Who we are
NBV is a politically independent and religiously neutral study association. We’re offering a broad range of activities in approximately 265 of Sweden’s municipalities. Our goal is to minimize education inequalities and promote democracy, quality, culture, and healthy lifestyles.
A study association is engaged in non-formal adult education, which gives people the opportunity to develop their ideas and interests – usually included in a popular movement together with people who share their ideology. We believe that people, when in cooperation with others, evolve through popular education.
Non-formal adult education
The purpose of non-formal adult education is for citizens to gain new knowledge and new values in a democratic and equal way – such as study circles and lectures outside the traditional school system. We want to give people the opportunity to increase their knowledge and experience culture through non-formal adult education.
Non profitable
Study associations are non-profit, and our mission comes from our member organizations. All activities are made possible thanks to the support by thousands of non-profit leaders and citizen associations – but also through support from public funding. In other words, it doesn’t cost anything to get involved and start learning.
Free and voluntary
In non-formal adult education, the participants themselves get to control the content of their education. Non-formal adult education is characterized by the very important principle of “free and voluntary” – free from government control and participation is always voluntary.
How to get involved
A study circle consists of a group of people who want to learn something together. It is the groups own interests and their free will that is the foundation of the study circle. A study circle can be conducted with only physical meetings, a combination of physical meetings and distance studies or in their entirety at a distance.
A study circle can be about almost anything. There are groups that play music together, practice art or cook together – but it can also be classical study circles such as book circles, language circles, movie circles and craft circles.
Want to start your own study circle?
You can find us all over Sweden, and our staff is ready to help you. Give us a call and we will start the journey together!