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Year-round course (two semesters)
Solidarity Latin America
Get behind the tourist facade and experience the real Guatemala. See with your own eyes how the distribution of resources, social inequality, the fight for the rights of indigenous peoples and international solidarity affect the everyday lives of ordinary people.
The sense of community is an important part of this the course : The lineage community is important, but so is the experience of community with individuals and entire communities we live in.
A unique journey
At the course , subjects such as development studies, human geography and social anthropology are key elements. Through practical and theoretical preparation before the study trip, you will be prepared for what you will encounter. Spanish skills, cultural understanding, fieldwork techniques and travel skills are trained. After the trip, you process your experiences and pass on your knowledge.
On your study trip, you'll experience the country in a way that neither tourists nor backpackers get the chance to. We have good contacts in the country and help you get to know the people who live there.
Read more about the study trip further down the page.
More about the course
Preparation before the study trip
Before the study trip, we prepare ourselves by learning about the region we will be traveling to. We familiarize ourselves with the history, social conditions, cultural differences, basic Spanish, etc. We go through the packing list, plan the trip, and prepare ourselves for situations and problems that may arise and discuss how we can best solve them.
All students have projects such as mini-fieldwork where we challenge ourselves and conduct interviews and observations about different conditions in Norway to practice for the study trip. Together we also have other group activities where the goal is that we become a close-knit group where everyone can speak their mind and trust each other.
Conversation is important, and conversation during activity or under the open sky is often the best.
Study trip to Guatemala and optional neighboring country
Stay with a host family and learn Spanish
We travel either via another country or directly to Guatemala City. Eventually the trip continues to the city of Quetzaltenango. Here we learn Spanish at a language school for two weeks, where we each have our own teacher and live in host families. In this way we get to know ordinary families in Guatemala early on and we get to use what we learn from Spanish at school.
While attending the language school, you as a beginner will have the opportunity to learn basic Spanish or improve your previous Spanish skills.
Field work
After the language course, we have three weeks of fieldwork. Before the study trip, we work in small groups to familiarize ourselves with various themes and issues, which we try to answer through participant observation, interviews and other methods during the fieldwork. Previously, students have worked on topics such as the struggle for land, resistance to mining, educational opportunities for the poorest, natural disasters, Mayan culture, children, coffee production, fair trade, palm oil, etc. Along the way, the groups receive guidance and follow-up and afterwards everyone meets and talks about their experiences.
Your own program
During the course of the study trip, we also have a week with our own program where students in groups can decide what they want to do: For example, visit the Mayan ruins in Tikal, snorkel at coral reefs off Belize, get to know the garifuna culture on the Caribbean coast, go on a jungle expedition in Mexico, take an extra week of language school or travel around Guatemala or neighboring countries. In the time outside the language school, fieldwork and our own program, we find other activities together. We go on excursions, meet with organizations, climb a volcano, take a trip to the beach or anything else we agree on together.
Visas and vaccinations on a study trip
Visas
You do not need a visa to travel to Guatemala, but you must have a passport that allows you to travel via the United States if we have to. Contact the school if you are unsure whether you can stopover in the United States.
Vaccination
In order to travel to Guatemala, you must take a number of vaccines. We recommend that you take the vaccines recommended by the Norwegian Institute of Public Health and your local health center. Assume that you will be traveling throughout Guatemala. Some vaccines need to be taken over several weeks, so it's a good idea to start before you arrive at Sund in August.
Post-work and deepening
After the study trip, the aim is to process and communicate our impressions through a lecture tour and other information work. We go deeper into different global issues, get to know different parts of the world and issues related to trade, aid, economics, politics, conflicts, peace work, etc. We take a closer look at development strategies to create a more just world. What can we do as individuals? What are the educational opportunities, organizations and opportunities for volunteer work? Among other things, we will be visited by exciting speakers.
For example, we can agree to launch a solidarity action/demonstration, make a mark in the local community or publish something. Many students also choose to share their experiences by creating a photo exhibition, a video or writing about what they have experienced to spread the knowledge they have acquired.
School life at Sund
At school before and after the study trip, socializing with other students and staff is very important. Academic topics, but also your contributions in kitchen service and washing up are important. Boarding life offers a lot of fun, well-being and security. You will be socially trained and will experience inclusion. At this the course everyone can participate.
Here you will find student blog posts from Guatemala:
Anders has a wealth of knowledge and a strong commitment to the environment. He has broad international experience from traveling and living in Latin America. It's never difficult to know what Anders thinks about things, and he's happy to share his thoughts on everything that's important to do something about in the world.
Eirin Høiseth is a political scientist and activist with an interest in human rights, nature conservation and peace work. Eirin has worked particularly with Latin America and Palestine and enjoys human encounters, solidarity and milk chocolate.
Eirin has been a student at both Sund and worked as a teacher. Now she would like to contribute as a guest teacher.
The best thing about the study trip was all the love I experienced. Everywhere I went, I was welcomed with open arms and big smiles. I will never forget that.
Inga Myrene Nørstebø
North-South solidarityStudents' annual plan Sund folk high school
The first day of school for the 2026–2027 school year is Saturday 22 August 2026
Sund folk high school , annual plan for the school year 2026-2027
Sund Folk High School, Annual plan – school year 2026-27
Year-round line 2026–27
NOK 151,000,-
School fees include:
- Accommodation in a double room at Sund fhs
- All food at Sund fhs (four meals per day) - we don't charge extra for special diets, vegetarian or vegan food
- The study trip - academic program, accommodation, food and transportation are included
- Joint school trips and excursions
- Wireless internet, copying and printing for teaching
- Use of gym, training room, rehearsal room, photo studio, darkroom
- Use of washing machines and dryers
- Expenses for the vast majority of electives
- Transport in connection with training
- Administration fee at NOK 2 500,-
All lessons are free of charge.
School fees are not included:
Most of the materials we use in teaching are included. However, if you want to make something different/more/larger than what the teacher has planned, you must expect to pay for the extra equipment yourself.
- Deposit for key and use of equipment at NOK 1 300,-
- Single room supplement at NOK. 5 850,- (650 per month for 9 months)
- Pocket money for personal consumption
Loans and grants from Lånekassen
As a student on year-round programs at Sund folk high school , you are entitled to study support from the Norwegian State Educational Loan Fund (if you are a Norwegian citizen).
For the 2026–2027 school year, you as a student will receive a total of NOK 154,880 in grants and loans from the Norwegian National Loan Fund. Of this, 40%, i.e. NOK 61,952, will be converted into a grant once you have completed the school year and have it approved. If you are a student on a half-year course, you will receive half the loan amount.
Read more about loans and grants atwww.lanekassen.no.
As soon as you have a place at Sund folk high school , you can apply for grants and loans atwww.lanekassen.no.
We do not have an application deadline and you can apply throughout the year. We start admitting students from November 15, and accept students as long as there is room at the course.
Admission criteria:
- Age limit 18 years, exceptionally 18 years before the study trip
- We accept students as long as there is room on the course you apply
- We focus on motivation and interests
Application:
- Send an online application
- We'll get back to you as soon as we can
- Write a little about yourself and why you want to join Sund
- It's a good idea to apply early, even if we don't start admissions until November 15.
Do you have any questions? Feel free to contact us ›