The Arne Næss Institute emerges as a Nordic hub within a global network of bioregional learning centers—a decentralized mycelium of schools dedicated to an education for a living Earth. What if we organized learning bioregionally? What if we learned with and through the unique landscapes we call home, while being part of a larger, interconnected whole?

Rooted deeply in Norwegian tradition, language, history, and culture, our institute evolves in close dialogue with a wider global movement. Inspired by pioneering schools worldwide, we contribute to a planetary vision—an educational network fostering animistic practices, peace, deep listening, and dialogue across generations, between humans and the more-than-human world.

From Schumacher College in England, where the ground beneath our feet becomes a living classroom, to Quinta Esencia in Argentina, where storytelling and craftsmanship intertwine with ecology; from the Center for Education, Imagination, and the Natural World in the USA, carrying Thomas Berry’s legacy in a pedagogy of wonder, to the Center for Ecoliteracy in Berkeley, where communities learn to see Earth as mentor, to the Green School in Bali, The Earth University in India, and others —we walk in the footsteps of those who dared to imagine something new.

Yet our school is no replica. It is deeply anchored in Nordic traditions and ways of life. Norway already has a rich history of folk high schools that teach through community, practical learning, and a holistic view of humanity. The Arne Næss Institute carries this legacy forward with a focus on what is most needed now: learning to live in harmony with Earth and one another.