The Snorri Program is for North Americans with Icelandic ancestry who are between the ages of 18 and 28. This unique opportunity is held in Iceland, in the summer, over a five-week period:
2 weeks of cultural and language education in Reykjavík
2 weeks home stay with family and volunteer placement
1 week adventure tour around Iceland
Organized by the Snorri Foundation in partnership with the Nordic Association. Other partners include the Icelandic National League of North America, the Icelandic National League of the United States, and the Icelandic National League of Iceland (Þjóðræknisfélag). ​

Deadline to apply: January 15, 2020

What is the cost?

The rates for 2020 are:
USD $5,230 or CAD $6,500 With Snorri Foundation Grant* 
*All participants who request the Snorri Foundation grant on the application form receive the grant.
​or
USD $10,000 or CAD $13,000 Without Snorri Foundation Grant

Additional grants and scholarships are available.
Click here to view the list.

What is included?

  • Round trip fares from Halifax, Boston, Washington, New York, Toronto, Minneapolis, Denver, Edmonton and Seattle* to Iceland.​ *Note: domestic flights within North America not included.
  • Accommodation and full board for the whole period.
  • Insurance during your stay in Iceland.
  • Domestic traveling costs.
  • Two-week language instruction and cultural education.
  • An allowance during the three-week family and volunteer placement.
  • Historic adventure tour: full board, lodgings and traveling costs.
  • Weekend and evening program in Reykjavík.
  • Family tree and direct contact with your Icelandic relatives.
  • Information kit upon arrival. 
  • Membership to the Icelandic Roots Genealogy Database. (and free training!)​
  • And so much more!

Keep reading below for more details about each segment of the program. 
Click here to see an outline of the 2020 itinerary. 
Snorri participant reading an Icelandic textbook
Studying Icelandic

Culture and Language Education

During your first two weeks in Reykjavík you will take part in a cultural education program, which includes an intensive course in modern Icelandic along with lectures on various themes of Icelandic history, culture and nature. All lectures are mandatory for all participants, along with completion of homework, participation in discussion, and team-work. Snorri participants will also get to meet the Snorri West participants. 

**All Snorri participants are required to finish the free Icelandic Online language course before arrival.

Homestays and Family

During your first week in Reykjavík you will receive a family tree depicting your ancestors and current relatives in Iceland. You will also get to see how you are related to some of Iceland's first settlers, a few 'famous' Icelanders, as well as your fellow Snorris. A presentation will also be given by a genealogist who will be able to answer any questions. 

Genealogy information is provided by Icelandic Roots and Íslendingabók* (The Book of Icelanders). When you apply it is important to send in detailed information about your Icelandic ancestors that immigrated. Your family tree enables us to connect with your living Icelandic relatives and find you a host family before your arrival. It will also enable us to help you contact more of your relatives in Iceland if you wish. Precise information will make the application process faster. 

After the first two weeks in Reykjavík you will then stay with your Icelandic relatives for two weeks. Efforts will be made to place you with family who live in the geographical area where your ancestors once lived. This is not always possible, though over 95% of previous participants have stayed with their relatives for the so called “family and work period” (volunteering). During this time you will participate in everyday family life and take on a volunteer summer job equivalent to the summer jobs young Icelanders usually have during the summer months.

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Three Snorri participants with their luggage posing in front of a yellow bus
Taking the Strætó
Two Icelandic horses, left one is white, the right one is brown
Icelandic Horses
Seven women in a row in an outdoor swimming pool facing away from us
Swimming Pool in Hofsós, Iceland (Drangey Island in the distance)

Volunteer Work Placements

Your family placement and the job arrangement must go hand in hand and the Snorri Program will take care of all the arrangements. You may provide suggestions well in advance and we will try our best to accommodate your wishes, but we cannot guarantee it. 
Previous Volunteer Jobs have included:

  • Horse rentals
  • Whale watching tours
  • Farm work
  • Greenhouse 
  • Tree planting
  • Slaughterhouse
  • Fish freezing plant
  • Construction
  • Daycare for children
  • Retirement residence
  • Swimming pool
  • Museum
  • Hotel work
  • Bank
We will try our best to accommodate special needs and/or wishes. Please keep in mind that due to language limitations (i.e. insufficient knowledge of the Icelandic language) and the fact that the time period is not very long, it could be difficult to get a job related to your special interests and/or education. 
No changes will be made on the job or family placements after they have been confirmed unless there is a special reason to do so. No matter what kind of volunteer work you will be doing you will have an experience of a lifetime!

Adventure Tour

During the last week of the program you will go on a historic adventure tour of Iceland. Tours vary from year to year, but past trips have included: 
  • Hiking
  • White water rafting
  • Glacier trekking
  • Volcano tours
  • Lava cave tours
  • Horseback riding
  • Outdoor hot springs
  • Camping
  • Museum tours
  • And ample ice cream

All tours visit Hofsós, Iceland with a tour of the Icelandic Emigration Center (Vesturfarasetrið). Weather pending, most groups also take a boat to Drangey and hike up the island where Grettir the Strong lived as an outlaw (from Grettir’s Saga).