Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1936-05-28
FOLK SCHOOL
is PLANNED
ASkov is One of Three Min
neSOta Communities to
be Selected.
University and Department
of Education Would Study,
Supervise Project.

A committee has recently been
selected in Askov by representatives
of the University of Minnesota and
the State Department of Education to
act upon and approve a plan which is
proposed to establish a peoples col
lege in Askov and two other Mime
feet over q period of five years. The
AskOv committee consists of Mrs.
Arnold Sorensen, Rev. jobs. Knudsen.
Carl Miller, Svend Petersen, Wayne E.
Jacobsen, Supt. Otto G. Hoiberg, Mar
tin Sorensen and Louis Olsen.
This committee met at the home
of Rev. and Mrs. jobs. Knudsen last
Thursday night and organized by Sc
lecting Rev. Knudsen as it's president;
Supt. Hoiberg, vice president and Sec
rotary, and Carl Miller treasurer.
The plan which had been submit
ted was gone over in detail and unani-
mously approved. lnasmuch as ac-
pertinent depends upon proposed
grant, nothing definite can be stated
about it yet. However, there is every
indication that it will become reali-
ty and for that reason the plan is
given here in detail. AS soon as def
mite knowledge of the appropriation is
at hand local society will be formed
to carry on the work now begun by
the organizing committee.
The committee will meet from time
to time as the plan progresses and
give the project publicity through
these columns so that those interested
in attending such a school can give
it consideration. Although patterned
after the Danish Folk school it will
be entirely in the English language
and students from fa- and near will
be solicited.
Following is. the proposal:
l. Summary of Plan.
A. Proposal.
Under this plan, it is proposed to
operate and study the effects of edu-
cational programs for young adults
over a period of five years in three
Minnesota communities as follows:
1. A peoples college or folk high
school of the Danish type in COM
munity which has had such an insti-
tuition for almost SO years and which
has many young people of Danish
descent who are familiar with the
folk high school idea.
2. A peoples college in COM
munity which has never had a folk
school but which also has many
young people of Danish descent who
are familiar with the folk high school
idea.
3. A peoples college in commun-
ity which has never had an institu-
ton of this type and whose young
people are of non-Danish descent and
are unfamiliar with the folk high
school idea.
B. Purpose.
The chief aim of this study will be:
1. To investigate in as complete a
manner as possible the educational
needs and interests of the young peo-
pie in the three communities.
2. To determine the extent to
which education of the peoples col
lege type can be made to capture
these interests and meet these needs.
3. To discover and demonstrate
practicable ways of organizing and
adapting peoples college education
for small communities.
II. The Problem.
The Danish peoples college or folk
high school is probably the worlds
most famous agency for the education
of young adults. It's reputed effects on
Danish national life in the past seven
ty-five years have been so impressive
that it has spread to various other
countries including England, Switzer-
land, Germany, France, Iceland, Fin
land, Norway, Sweden, Argentina. Can
ada and the United States. 1t has
had it's greatest success as a trans
planted institution in Sweden and Fin
land. 1t has not made much Roadway
in most of the other countries named.
The reasons for the success of this
ure in others have often been discussed
but have never been scientifically
studied. The present plan is directed
toward such a study.
The plan is designed to test expert
mentally certain fundamental hypo-
theses underlying folk high school ed
ucation in an effort to determine the
extent of their applicability to the edu-
cational needs of young people in
small Minnesota communities.
Hypothesis Underlying the Idea.
1. The most effective educational
motivation for young adults is their
own desire to learn. The peoples
college of the Danish type therefore