DIS Volunteer Program

How does the program work?

The DIS Volunteer Program offers support to you and the organizations you are involved in throughout the semester. This is done through three meetings per semester intended for discussing the experiences of the program participants. All participants will also get access to a Facebook group where you can share experiences with fellow students.

Program Benefits

Volunteering will give you not only personal and career experience and a sense of fulfillment but also:

• A chance to immerse yourself

• Resumé-building in an international environment

• A chance for you to share your culture.

Time Expectations & Commitment

Committing to the Volunteer Program does require time, energy and dedication starting from when you first sign-up until the end of your stay in Denmark. The organizations with which you will work are highly dependent on your efforts and continuous commitment, so please do not sign-up if you think you will not have time and might have to drop out.

Some Cultural Differences

Volunteering in Denmark is different from that in America, but definitely not impossible. Denmark does not have the same tradition of people volunteering as America. This is first and foremost due to the very comprehensive welfare state. This means that Danes have a hard time seeing volunteers as a resource; instead they are often seen as extra work. Some organizations have however discovered that American volunteers add extra value to the services they provide and they gladly accept the help of DIS students.

Contact & Application

Please note that positions are extremely limited and competitive so please notify us of your interest by applying through the online registration process, after application and acceptance to DIS. To complete your application to the DIS Volunteer Program, you are required to submit your resumé and a statement of interest by August 1st for the Fall 2012 semester. Please include the following:

• Previous voluneer experience
• Field in which you would like to volunteer
• Amount of time you are willing to volunteer each week

Before your arrival in Copenhagen, you will be sent a confirmation of receipt. Applications materials and questions regarding the volunteer program at DIS can be sent to volunteering@dis.dk

Where can you volunteer?

Schools

DIS currently cooperates with a Muslim private school, and an international school. The type of job that a DIS volunteer will take on when volunteering in one of the schools varies from being a teaching aid in English classes to giving support and encouragement to students that might need this due to different factors.
________________________________________

Integration Projects

DIS currently works with different integration projects with the goal of giving ethnic youth worthwhile activities away from the streets. The projects are designed to help teens socially and aim to improve integration and help break stereotypes about immigrants and Danish society. The type of job is one where the volunteer functions as an initiator and supervisor of different activities. Volunteering in an integration project is a unique chance to gain an insight into a part of Danish society that our you would not be exposed to otherwise.
________________________________________

Social Projects

DIS students volunteer at social projects that assist those who need help in different ways. Social projects reach immigrats and those in need of social servies. These projects connect those in need with resources, support, and food. Volunteering in a social project is a great opportunity to see aspects of Danish society that might otherwise be hidden from the student gaze.
________________________________________

Studenterhuset

A local cafe and student union affiliated with Copenhagen University. Studenterhuset serves as a cafe/ bar, a meeting place for students, and a venure for a wide variety of talks, concerts and events. This opportunity is a great way to meet the Danes and practice your Danish.