India. The country’s most fantastic sights include high mountains, white beaches, herds of wild elephants, rolling hills, and rainforests.
The climate is tropical. We can expect 25-30 degrees while enjoying nature up close, climbing the historic Sigiriya rock, exploring the Temple of the Tooth, and experiencing the culture in the big cities of Colombo and Kandy.
FORUT has been working in Sri Lanka for more than 40 years and knows the country and its people very well. We are so fortunate that we are not just tourists, but get to visit several of FORUT’s projects around the island.
This trip will be a lifetime experience, and many will certainly have a desire to return to Sri Lanka later.
Latin America - Travel and Experience - Chile, Peru and Brazil
Join us to colorful Latin America! Experience the atmosphere, new cultural impressions, encounters between people, big cities, rainforest and tropical nature. Through the trip and the year on the program you learn about the region’s culture, history, contemporary life, art and food – and gain a deeper perspective on the world around you.
A study trip you help shape
In collaboration with your teacher, you plan the trip’s content and prepare for the encounters that await. The goal is to create safe, good and open encounters with people, culture and nature. Throughout the school year we work to understand the region we will visit: before the trip you learn about historical and cultural contexts, and along the way we document the experiences through photos and film that are later used for reflection and learning.
Destinations – with focus on community, learning and cultural experiences
- Chile – history, contemporary culture and human encounters
City walk in Santiago, learning about the Pinochet period, meetings with local people, cooking sessions with Chilean ingredients and introduction to traditional dance and music. - Peru – Andean culture, crafts and living history
Visit Machu Picchu and the Inca sites, learn about Quechua culture, textiles and crafts, as well as exploring village life with traditional market culture. - Brazil – nature, music and Afro-Latin American culture
Explore the big city of Rio de Janeiro, experience music, dance and culture along the coast, and visit the rainforest, indigenous peoples and tropical wildlife.
Learning for life
Through encounters with people, nature and culture you learn about indigenous peoples, colonial history, social inequality, climate, cultural heritage and modern society. You develop both academically and personally – and take with you experiences and impressions you will cherish for the rest of your life.
Musical and Performance: Interrail - Copenhagen, Berlin, Amsterdam and London
In the spring, we go on an Interrail trip through Europe. On the journey, we’ll have some exciting experiences together and loads of inspiration from performances and workshops with professional stage artists.
The goal of the study trip is to gather as many experiences as possible, and with a backpack and train through Europe, everything is set for great experiences together!
Suggested day-by-day program:
- Day 1: Train from Bergen to Oslo - experience in Oslo
- Day 2: Train from Oslo to Copenhagen - experience the city by night
- Day 3: We explore Copenhagen - guided tour and performance
- Day 4: Train from Copenhagen to Berlin - experience the city by night
- Day 5: We explore Berlin - workshop and performance
- Day 6: We explore Berlin - workshop and performance
- Day 7: Train from Berlin to Amsterdam - experience the city by night
- Day 8: We explore Amsterdam - train from Amsterdam to London
- Day 9: We explore London - guided tour and performance
- Day 10: We experience London day - performance
- Day 11: Make your own London day - performance
- Day 12: We return to Norway - flight from London
Music and Health - Brazil
Join us to colorful Brazil and experience and feel for yourself how music creates joy in life!
We are planning a study trip to an environment where music and dance are actively used in work with people and community. Brazil has strong traditions for community music and projects where music creates inclusion, joy, identity and hope.
On the study trip you gain insight into how music can be a resource in local communities and in meeting different life situations. This is a travel experience that gives you new perspectives on music, dance, people and yourself.
You will:
- Participate in workshops with local musicians
- Experience how music is used in social work
- Meet engaged people who use music to create change
- Take part in a community where everyone can contribute
Product Design: Japan
The spring semester study trip goes to Japan, a very special country where a lot of exciting developments are happening in technology and product design. Previously, we have visited international design firms like Designit and Reaktor. We have also participated in workshops in the traditional Japanese design technique kintsugi, where we learn to repair clay and porcelain that has broken. We take the bullet train to Tokyo – and if we’re lucky, the study trip will coincide with the fantastic cherry blossom season.
Suggested day-by-day program:
- Day 1: Fly from Bergen to Osaka
- Day 2: Arrival in Osaka. Train to Kyoto
- Day 3: Visit historical temples and Japanese gardens in Kyoto
- Day 4: Workshop/Free exploration in Kyoto
- Day 5: Take the Shinkansen bullet train to Hiroshima
- Day 6: Free exploration in Hiroshima
- Day 7: Take train and ferry to Naoshima. Art museums designed by Japanese architect Tadao Ando
- Day 8: Rent bikes/Experience Naoshima
- Day 9: Take ferry and bullet train to Tokyo
- Day 10: Visit design office
- Day 11: Free exploration in Tokyo
- Day 12: Departure from Tokyo
Revue and Theater: Interrail - Copenhagen, Berlin, Amsterdam and London
The spring study trip will be an Interrail journey where we board the train in Bergen and stop in Copenhagen, Berlin, Amsterdam, and London. The trip will give us some fantastic experiences and loads of inspiration from performances and workshops with professional stage artists in Europe.
We attend performances and experience some of the finest in theater, musical theater, concerts, and shows. We go backstage at theaters and get workshops with actors who work on the big stages.
The program varies from year to year as students help decide some of the program content.
Suggested program:
- Day 1: Train from Bergen to Oslo Central Station
- Day 2: Train from Oslo Central Station to Copenhagen. Explore the city and group dinner.
- Day 3: Copenhagen. Tour of the Royal Danish Theatre and evening performance. Shopping and free time.
- Day 4 - 5: Train from Copenhagen to Berlin. Guided tour through Berlin's history. Students get time to explore the city, we visit museums, have a workshop at the Brecht Theater, and see a performance in the evening.
- Day 6 - 7: Train from Berlin to Amsterdam. We explore Amsterdam. The city offers many great experiences.
- Day 8 - 11: Train from Amsterdam to London. London's West End is the place for the best theater and musical experiences in the world. We will of course see many. There will also be several workshops and theater tours. We visit markets and have several dinners together. There's also plenty of time to explore London on your own.
- Day 12: We fly back home to Bergen and Åsane Folk High School.
Writing Workshop: Ireland
In the spring semester, we go on a study trip to Ireland – the country with the most Nobel laureates in literature relative to its population and a highly vibrant storytelling tradition. Dublin was founded by Vikings 1200 years ago, and today it is a perfect starting point for exploring the country’s proud literary traditions. We spend the first half of the trip on literary tours, museums, and pubs in Ireland’s fascinating capital.
After our days in Dublin, we embark on an exploration of this charming, unique country. The itinerary is influenced by the students’ choices. Perhaps we’ll spend a couple of days in a monastery, at the beautiful Mt. Melleray Abbey in the south? Or perhaps we’ll head north to Belfast, where street art and political divisions characterize the cityscape? In any case, we end up in the west: Galway is often called Ireland’s cultural capital, but it also offers magnificent nature on a boat trip to the exotic Aran Islands and the iconic Cliffs of Moher.
Ireland is both an exciting and safe country to travel in. In various contexts, we encounter authors such as Oscar Wilde, James Joyce, Samuel Beckett, Bram Stoker, and many more.
Along the way, time is set aside for writing and independent exploration. Don’t be surprised if you encounter fairies and leprechauns too.
Scholarship - Leadership and Event: Create Your Own Trip!
The study trip becomes a central part of the leadership training. The scholarship group plans and organizes its own study trip, from idea and destination to budget, program, logistics and execution. Here you get to practice project management, communication and taking responsibility in practice. It is the scholarship group that makes the important choices and runs the travel project, with guidance from the teacher.
Elective: Explore Sri Lanka
Travel, Learn and Experience
Join us on a journey that challenges, inspires and gives you memories for life!
Explore Sri Lanka is an elective for you who are curious about the world, like to meet people and want to learn through experiences. Here we combine love of travel, cultural encounters, nature and international engagement – in collaboration with the aid organization FORUT.
We travel to Sri Lanka, an island in the Indian Ocean, often called India’s tear. The country offers a fantastic diversity with lush hills, rainforest, wild elephants, chalk-white beaches and pulsating city life.
We are warmly welcomed and get to come close to local culture, everyday life and traditions, while enjoying the tropical climate with temperatures around 25–30 degrees. Through FORUT we get to visit local projects and meet people who work for better living conditions, children’s rights and sustainable development
We also visit a Hindu temple in Jaffna, where we have a close encounter with Hindu faith and everyday life. Along the way we look at similarities and differences between Hinduism and Buddhism, and talk about how religion shapes culture and society in Sri Lanka.
In Kandy we experience traditional Kandyan dance in connection with the Temple of the Tooth – colorful, rhythmic and full of history. These experiences give us a vivid picture of the country’s religious diversity and rich cultural traditions.
On this trip you will have an experience for life!
Programs
Students at Åsane Folk High School can choose from 11 different programs.
At Åsane, we will support you in the programs whether you want to try something new or need help with further studies and work life.
Your week with us will consist of main subjects, electives, and various common subjects.
