summer community engagement

Summer community engagement

How to get involved as a summer student

Whether you’ll study in Stockholm, Copenhagen, or both, you’ll find plenty of opportunities outside DIS to join in on the local culture.

Join events and festivals

Summer is prime time for festivals and events throughout the cities. The Stockholm Marathon, street food events, outdoor music festivals, sporting tournaments, and many other public events offer the chance to explore each city alongside your neighbors.

Top right (picnic gathering):
Students sit together on the grass sharing food and spending time outdoors at a gathering.

Celebrate local traditions

Late in June, both Sweden and Denmark celebrate the summer solstice in their own ways. You can join in the festivities and dance around the Maypole and create flower crowns with Stockholmers during midsommar, or watch the bonfire as you sing with Copenhageners during sankt hans.

Middle right (festival group):
Students stand together at an outdoor festival, smiling with a crowd behind them.

Experience summer like the locals

Scandinavians love to get outdoors and soak up the summer sun, and so can you.

In Stockholm, you might make a weekend trip on a ferry out to the islands of the Stockholm archipelago, go for a swim in a crystal clear lake just outside the city, or lay out in one of the many public parks as you read for class.

In Copenhagen, you can take a short bike ride after class to swim in the canals, stop by a weekend flea market to find something new, or join in on a local game of basketball or beach volleyball.

Bottom right (jumping into water):
People jump from a platform into the water on a sunny day.

See how students made the most of Scandinavian summer

Students sit at a table holding signs during a classroom activity.

On summer bliss and social change

Through her courses and Field Studies to local organizations, Izumi (Harvard University) met people who helped her understand Denmark on a deeper level.

Read her blog.

Rainbow flags hang outdoors among trees on a sunny day.

Exploring LGBTQIA+ spaces

Spending their summer in both Stockholm and Copenhagen, Tubbs (Iowa State University) compared and contrasted LGBTQIA+ communities and spaces during their time abroad.

Read their blog.

Student walks across an outdoor basketball court in a city setting.

Join a pick-up basketball game

Kevin (Purdue University) found the best way to play sports in both Copenhagen and Stockholm: ask to join a local pick-up game.

Read his blog.