Calling all Snorri West Alumni!
Have you been looking for a way to reconnect with North America since your Snorri West experience?
Have you longed for an opportunity to return to North America and contribute to keeping the cultural ties alive between Iceland, Canada and the United States?!
Be a part of the milestone celebrations of Icelandic heritage in North America!
2024 - Mountain, ND celebrates 125 years of August the Deuce Icelandic community festival.
2025 - Gimli, MB celebrates the 150th anniversary of the founding of the colony of New Iceland.
Now is your chance to spend up to 4 weeks in North Dakota and Manitoba!
View a message from 2023 Snorri West Alumni Intern Sandra Björg Ernudóttir:
Have you longed for an opportunity to return to North America and contribute to keeping the cultural ties alive between Iceland, Canada and the United States?!
Be a part of the milestone celebrations of Icelandic heritage in North America!
2024 - Mountain, ND celebrates 125 years of August the Deuce Icelandic community festival.
2025 - Gimli, MB celebrates the 150th anniversary of the founding of the colony of New Iceland.
Now is your chance to spend up to 4 weeks in North Dakota and Manitoba!
View a message from 2023 Snorri West Alumni Intern Sandra Björg Ernudóttir:
Applications for the 2024 Snorri West Alumni Internship are now open!
Deadline to apply is Sunday, April 28, 2024 - Virtual interviews will be scheduled for later that week.
To apply, click the link below.
Deadline to apply is Sunday, April 28, 2024 - Virtual interviews will be scheduled for later that week.
To apply, click the link below.
"The Snorri West Alumni Internship was a truly unique heritage program that aimed to connect Icelanders and Western Icelanders through travel and meaningful volunteer experiences. During these two weeks, I had the incredible opportunity to explore our shared cultural heritage in both North Dakota and Gimli, Manitoba, Canada... My journey in this program was filled with remarkable experiences. It was inspiring to witness the dedication of the people of Icelandic descent in North America preserving their Icelandic heritage."
Sandra Björg Ernudóttir
Reykjavík, Iceland
(Snorri West 2017, Interim Project Manager 2019, Pilot Program Intern 2023)
Reykjavík, Iceland
(Snorri West 2017, Interim Project Manager 2019, Pilot Program Intern 2023)
The Snorri West Alumni Internship (SWAI) was envisioned as a parallel to the Snorri Alumni Internship (SAI), which, since 2015, has given Snorri and Snorri Plus alumni the opportunity to spend another summer in Iceland deepening their ties to their heritage. In a similar manner, the SWAI offers Snorri West alumni a chance to return to North America to further develop their connections to the Icelandic communities there. As with all of the Snorri Programs, the overall intention is to “strengthen the bonds between the people of Iceland and people of Icelandic descent in North America.”
Following a successful two-week pilot program in Minnesota, North Dakota and Manitoba in the summer of 2023, SWAI will proceed with an extended program (up to 4 weeks) in 2024 and again in 2025 to coincide with milestone celebrations in Mountain (125th anniversary of the Deuce of August in 2024) and Gimli (150th anniversary of the founding of the colony of New Iceland in 2025).
Objectives for SWAI include:
SWAI will provide:
Once an intern is selected, that person will be offered the opportunity to identify several projects or areas in which to spend their internship experience that appeal to their interests and skills, in addition to the two Icelandic community festivals. The specific duties related to any particular project will vary and be provided by the cooperating agency, in conjunction with the Snorri West Co-Directors. In most cases a 32- to 40-hour volunteer week is anticipated, along with scheduled lunch and breaks and may occur any day of the week.
Housing will also vary, but it is anticipated that the intern will usually have a separate room, often in a private home. Most often, bathrooms, common spaces and meals will be shared.
Transportation will be via commercial airlines round trip between Iceland (KEF) to gateway cities in North America. Within North America most travel will be via private vehicles with volunteer drivers or possibly rental cars.
Interns should be familiar with the Icelandic Roots database and refer to it during the internship. Training is available if needed or desired. There will be opportunities to participate in genealogy workshops at the Icelandic festivals with Icelandic Roots volunteers.
While travel and internship dates are somewhat flexible each year, for 2024, the intern is expected to be in Mountain, North Dakota, USA at least a few days prior to August 2, 3, and 4, when the community will recognize the 125th anniversary of their Icelandic community celebration, The Deuce of August, overseen by the Icelandic Communities Association (ICA). In 2025 the focus will shift to commemorate 150 years since the founding of the colony of New Iceland in a variety of ways, centered in Gimli, Manitoba, Canada. The intern is expected to be present prior to the Icelandic community festival, Íslendingadagurinn, which will be held August 1-4, 2025 and hopefully can assist with Icelandic Camp the week before the festival.
SWAI is ever mindful that two distinct countries, Canada and the United States, are represented when referring to Western Icelanders in North America. While 2024 will focus on the Deuce of August in Mountain, North Dakota and 2025 will focus on “New Iceland,” near Gimli, Manitoba, interns will be visiting and involved with activities on both sides of the international border.
Depending upon timing, effort will be made to allow the intern to spend time in larger cities such as Minneapolis/St. Paul (The Twin Cities), Winnipeg and/or Toronto at some point while in North America. If an intern desires to visit a specific location, efforts will be made to assist in doing so, though costs may be borne by the intern.
Cancellation Policy
Partners in the Snorri West Alumni Internship include:
Following a successful two-week pilot program in Minnesota, North Dakota and Manitoba in the summer of 2023, SWAI will proceed with an extended program (up to 4 weeks) in 2024 and again in 2025 to coincide with milestone celebrations in Mountain (125th anniversary of the Deuce of August in 2024) and Gimli (150th anniversary of the founding of the colony of New Iceland in 2025).
Objectives for SWAI include:
- Offer an opportunity to develop a greater understanding of and deeper appreciation for the past, present and future of Western Icelanders.
- Offer additional opportunities for the intern to research, explore and connect with family members in North America in the hopes that this will lead to lasting connections now and in the future.
- Offer North Americans the opportunity to meet contemporary Icelanders and gain an understanding of today’s Iceland to complement the knowledge that many have of the early days of the settlement that has been passed down from generation to generation. As many North Americans will never have the chance to visit Iceland, this is one way to bring a bit of Iceland to North America.
- Provide a measure of assistance to North American organizations, sites and communities as they work to preserve and share their Icelandic culture and heritage with current and future generations.
SWAI will provide:
- Round trip airfare from KEF to North America, including one checked bag and a personal item.
- Domestic travel costs within North America related to the internship
- Accommodations related to the internship
- Most food is included, though not all, see stipend below
- The intern will receive a weekly stipend equivalent to $150 USD to help defray miscellaneous living expenses during the internship.
- Miscellaneous personal expenses
- Domestic travel within Iceland
- Items not directly related to the internship
- Necessary visa or visa waivers
- Travel insurance, including medical coverage
- Expenses related to personal travel outside of the internship
Once an intern is selected, that person will be offered the opportunity to identify several projects or areas in which to spend their internship experience that appeal to their interests and skills, in addition to the two Icelandic community festivals. The specific duties related to any particular project will vary and be provided by the cooperating agency, in conjunction with the Snorri West Co-Directors. In most cases a 32- to 40-hour volunteer week is anticipated, along with scheduled lunch and breaks and may occur any day of the week.
Housing will also vary, but it is anticipated that the intern will usually have a separate room, often in a private home. Most often, bathrooms, common spaces and meals will be shared.
Transportation will be via commercial airlines round trip between Iceland (KEF) to gateway cities in North America. Within North America most travel will be via private vehicles with volunteer drivers or possibly rental cars.
Interns should be familiar with the Icelandic Roots database and refer to it during the internship. Training is available if needed or desired. There will be opportunities to participate in genealogy workshops at the Icelandic festivals with Icelandic Roots volunteers.
While travel and internship dates are somewhat flexible each year, for 2024, the intern is expected to be in Mountain, North Dakota, USA at least a few days prior to August 2, 3, and 4, when the community will recognize the 125th anniversary of their Icelandic community celebration, The Deuce of August, overseen by the Icelandic Communities Association (ICA). In 2025 the focus will shift to commemorate 150 years since the founding of the colony of New Iceland in a variety of ways, centered in Gimli, Manitoba, Canada. The intern is expected to be present prior to the Icelandic community festival, Íslendingadagurinn, which will be held August 1-4, 2025 and hopefully can assist with Icelandic Camp the week before the festival.
SWAI is ever mindful that two distinct countries, Canada and the United States, are represented when referring to Western Icelanders in North America. While 2024 will focus on the Deuce of August in Mountain, North Dakota and 2025 will focus on “New Iceland,” near Gimli, Manitoba, interns will be visiting and involved with activities on both sides of the international border.
Depending upon timing, effort will be made to allow the intern to spend time in larger cities such as Minneapolis/St. Paul (The Twin Cities), Winnipeg and/or Toronto at some point while in North America. If an intern desires to visit a specific location, efforts will be made to assist in doing so, though costs may be borne by the intern.
Cancellation Policy
- Fees for which the intern is responsible: Personal expenses, visas or visa waivers where required, and travel insurance (including medical coverage)
- If a replacement intern is found, the canceling party will be responsible for the fees related to the airline ticket changes. If no replacement is found, the canceling party will be responsible for any fees for the airline ticket that are not recoverable or transferable.
Partners in the Snorri West Alumni Internship include:
- Snorri Foundation/Snorrasjóður, www.snorri.is
- Icelandair, www.icelandair.com/
- Icelandic National League of North America (INLNA), INLofNA.org
- Icelandic National League of the United States (INLUS), www.INLUS.org
- Icelandic Roots, IcelandicRoots.com
- Icelandic Communities Association (ICA), https://www.thedeuce.org
- One Majestic Place, onemajesticplace.com
- Snorri alumni and families