The values that lift you up

Here you are welcome as you are, regardless of your background, political affiliation, gender identity, outlook on life or faith. We emphasize genuine encounters between people, where you dare to be yourself.

Brave

Standing up for yourself and others when required can be uncomfortable and challenging.
When you embrace courage and daring, you realize the best in yourself.

Genuine

Many people experience in several arenas that it is not enough to be who you are to be accepted and liked. Many people experience that the mental immune system is strengthened and becomes healthier by constantly offering the original, not the copy. You can choose to be yourself, others are busy. This does not have to be easy. Fortunately, it can be trained. Authenticity is always valuable.

Love

Wanting the best for others. Wanting the best for yourself. This is perhaps the necessary starting point for love. Feeling the gaze of being loved, unconditionally, and not for what you do, but for who you ARE. This creates one of the strongest basic feelings that we humans can feel in this world.

Growth

Experiencing mastery, both personally, socially and professionally, helps to strengthen self-esteem and self-confidence. Knowledge and understanding that give meaning to life are sources of growth.
Never alone - in a good community you can be who you are.

Norway's YWCA-YMCA

Valdres folk high school is owned by the Norwegian YWCA, a Christian children's and youth organization that fights for young people's right to live and develop as whole people and that builds open and safe communities where young people participate and have influence. YWCA has over 18,000 members nationwide and is part of the world's largest women's network YWCA and the world's largest youth movement YMCA.

"Be yourself, stand up for others"

The YWCA-YMCA's slogan is "Be yourself. Stand up for others." Being yourself means participating without having to pretend or feel pressure to perform. Standing up for others means doing good and fighting for justice, where we live and in the world.

The YWCA-YMCA also owns Sunnmøre Folkehøgskule, Rønningen Folkehøgskole, Folkehøgskole Nord-Norge and Svalbard Folkehøgskole. Through its folkehøgskole work, the YWCA-YMCA creates safe communities that help young people to develop and flourish as people.

YWCA - YMCA's values: Open Brave Safe Developing Just

The purpose of the YWCA-YMCA is to develop and take responsibility for the whole person, spirit, soul and body. We will help people live and grow in faith in Jesus Christ and interpersonal understanding, as well as challenge them to commitment and action in church and society, locally and globally.

Christian offering - Christian faith

We want you to experience that Christian faith can be:

Charity in practice, locally and globally.

Joy of life and commitment.

Care for creation; nature and us humans.

If you as a student wish, there is a voluntary offer to participate in evening meetings and discussion groups. In the discussion groups, existential questions are discussed, and thoughts about faith and doubt are shared. Here you meet with respect regardless of your background. Many students find this meaningful and nice, and this year we have a turnout of 100 students in both the discussion groups and meetings.