📝 Detailed information
🏢 About the local organisation
Ungdomsøen (aka Youth Island) is an island located just a short ferry ride from Copenhagen - a historic youth project in the middle of the Øresund!
Ungdomsøen will strengthen young people in their journey to become active, committed and curious citizens who take responsibility for each other, for their communities, and the development of our societies.
The island is an old sea fortress full of places to hide and get lost. In 2015 it was acquired and donated to the danish scout movement. With major help from foundations and after 4 years of renovation, 130 million DKK and 70.000 hours of voluntary work, Ungdomsøen opened in August 2019 and is now ready to be invaded by the youth.
Ungdomsøen has an area of 50,000 m2. Inside the island there is more than 16,000 m2 and 1.8 km of underground pathways, so even though the island may seem small from the distance there is plenty of space for activities and expeditions.
Ungdomsøen has five dogmas. These dogmas have developed through conversations with thousands of young people to the opening.
1. Doing > learning:
This dogma is a counterweight to the focus on learning found in formal education systems. Experience creates learning.
2. Youth for youth:
An island by, for and together with young people. We have a unique organizational trust in young people’s abilities.
3. Disturbance:
Ungdomsøen must challenge, interfere with existing thought patterns and provide new perspectives. We must challenge habits and traditions and do something outside what we usually do.
4. Outreach:
Many doors in, so everyone can join. The island must gather individuals – who do not naturally come together – into new communities.
5. Island and Country:
Ungdomsøen is not just something we play at. It will change and create cohesion beyond its physical borders. You do not have to be on the island to do Ungdomsø-activities.
The five dogmas set the direction for everything that happens on the island including the Summercamp, that you can join. Your main contacts will be 2 young volunteers, Anton and Nina.
As the island opened in August 2019, we haven’t had a Work Camp like this before. But since 2015 we have had numerous building-camps/weekends. On these, we have cleaned out, painted, build shelters and made barbeque dinners while seeing the sun setting behind Copenhagens skyline.
If you want to know more, check out: https://ungdomsoen.dk/
💼 What the programme involves
Youth Island is open, but it is far from finished. On this camp, we continue already started projects, start some new ones and hopefully end most of them all.
We will be building constructions like a floating sauna, an upcycled hot tub, upcycled flowerbeds, a pizza oven and perhaps much more. We will also be renovating parts of the old fortress, so the island can be even better for other youths to come and use. Thus, we can promise you lots of practical experience, knowledge of building techniques and space for unfolding your creativity.
We do everything we can to build environmentally friendly using natural materials or upcycling used ones #LeaveNoTrace
🏠 Accommodation on site
Overall prepare yourself on spending lots of time outdoors enjoying the amazing view and breeze from the sea. In case of bad weather, we do have plenty of indoor spaces and facilities that we can use.
We will be sleeping outside in tents. If you have a sleeping bag/mat or even a tent that you like, bring it along. If you don’t have any of these, it’s totally okay. Because we have plenty that you can borrow.
There are lots of new restrooms and baths, we even have a washing machine.
We will be cooking together in smaller teams in our communal kitchen. Do you have any allergies or preferences? Just let us know before arrival.
2 times a week a small group of us swill sail to Copenhagen to do grocery shopping.
Last, but not least, there is WIFI available.
📍 About the location
You are going to spend your off-time on the Island, thus we will be planning some social activities like kayaking, stand-up-paddle-boarding, campfires, and day trips to Copenhagen.
⚠️ Requirements
We welcome volunteers with disabilities, but you might want to consider your safety, as the terrain on the Island is uneven and there are a lot of hills and inclines.
ℹ️ Additional information
Be aware, as we are on an Island the possibilities of leaving the camp to go shopping etc. after end work, are quite limited.
Most of the work will be outside, on the island in the middle of the ocean where it can be windy, so bring cloth for both warm and cold weather.
English will be the only language spoken. All participants must be willing to speak English, even though being from the same country or having troubles with the English language. Try your best!
