Day 4: Learning about Welfare and the Workfare State

On the morning of day 4 we visited the Danish Institute Against Torture called Dignity.  Guest speakers included Helle Harnisch who spoke about her work with child soldiers in Africa.  Helle has filmed many hours of conversations with former child soldiers and she shared her digital stories with our group.

In the afternoon we were visited by social worker Andrey Lukyanov who spoke to our group about Danish child protection services and the Danish welfare system.  Students were surprised to learn about the many benefits Danish citizens enjoy including free education and health care paid by the state.  Denmark has the highest tax rates from any other European country but it also spends half of collected tax revenue on public services. “It’s like an all-inclusive resort” says Lukyanov to the students.

Day 3: Visit to Superkilen!

On Day 3 we visited a public park called Superkilen in the Norrebro district of Copenhagen. This park was designed to honor Denmark’s diversity. We looked at the use of art in public spaces also used for play and community building. Today’s trip exposed students to a community made up largely of immigrants.  As part of our tour, we had a photography composition lesson by Peter Hyldekjaer, an accomplished travel photographer and retired head librarian at the Danish Institute for Study Abroad.  Students had an opportunity to also interact with the community and take pictures that could be used to form their digital stories.

Day 2: Tour of Viking Museum and Cathedral at Roskilde

After an exciting introduction to the city with our historical Copenhagen tour, on day 2 we traveled to Roskilde to learn more about Denmark’s rich history.  Our group visited the Viking Ship Museum which holds five unique viking ships discovered in the nearby fjord buried underwater for nearly 900 years.  The ships took 25 years to piece back together and are on display at the museum.  Boatbuilders were also able to create full-scale sailing ships modeled after the ruins of the viking ships using replicas of viking tools.  Outside on the museum lawn, students played games inspired by the period when vikings inhabited Roskilde.

We also toured the Cathedral at Roskilde built in the 1170s.  The Cathedral holds the tombs of Denmark’s royalty and over the centuries it has maintained its exquisite design and splendor! In 1995, the Roskilde Cathedral was added to UNESCO’s World Heritage list of properties having outstanding value.

Day 1 Study Abroad Copenhagen: City Walking Tour

Day 1 kicked off with a historical city walking tour led by Anders Larsen.

We explored sights and secrets of one of Europe’s most alluring cities.  Our tour guide Anders gave us insight of how the city tries to preserve its history while adapting to modernity–all while keeping the idea of “humans first” as its priority.  This is seen in their urban planning with generous use of green spaces and bike paths separated by city traffic.  The three-hour tour included a visit to the Hans Christian Andersen statue located between city hall and Tivoli Gardens and amusing stories about the inspiration to his ‘dark’ fairy tales.  Where they written for children or adults?  Our tour ended at parliament where students asked questions about the Danish political system.  Now we’re prepared for the week ahead filled with sight visits, tours, lectures, and research.  Ready to go!