Summer Youth Program

Summer Youth

Velkommen til Skovsøen! 

Join a Danish family, where all ages come together to form the core of your Skovsøen experience. Counselors and staff from Denmark and the U.S. provide a fun environment for language learning.

Activities

Our Danske Købmand (traditional store), Sløjd og Håndvœrk (Danish woodworking and crafts) and Folkehøjskole in the woods bring Danish culture alive. Immerse yourself in theater and music from flaghejsning (flag-raising) to aftensprogram. Evening programs include a celebration of Sankt Hans (Midsummer) and Fastelavn (Carnival). Villagers, aged 13 and older, can take a bike trip with De Cyklende Danskere (The Biking Danes). You'll also see that Skovsøen villagers are helping to create their very own Danish enclave in the woods called Den Danske Landsby, a special place that recreates the magic of a 17th century Danish Village! 

Optional Adventure Program

De Cyklende Danskere
Because the Danes love to be out in naturen (nature), our Danish Language Village offers this exciting group bicycling trip! You will ride a bike on various terrains, explore nature, and stay overnight at Itasca State Park, the headwaters of the mighty Mississippi River! Learn about the role of bicycles in Danish culture, become more a competent and safer cyclist, and improve your Danish language skills. The Paul Bunyan Trail and connecting routes offer a safe environment for participants to foster a life-long connection to language learning and bicycling culture. The beautiful scenery along the forest bike trails make the trip a favorite adventure for villagers at Skovsøen. The program is co-ed for villagers aged 13-18 with beginning to advanced Danish language skills. Offered during DB84 and DB02.

Food

Savor authentic Danish cuisine including frikadeller (traditional meatballs) and rødgrød med fløde (a dessert that’s hard to say but fun to eat). Family style meals include a three-hour jul (Christmas) feast. 

Credit

Older villagers can earn a year of high school credit at Skovsøen, even with no previous Danish language skills. Four week credit villagers spend the first two weeks with villagers from Skogfjorden, the Norwegian Village, making them truly international! The last two weeks of the credit session are shared with the one and two-week Skovsøen villagers.