Jayuskole : Creating a Safe Laboratory for Rest and Transition

Inspired by the Danish Folk High School (Højskole) Tradition and Grundtvig's Educational Philosophy

Motto of Jayuskole: Creating a Safe Laboratory for Rest and Transition

At Jayuskole, there are three chairs:

The "Seat of Solitude" for self-inquiry and self-awareness 🪑
The "Seat of Facing Each Other" for living dialogue and relationships 🪑🪑
The "Seat of Gathering Together" for respecting differences, the power of transition, and diversity 🪑🪑🪑

Background: From Denmark to Korea

Today's modern society is rapidly changing alongside technological advancement, yet beneath the surface lies the deepening problem of disconnection and loneliness. The spread of atomized individualism has reduced direct communication between people and weakened our sense of community. In this context, the meaning of healthy individuals, social relationships, and community has become increasingly important.

Those who were curious about the secret to happiness in Denmark—a country often cited as one of the happiest nations—experienced Denmark's folk high schools (Højskole) firsthand. The Danish folk high school, founded on the educational philosophy of N.F.S. Grundtvig in the 19th century, emphasizes lifelong learning, democratic participation, and personal development through dialogue and community.

To bring this transformative experience to Korea, they launched Jayuskole (www.jayuskole.net) with the motto of "a safe laboratory for rest and transition."

Philosophy and Goals: Grundtvigian Education in a Korean Context

Unlike traditional schools, Jayuskole embraces the Grundtvigian approach to non-formal education—there is no fixed curriculum. Instead, it values the process through which participants take initiative, engage with one another, and discover themselves within relationships.

Here, the learning process itself is both the purpose and the challenge. The experiences and reflections gained along the way matter more than the results. One of Jayuskole's core philosophies is the concept of a "safe laboratory."

This means providing a space where everyone can experiment with new transitions, surrounded by encouragement and support—echoing the Danish folk high school tradition of creating environments where individuals can grow without the pressure of grades or examinations.

In modern society, people struggle to express themselves, weighed down by constant competition and performance-oriented thinking. Jayuskole encourages people to break free from these oppressive frameworks and try new things, helping individuals discover and grow within a community.

A Space for Rest and Transition

Jayuskole functions as a place for rest and transition. The "rest" that Jayuskole speaks of is an active rest—one that allows for contemplation of life and preparation for transition. It offers an opportunity to pause and reflect on oneself.

This is not mere relaxation, but a time for transformation through self-reflection and deep communication with others. At Jayuskole, people step away from their daily routines and, through various humanistic and communal activities, gain new perspectives and ideas that can become turning points in their lives.

This approach reflects the Danish concept of "livsoplysning" (enlightenment for life)—education that illuminates life itself rather than merely transmitting knowledge.

Community Formation and Sustainability

Jayuskole is not run through one-sided guidance from specific individuals or experts. Rather, the community is formed through mutual interaction, where participants teach and learn from one another. This horizontal structure—a hallmark of Danish folk high school pedagogy—encourages all members to participate voluntarily as equals in the community. The trust and bonds formed through this process become the foundation for building a sustainable community.

Jayuskole is an open space that embraces diverse perspectives and experiences. It provides a forum where people from different backgrounds and viewpoints can gather and engage in various conversations, creating a richer and more vibrant community. Jayuskole believes that this pluralism enables the community to grow sustainably.

Non-Formal Education at Jayuskole

Among the categories of formal, non-formal, and informal education, Jayuskole centers on non-formal education. This approach, rooted in the Danish Højskole tradition, prioritizes learning through experience and interaction over standardized curricula and assessments.

Rather than following a set curriculum or teaching methods, programs are shaped through participants' interactions. The facilitators who guide the programs are also members of the small community that Jayuskole creates—there is no special distinction between participants and facilitators, allowing for mutual interaction.

At the heart of this approach lies dialogue.

Why Dialogue? The Living Word in Practice

Jayuskole (originally called "Jayu Hakgyo," meaning "Free School" in Korean) took its first steps in 2017 with the goal of "creating a safe laboratory for rest and transition." While operating folk high school (Højskole) programs inspired by the Danish model, the organization came to believe in the importance of dialogue shared through the "living word" (det levende ord).

The concept of the living word is central to Grundtvig's educational philosophy. Grundtvig believed that true learning happens not through written texts alone, but through spoken dialogue—words that are alive, present, and exchanged between real people in real time. This living word awakens the spirit and creates genuine human connection.

To gain the power of transition, self-awareness is necessary—but so is a mirror to reflect oneself: other people. Sometimes we take on the difficult work of transition, empowered by the encouragement and support of others. Dialogue is precisely that opportunity to gain the power of transition.

Dialogue is an opportunity to recognize oneself, to meet others, and to understand society. Through dialogue, we may discover aspects of ourselves we hadn't been aware of. We may also find inspiration in others' thoughts and experiences. And if there are problems we all empathize with, dialogue can create opportunities to unite our voices to solve them.

However, meaningful dialogue does not sprout simply by creating a space, gathering people, and asking curious questions. It becomes possible only when we first establish a safe environment for dialogue, co-create the culture needed for conversation, and offer good questions that facilitate interaction.

Seed Camp

Jayuskole (originally called "Jayu Hakgyo," meaning "Free School" in Korean) took its first steps in 2017 with the goal of "creating a safe laboratory for rest and transition." The organization operates folk high school (Højskole) programs rooted in the educational philosophy of "education for life" (livsoplysning).

Centered on non-formal education methodology, Jayuskole offers programs such as Dialogue Table, Dialogue Feast, Democracy Fitness, and One Month in a Danish Folk High School. Rather than following a fixed curriculum or teaching methods, these programs are shaped through participants' interactions.

Here, we share in detail the planning, philosophy, and know-how of the folk high school programs that Jayuskole has developed through trial and error since experiencing the Danish Folkehøjskole firsthand.

Dialogue Table

Jayuskole places great importance on dialogue through the "living word" (det levende ord)—a concept central to Grundtvig's educational philosophy—as both an educational philosophy and methodology. Dialogue-based activities are at the core of helping individuals become self-aware and discover relationships with others. Rather than acquiring knowledge and experience through lectures, participants are given opportunities to discover themselves and understand others through dialogue in a safe environment.

Transition requires dialogue, and we prepare questions that facilitate this dialogue. The structure of Dialogue Table can be easily understood by imagining a formal dinner course. Just as there is an appetizer before the main course and dessert after, those invited to the Dialogue Table receive questions from Jayuskole in the order of appetizer, main course, and dessert.

Strangers may initially share an awkward atmosphere, but as the Dialogue Table questions continue, they gradually open the doors to each other's hearts and become able to engage in genuine conversation.

“"The two gifts the universe has given us are the power to love and the ability to question."

— Mary Oliver

Democracy Fitness

Democracy Fitness is a program designed to strengthen citizens' democratic capacity and participation. It is a form of "training" that helps citizens actively fulfill their roles. Just as we exercise regularly for physical health, this program aims to systematically practice the activities necessary to function as healthy citizens in a democratic society.

This program was designed to dynamically engage with the somewhat weighty subject of democracy. Rather than delivering lengthy lecture-style talks about democracy, the program is structured around 30-minute units—the basic time unit for exercise sessions.

The training focuses on ten muscles essential for democracy: Listening, Empathy, Mobilization, Verbal Confidence, Disagreement, Compromise, Curiosity, Activism, Courage, and Opinion. While there are facilitator instructions for training each individual muscle, the content within the program is created through participants' engagement.

Dialogue Feast

Songs we sing together + Poetry we read together + Dialogue we share together + Food we eat together

Building upon Dialogue Table as its foundation, this program adds a sing-along session where we gather our voices and focus on being present in the here and now, along with the element of sharing food together. This creates a sense of belonging to a safe and warm community.

Music and food have long played important roles in facilitating relationships and dialogue, and in bringing people together. Food is an essential element of our daily lives, and as Hans Christian Andersen said, "Where words fail, music speaks."

"Where words fail, music speaks." — H.C. Andersen

Facilitator Program

This program is designed to spread the Dialogue Table and Democracy Fitness programs operated by Jayuskole. For those who wish to bring these programs to their communities and daily lives, this educational program shares the experience Jayuskole has gained through planning and operating programs, organized around core competencies (attitudes, knowledge, and skills).

Participants receive opportunities to engage in the programs and a Facilitator Guidebook organized around competencies.

Dialogue Table Facilitator Program
Democracy Fitness Facilitator Program

"We are all teachers, and the whole universe is our classroom." — Henry David Thoreau

Residential Folk High School

The Jayuskole Residential Folk High School is a live-in program for adults to reflect on the meaning of life by sharing daily experiences together—echoing the tradition of Danish folk high schools (Højskole) where students live and learn in community.

Living together with people from different backgrounds and values is no easy task. But through these challenges, we experience the joy of sharing, learning from one another, and being together.

We also come to realize how important sharing, learning, and togetherness are in enriching our lives. We hope that Jayuskole becomes rich with truly diverse colors, fragrances, and sounds. We hope it fills with beautiful music and dialogue. We hope it overflows with diverse light and passion.

"A Safe Laboratory for Rest and Transition"

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