“Community lifestyle”

An international, inclusive campus: Tvind

Situated in Western Jutland, only 14 km from the North Sea shore, near the city of Holstebro, the Tvind International School Centre works as a base for different educational institutions, lumped together by a strong tradition of being untraditional. Among the different institutions, Tvind hosts a care home for adults with extraordinary needs — who would easily be marginalised in an ordinary society setting, and who benefit a lot from being part of the community. In the campus, a conscious effort is put into creating an inclusive environment. You can read more about our the concept and practice of integration here.

 In this regard, Tvind is a place where adults with social or psychological difficulties can live, develop, acquire skills, do good, and gain importance, while being part of a community, together with other adults who benefitted from a more fortunate growing-up environment. Each institution has its own programme, but all of the students come together daily, to share meals, responsibilities and engage in a wide range of activities. Tvind’s international environment — with the DNS students as its driving force — stimulates and benefits the development of all — adults and youngsters living on the campus, with or without social or personal challenges.

 In total, around 70 people from more than 15 different countries live, work and learn together in Tvind as a community. For the future teachers, Tvind’s unique diversity of people is a great opportunity to test themselves, to learn to organise events and to take on projects, to learn to approach and work with people from very different backgrounds, to understand and experience the value of an inclusive environment and of community life.

School units at the Tvind campus

DNS The Necessary Teacher Training College

Being based in Tvind offers certain advantages to our institution. Living in Tvind means having access to a vast diversity of facilities, which makes it possible to give and receive lessons and workshops, to organise leisure activities, to lead a healthy, interesting life inside of the campus. Another aspect is the campus’ variety of people and inclusive environment, which gives to our DNSers the possibility to form strong bonds with marginalised youth and adults and to create a better understanding of the issues that many are facing in the society or education.

DNS’ role in the community is to be always at the centre of action, creating inclusive and imaginative common programmes, and involving and interacting  with the care homes’ students, and being role models for the community.

Botilbuddet på DNS (The DNS Care Home)

Botilbud is one of the two official institutions, we normally and unofficially refer to as “the Villas” care home. It is a care home for adults with special needs, specifically for people who experience complex social, mental, physical or personal problem and that are thus marginalised and excluded by the mainstream society. By living in Tvind, these people have an opportunity to experience friendships, an active lifestyle, structured developmental programmes and many annual highlights, such as travels, cultural events and practical projects. 

Botilbuddet PTG (Praktisk Teoretisk Grunduddannelse)

PTG International Youth College is a boarding school for youngsters between 17 and 25 — with a mix of students, both coming from challenged backgrounds and not. Many of the PTG students take the equivalent of A’ level exams and prepare themselves for higher education.

PTG welcomes students from all over Europe, granting them the possibility to receive a scholarship to cover all boarding and school fees. In return, these students contribute with their positive attitude and social skills, which are very valuable for the school’s environment.

As an alternative college, PTG is known for its international, positive, inclusive environment, in which the students are able to engage in many practical projects, to participate in sports and theatre festivals. At PTG, the students are also able to organise and get involved in study travels, which are considered an opportunity for them to learn about the world by investigating the different realities of the people across the planet.

DNS Teacher Training and PTG Youth College have a lot in common. Besides sharing the community life, we also share our view upon progressive education. Learning by doing, teaching each other, researching and having a unique approach to every student are just some shared features.

Dagskolen på Tvind

The Day School caters for youngsters 16+ with a focus on individual development, community cooperation, and international solidarity. Some students from both the Villas care home and the PTG youth college attend the Day School during the week. At the school, these youngsters from various backgrounds support each other in their education, to achieve their individual goals. The community of teachers and students works together to make education exciting and engaging for those who have otherwise given up on traditional schooling.

Tvind and sustainability

Tvind’s endeavour towards sustainability started as a direct consequence of the heated discussion “What is our action mitigating the effects of a changing climate?” From talks to action, we operate on many levels. Here are just some of the ways we act towards collective sustainability:

1. The Tvindkraft wind turbine, our symbolic windmill that was awarded with European Solar Prize, has been running for over 45 years and up to the present days provides electricity for two thirds of the campus.
2. Students and teachers produce together part of the food, by taking care of our garden, our greenhouse, our fruit plants, and our animals. 
3. We teach the youngsters and adults living in Tvind about nature and sustainability. We do so through various activities and projects, such as some weekly initiatives dedicated to nature, inviting our residents to explore and enjoy their surroundings.

Other facilities at Tvind International School Centre

The Windmill

Our legendary windmill was built around 1975-1978. At the time, pollution due to fossil fuels started to become obvious and the prospect of getting nuclear power, which was on the Government’s agenda, made many people enthusiastic about energy which did not jeopardize the safety of people and the globe. The windmill team managed to build what was at the time the world’s biggest modern windmill — it was a huge achievement. They blazed new trails in the history of energy: with its size and modern technology, Tvindkraft showed the way forward for wind energy. Up to this day, the windmill produces two thirds of the electricity used in the Tvind campus. There is a possibility to become a volunteer, to run the windmill, take care of guests, paint, lubricate bearings and tighten bolts, keep track of the production, participate in maintenance and technical development. Learn more about this possibility here.

Garden Farming

As a part of our efforts to become a sustainable community, we cannot forget to mention our garden farming! A greenhouse, two large fields, some chickens and other animals make up our school farm. We grow vegetables, fruit trees and berry bushes which supply us with sustainable and ecological products through autumn and, sometimes, even winter. All of Tvind’s inhabitants take care for the gardens and enjoy the results!

Sports Facilities

A healthy lifestyle is a priority for all the schools in Tvind and therefore we have lots of sports facilities to accommodate the diverse interests of our community. We have a football field, a beach volleyball court, some outdoor cross-fit facilities, a fitness centre and a large sports hall. Depending on the initiative of the teachers and students, we organise zumba, volleyball, badminton, cross-fit, yoga or any other sport we find interesting.

Music Facilities

Creativity is present in all of the activities at the campus, and we also have some special facilities to help artists explore and polish their talents. The music room and recording studio, for instance, are often occupied by a campus band or simply by those who are interested in mastering music instruments. Some common instruments are available for anyone to experiment, together with a set of professional recording equipment, which is often used for all sorts of creative projects. 

Madum Bæk Nature Project

Madum Bæk is a small stream that twists along the northern end of the campus, which has been transformed into a nature trail with diverse plants and elements to enjoy while exploring surroundings. Along the path, you can find public camping shelter with a fireplace and even a tree house! The project was carried on by PTG students, who since then engage weekly in some activities dedicated to nature.

Mechanical & Carpenter Workshops

Where to learn math, physics, geometry, engineering, carpentry and etc. if not in a workshop? We have a mechanical workshop where students take apart bikes, weld iron art, construct creative furniture and what not.

 Hot Air Balloon Team Tvind

Students and teachers from “the Villas” enjoy running Hot Air Balloon Team Tvind which has two hot air balloons; an Ultramagic racer (for competitions) and a larger red-and white one for flying with passengers. Every once in a while Tvind and the local town, Ulfborg, host the Danish Championships in hot air ballooning. It is possible to volunteer and join the ballooning team. Find more infos here.