Mission Statement
The mission of the North American Bildung Network is to create awareness in the North American public about bildung and inspire participation toward positive global social change.
For everybody who cares about people
If you are an educator, if you work with people, if you are a parent, or if you are just somebody who thinks that education should be about the whole person, not just the transfer of knowledge for the job market, then bildung is for you.
The North American Bildung Network was initiated by Danish author and philosopher Lene Rachel Andersen and Paul Karpawich in New Hampshire, after David Brooks wrote about Lene Rachel’s book The Nordic Secret in the NYT: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/13/opinion/scandinavia-education.html. Since then, Americans and Canadians have met on zoom to discuss bildung.
Lene Rachel visited the US in February 2024 and met with people in Seattle, San Francisco, Charlotte, Tennessee, New York, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Massachusets. Below are pictures and a video from her visit.
Our next step is to reconvene online and figure out what to do next about bildung in North America.
The Nordic Secret was just released in a new edition on January 30, 2024, and you can read more about it here: https://www.nordicbildung.org/the-nordic-secret/.
Organizers in the North American Bildung Network
Paul Karpawich
Kam Bellamy
Robert Bunge
Jill Nephew
Lene Rachel Andersen
You can join the North American Bildung Network online here:
Video and pictures from Lene’s US visit
North Seattle College
Monday, February 5
Lene Rachel Andersen meets students at North Seattle College and not only talks about bildung but ends up practicing it on the spot!
North West Danish Association
A discussion about the Nordic secret with Danish Americans in Seattle
Seattle: Dinner at Brunello
Wednesday, February 7
Wonderful bildung people: Bob from our network, Dawn and Sylvia from the Folk School Alliance, Mike and Vanessa from the network, Preben from the North West Danish Association, Lene, and James from the network.
San Francisco: Coffee, Beer & Bildung
Saturday February 10: Coffee, Cake and Bildung at 2pm
Saturday February 10: Bildung, Beer and Pizza at 5pm
Getting to know the bildung network in San Francisco and Sacramento.
Amherst, New Hampshire: The Nordic Secret at the local library
February 21, 7:00-8:15pm
Presentation of The Nordic Secret at the local library.
Vermont: Symposium about Education and the Future of Democracy
February 23-25
A Bildung Symposium on Politics and 21st Century Civilization
February 23 – 25, Sky Meadow Institute, Stannard, Vermont
A weekend of action-oriented discussion and community building at Sky Meadow, hosted by Brendan Graham Dempsey. Generative conversations about educational transformation as we work to build effective responses to our deepening political crisis.
Great Barrington, MA: Bildung Salon
Tuesday, February 27: 5:30pm-8:00pm
Hosted by Kam Bellamy.