Vardheia Ungdomsskule is a public lower secondary school (ungdomsskule) located in Bryne, in the Jæren region of Norway. The school is publicly owned and operated through a unique 50/50 collaboration between the municipalities of Time and Klepp, with Time municipality serving as the legal partner in the DC4Democracy Grant Agreement. Opened in 2021, Vardheia is designed to accommodate approximately 450 students in grades 8–10 (ages 13–16) and 62 staff members from the two municipalities. The school is built around a shared educational vision: Practical – Creative – Digital. These three principles shape the school’s approach to education, from staff recruitment and the design of its learning environment to teaching practices and the assessment of student learning.

Vardheia Ungdomsskule brings front-line experience in digital learning and innovation in lower secondary education, providing an authentic environment for testing and evaluating DC4Democracy activities with students and teachers.

Contribution to DC4Democracy
1. Authentic Pilot Environment: Vardheia will host a DC4Democracy pilot as part of WP5 – Pilot Testing and Evaluation, providing a real-world classroom setting for testing and validating project activities.
2. Digital Learning Expertise: The school has extensive day-to-day experience with 1:1 personal devices, game-based learning, and digitally supported teaching. Its teaching staff includes 45 Apple Teachers, reflecting a strong culture of digital competence and innovation.
3. Student and Teacher Participation: Approximately 370 students aged 13–16 and their teachers will provide an authentic user base for piloting and evaluating the project’s approaches and tools.
4. Democracy and Digital Competences: The Norwegian curriculum already incorporates democracy and citizenship, as well as digital skills, as interdisciplinary themes, providing a strong curricular context for DC4Democracy activities.
5. Field Review: Vardheia will contribute practical insights and feedback to WP2 – Field Review, helping ensure that project outputs are relevant and applicable in real school environments.
6. Dissemination: The school will support WP7 – Dissemination by sharing experiences, lessons learned, and project outcomes through relevant Norwegian school and education networks.

Through its combination of digital learning expertise, active teacher and student participation, and a strong focus on practical, creative, and digital education, Vardheia provides an important real-world setting for the testing and further development of DC4Democracy solutions.