Rev. Allyn Maxfield-Steele 

Co-Executive Director, Highlander Research and Education Center  | Tennessee, USA, Opening Keynote Speaker, International Folkemøde for Educators 2025 

Rev. Allyn Maxfield-Steele is a movement educator, facilitator, and minister working at the intersection of spirituality, justice, and collective liberation. As Co-Executive Director of the legendary Highlander Research and Education Center in Tennessee, he helps steward a place that has trained generations of change-makers—from Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks to today’s grassroots leaders. 

Allyn’s work is rooted in Highlander’s long tradition of education for liberation: learning that emerges from community, that speaks truth to power, and that dares to imagine a just and joyful future. In his keynote address, Allyn will ground us in shared purpose and invite us to dream, connect, and act. His presence brings a vital perspective from one of the world’s most enduring folk education movements — and a deep call to courage and collective imagination. 

Clara Nepper-Winther 

Clara Nepper-Winther is an educator at Krogerup Højskole, one of Denmark’s most politically engaged folk high schools, known for its emphasis on democracy, activism, and global perspectives. She teaches the major course Verden Brænder (“The World Is Burning”), where students explore climate justice, civil resistance, and collective action. She also co-facilitates programs that equip young people to engage in deep, constructive dialogue across ideological divides. 

With a background in political science and extensive experience in public education, Clara is committed to fostering spaces where students not only explore big questions—but learn to live them. At the International Folkemøde for Educators, she will host participants at Krogerup, guiding a tour and sharing the school’s bold approach to civic education and youth empowerment. 

Hanna Lee 

Hanna Lee is an artist and educator who brings people together through shared song and participatory culture. Based in Seoul, she hosts grassroots sing-along gatherings rooted in the Danish højskole tradition—joyful spaces where people of all ages connect through music, meaning, and community. 

A graduate of International People’s College, Hanna has spent the past decade building small but powerful bridges between Korean and Nordic educational values. Her work includes intergenerational song circles, public lectures, and a recent program for migrant women in Gunsan, South Korea. 

Through her art, books, and voice, Hanna keeps the folk high school spirit alive—even in difficult times. At our folkemøde, she’ll cofacilitate the “Let’s Sing Together!” session and bring crosscultural community through music. 

Ingrid Ank 

Ingrid Ank is a leading Danish scholar on the legacy of N.F.S. Grundtvig. As Director of the Grundtvig Academy (part of the Grundtvigsk Forum association) and editor-in-chief of Grundtvigsk Tidende, she works at the crossroads of education, culture, theology, and democracy—reinterpreting Grundtvig’s ideas for the complexities of today’s world.  

At the folkemøde, she will welcome us to Vartov Culture House, where she will guide us in exploring what Grundtvig might say to our world today. 

Jacob Hundt 

Executive Director of Thoreau College & Driftless Folk School | Host of the Microcollege Podcast, Lead Facilitator at the International Folkemøde for Educators 2025 

From Viroqua, Wisconsin, USA – “The Town that Beat Walmart”.

Jacob Hundt is a lifelong educator, innovator, and passionate advocate for holistic learning. Based in Viroqua, Wisconsin—“the town that beat Walmart”—he has helped found two institutions inspired by the Danish folk high school tradition: Thoreau College and Driftless Folk School. 

Jacob champions immersive, community-rooted education for young adults seeking alternatives to conventional higher education. He also hosts the Microcollege Podcast, spotlighting visionary educators and learners around the world. 

At the folkemøde, Jacob will co-facilitate the Shared Knowledge Session on Democratic Edification, exploring key folk high school themes such as active citizenship, self-governance, and community engagement, and sharing key insights and experiences with the growing Microcollege Movement. 

Jennifer DeCoste 

Founder of LifeSchoolHouse | Co-Founder of FireLoch | Ashoka Fellow, Closing Keynote Speaker, International Folkemøde for Educators 2025 

Jennifer DeCoste is a community innovator from Nova Scotia, Canada, dedicated to building strong, connected communities. She founded LifeSchoolHouse —a global network of barter-based folk schools that foster grassroots skill-sharing and reduce social isolation. 

Her latest project, FireLoch, is a forest retreat space designed to support the mental health of nonprofit changemakers. 

At the International Folkemøde for Educators, Jennifer will offer our closing keynote, addressing the mental health of community builders—a vital and often overlooked topic for the sustainability of folk high schools worldwide. 

Julie Shackelford – Program Coordinator

Lene Rachel Andersen 

Co-founder of the Nordic Bildung think tank | Author of The Nordic Secret, Bildung, and Libertism , Lead Facilitator at the International Folkemøde for Educators 2025 

Lene Rachel Andersen is a futurist, economist, author, and one of today’s most influential voices on Bildung—the deeply human process of personal and societal development. She is the co-founder of Nordic Bildung and author of several acclaimed books, including The Nordic Secret, Bildung, and Libertism. 

Through her writing, teaching, and public engagement, Lene explores how education can cultivate democratic resilience, existential meaning, and planetary responsibility. 

At the folkemøde, she will co-facilitate the Shared Knowledge Session on Democratic Edification, offering insights into Bildung’s potential to shape inclusive and sustainable educational futures. 

Louise Mycroft 

Dr. Louise (Lou) Mycroft leads the Green Changemakers programme at Fircroft College in the UK—a culmination of her career in public health, adult education, and systems change. Green Changemakers applies a “green mindset” to organizational culture, supporting joyful, grassroots transformation. 

At the folkemøde, Lou will co-facilitate the Shared Knowledge Session on Life Enlightenment, helping participants explore their values, reflect on purpose, and lay a personal foundation for deeper learning. She will introduce the Thinking Environment—a powerful facilitation approach developed by Nancy Kline that enables people to think independently for themselves, and better together. In her words, the Thinking Environment is “the thing that changes things.” 

Melanie Lenehan 

Principal & CEO of Fircroft College of Adult Education (UK), Lead Facilitator at the International Folkemøde for Educators 2025 

Melanie Lenehan is Principal and CEO of Fircroft College of Adult Education in Birmingham—one of the UK’s most distinctive residential colleges, with deep roots in the folk high school tradition. With decades of experience in community-based adult education, Mel is committed to creating learning environments grounded in equity, dignity, and purpose. 

At the folkemøde, she will serve as a lead facilitator in the Shared Knowledge Session on Sustainable Education, working to weave together the themes of personal growth, democratic engagement, and community building. During the session, Mel will guide participants in reflecting on their roles in creating a sustainable future—linking individual action to collective responsibility for both people and planet. 

Mette Højland – Programme Coordinator

Mette Højland has lived her life within the free school movement in Denmark—as both a student and teacher. She was trained at the Independent Academy for Free School Teaching in Ollerup and is also a certified life coach. 

Mette taught at Brenderup and Nordfyns Højskoler for over two decades and co-founded the association Menneske først – LifeDialogues. In 2024, she published What You Say, Makes Me Think – Folk High School from Within, a heartfelt exploration of the folk high school spirit.  

As co-coordinator of the International Folkemøde for Educators, Mette will also co-facilitate the Shared Knowledge Session on Building Community, bringing deep experience and a reflective lens to the work of connection, growth, and dialogue. 

Melissa Boucher-Guilbert 

Melissa Boucher-Guilbert is a community organizer, artist, and mother based in Nova Scotia, Canada. She supports the work of LifeSchoolHouse, a grassroots initiative that fosters connection through community-led skill-sharing. 

Her work explores care, creativity, and how small, everyday actions can build resilient and inclusive communities. She is currently deepening these themes through graduate studies in art education. 

At the folkemøde, Melissa will co-facilitate the Shared Knowledge Session on Building Community, highlighting community as a vital foundation for democratic engagement, personal growth, and a shared sense of belonging. 

Sara Kaastrup-Olsen 

Sara Kaastrup-Olsen is passionate about connection, community, and collaboration. Danish with an international core, she has worked as a Rural Reporter for ABC in the Australian Outback, trained volunteers and politicians in the Danish Parliament, and served as a media expert on co-housing communities. 

She holds a Master’s in Social Community Design from Roskilde University and a double BA in Cultural Studies and Media from Murdoch University, Australia. A newcomer to the folk high school world, Sara has recently taught courses at IPC on body awareness and co-housing. She will offer a movement-based workshop at the folkemøde, drawing on her background in somatic practice. 

Sara Mortensen  

Sara Skovborg Mortensen is Head of Programmes and Knowledge Sharing at Grundtvigsk Forum, where she leads the development of the organization’s cultural programs and oversees the Grundtvig Library as a center for research, study and public engagement. With a background as a folk high school teacher and eleven years as International Consultant at the Folk High School Association of Denmark (FFD), she brings deep expertise in the global dimensions of the Danish folk high school movement. 

At the folkemøde, Sara will welcome participants to Vartov Culture House—home of Grundtvig’s church and legacy—and introduce the space as a living site of cultural dialogue. She will also co-facilitate the Shared Knowledge Session on Sustainable Education, helping participants connect personal growth and community building with global responsibility for a more sustainable future. 

Stine Hofman Eilers 

Stine Hofman Eilers is the daily leader of Civil Connections, where she works to foster inclusion and dialogue in diverse communities. With a background in social work and a Master’s in social entrepreneurship, she designs and facilitates workshops for professionals, parents, and racialized youth and adults. 

Her work centers on building equal and inclusive spaces through storytelling, shared understanding, and courageous conversation. 

At the folkemøde, Stine will co-facilitate the Shared Knowledge Session on Building Community and lead an afternoon workshop on the Diversity Toolbox—a set of consolidated exercises, tools, and strategies designed to unpack diversity and the challenges of racism for professionals working with youth. 

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