Norway’s Total Defense Comes to the Classroom

Hustadvika Upper Secondary School in Elnesvågen, on Norway’s western coast, will hold a practical preparedness day on October 28, introducing first-year students to the country’s total defense system.

The school and the Møre og Romsdal Civil Defence District are organizing the event, combining practical exercises, a crisis simulation and conversations with civilian and military preparedness organizations.

“Young people are asking for honest information and want to know how they can contribute as an important resource,” writes Hanne Sandnes, a head of department at the school with a military background, in information sent to students and parents.

The announcement describes young people’s concerns about extreme weather, economic uncertainty and a demanding security situation as the background for the activities.

“We want to give students a sense of mastery and practical tools for their own and their families’ preparedness,” Sandnes writes.

Understanding how society prepares

Norway’s total defense concept brings civilian and military resources together to prevent and manage crises, armed conflict and war. It rests on mutual support between the armed forces and civilian society.

The school event takes place during Total Defense Year 2026, a national effort to strengthen preparedness for security crises and war. It also falls within Self-Preparedness Week, running from October 26 to November 1, whose national theme is crisis communication during disruptions to mobile networks and internet access.

At Hustadvika, the mayor will explain the municipality’s responsibilities, including maintaining services and providing information. The County Governor’s office, representing central government at the regional level, will introduce the wider preparedness system.

Civil Defence and voluntary organizations will explain their responsibilities, while the Norwegian Home Guard, the country’s territorial military force, will address its role in war.

Practicing skills that save lives

The school’s workshops and classrooms will become training stations. Civil Defence personnel will teach bleeding control, while the fire and rescue service will lead fire suppression exercises.

Norwegian People’s Aid will teach cardiopulmonary resuscitation, commonly known as CPR. The Norwegian Red Cross will introduce psychosocial first aid, including support for people experiencing distress. The Home Guard will lead physical activities involving military selection tests.

The police will also participate. Students and parents can submit anonymous questions beforehand for discussion with the participating organizations.

Students will play Krise!, meaning “Crisis!”, developed by the National Digital Learning Arena and the Norwegian Directorate for Civil Protection. Working in teams, they will tackle problems arising during a prolonged emergency.

Connecting local knowledge with European preparedness

Two researchers working on Empower-Citizens will attend. The project develops ways to incorporate residents’ experiences from emergencies and exercises into preparedness plans.

Funded through the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism, with NTNU Social Research as its Norwegian partner, the project will test its approach through actual revisions of preparedness plans in Norway and Italy.

Each class will finish the school day with a conversation about students’ experiences and impressions. On October 29, teams will complete short videos about personal preparedness, drawing on photographs, footage and ideas gathered during the activities.