From Bergen To Oslo: Uniting For The Next Generation
It’s all about winning hearts when expert grassroots initiatives unite forces in a genuine, values-driven collaboration for the greater good.
How can different stakeholders from different cities and across regions collaborate to ensure that all children feel a sense of belonging within a safe and developmental environment?
Meteva Sport og Helse, through its NextGen Neighbor Network initiative, and its Founder, Louise Mohn, accompanied by Super Role Model Athlete Bouna Black N’Diaye, are visiting Mortensrud alongside Mudassar Mehmood and his Mortensrud Fellesskap initiative.
Meteva Sport og Helse entered into partnership with Mudassar last year—bringing both financial support and visual enforcement building to Mortensrud Fellesskap and their incredible impact within the local community and beyond. This creates a foundational pathway to the NTG “I care.” Scholarship, which is for young people who demonstrate high social capital, contribute to their local community, along with having a capacity to care for others regardless of their background, parent involvement, or personal challenges.
The NextGen Neighbor Network team is meeting stakeholders within the community of Mortensrud including Head Principal Trond Nilsen of Lofsrud School. This foundation of shared insight and local knowledge from Bergen and Oslo, reflects a broader responsibility of taking action showing that adults across sectors and different environments must work collectively to shift the paradigm from financial to social capital and validate children for their behavior rather than judging them for their background.
Modern Authoritative Leadership
Trond Nilsen is an expert in social capital and has successfully transformed Lofsrud school into a place where every individual experiences a genuine sense of belonging. Under his vision and leadership, he has cultivated a school structure grounded in a modern authoritative leadership framework - one that emphasizes belonging, accountability, and compassion across all student touchpoints. If every school in Norway operated with this level of leadership and intentional structure, we would see a measurable increase in inclusion and belonging among youth development across the country. The philosophy is clear: TO WIN HEARTS of students and youth.
Winning Hearts
This is an operational and deliberate school structure for student and adult daily practice. The school has four full-time environmental coordinators who serve as trusted resources for students between school and their everyday life occurrences. Rather than relying on exclusion, the school operates with a principle of responsibility allowing students to not get expelled ever, but to provide support through clear guidelines, accountability, and consistent follow-up.
Each morning begins with INTENTIONAL CONNECTION, as school staff meets and greets students at the front door and at the classroom to establish welcome, trust, and accountability. If a student is not present by 9:30am, the school contacts home immediately as a signal that the student matters, is valued, and is missing.
Lofsrud School also integrates practical life pathways such as active student ENTERPRISE PROGRAMS for students to engage, collaborate, and take part in hands-on activities such as cooking and woodworking. Those very activities translate into real-world value and sales showing students the process of creation to profit, reinforcing both skill development, customer care and accountability of their work.
Collaboration with HUB Mortensrud
With Logfsrud School being an international school, representing approximately 55 nationalities, it stands as a LIVING EXAMPLE of INCLUSIVE COMMUNITY-BUILDING. The school extends beyond traditional hours to deepen relationships and secure social development. HUB Mortensrud is a multi-purpose building and community space located in Mortensrud in Oslo. It serves as a kind of local hub for activities, learning, and community. It's a modern combination of a cultural center, learning space, and workplace. The goal of HUB Mortensrud is to create more activity, inclusion, and opportunities in the neighborhood.
Lofsrud School collaborates with HUB Mortensrud in an after school program at Lofsrud on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays from end of school hours until 5:00pm. In addition, “More Open School” runs every Wednesday from 2:30pm to 8:00pm for 8th and 9th graders, and until 10:00pm for 10th graders. These two after school programs ensure continued engagement between youth and responsible adults ensuring long-term youth development and belonging.
A Sustainable Ecosystem Based On Role Models
When local role models connect with the local teachers, coaches, and everyday responsible grownups within a child’s life and stand united in a photograph, it sends a clear message to the children that the grownups are there for them. The NextGen Neighbor Network takes pride in connecting people from all areas of a child’s life and photographing them together showing UNITY and a trusted network. The importance of SOCIAL CAPITAL is also highlighted through NextGen Neighbor Network’s Miljøplakaten launches, their social responsibility banners, and “I care. Campaign.”
At its core, it is about consistent relationship building, structure, belonging, trust, and accountability. These elements, when combined, are proven to reduce exclusion and replace uncertainty with purpose and connection.
Young people who grow up in such environments often carry these values forward—pursuing education, gaining broader life experience, and returning with a strengthened sense of responsibility. They re-enter their communities as leaders, mentors, and contributors—continuing a cycle where those once guided become the guides for others.
This is how sustainable ecosystems are built—where children become role models, and role models cultivate the next generation.
A Collective Responsibility Across Society
When communities stand as a united group—school leaders, community builders, politicians, and organizations—we begin to see beyond our own immediate environments and rather for the care of others. Our values extend across neighborhoods and communities. True impact occurs when collaboration extends across neighborhoods and sectors, ensuring that no child “falls between systems,” but is instead seen and supported through a connected network of adults.
It is when grown-ups collaborate—ensuring that children receive the focus, resources, and opportunities they both deserve and have the right to—that meaningful change occurs. Every child holds the right to be physically active, to have access to positive role models, and to feel safe within an environment that fosters growth and belonging.
This collaborative initiative seeks to demonstrate—and clearly articulate—how expert grassroots efforts/initiatives from different cities across regions can come together in a genuine, values-driven collaboration to inspire others to follow in the same footsteps.
