Kids get first-hand experience with Scandinavian heritage at Norsk Høstfest in Minot, North Dakota
Norsk Høstfest – the largest Scandinavian festival in North America – arrives in Minot, North Dakota on October 1 – 5, 2013, but the children are getting a headstart in late September.
Vikings, Legos and Trolls, oh my!
One of the best ways to invite children to experience Norsk Høstfest culture is to let them go at it hands-on! That is the driving philosophy behind Statoil’s Scandinavian Youth Camp, where kids get first person experience exploring Scandinavian culture through stories, songs, dance and other guided activities.
“The kids just light up,” said Tracey Lawson, chairperson for Høstfest in the Schools, of which the Scandinavian Youth Camp is an extension. “It’s so meaningful to see children curious about the Scandinavian heritage.”
This year’s Scandinavian Youth Camp is presented by Statoil, an important Høstfest partner with a deep commitment to spreading awareness and appreciation for cultural curiosity and knowledge. In the case of Scandinavian Youth Camp, Statoil is helping to spark and feed an interest in heritage within the next generation. Influencing young people to take an active role in preserving history and arming them with the tools to better the future is what Statoil’s commitment to the “Heroes of Tomorrow” is all about.
You need not be from Minot to enjoy partaking in the camp! Enrollment is open to children in grades two through 12. The camp costs $10 per student and will be held the weekend before Norsk Høstfest, September 28 & 29, 2013, at Magic City Campus in Minot, N.D.
Six unique sessions
One of the newest experiences is LEGO Camp. (Photo courtesy of Norsk Høstfest)
The newest experience available at this year’s Scandinavian Youth Camp is for the mechanically minded: Lego Camp. Made possible by Statoil, the camp will be taught by Dan Parker, a professional LEGO builder, who will be working one-on-one with kids from the fourth-grade on a special Norsk Høstfest project.
Five other camps — Swedish dance and song, Norwegian dance, Norwegian theatre, Viking camp, Troll camp — focuses on arts, crafts, theatre and dance. Within each session, expert instructors and teachers all the way from Norway and across the U.S. will work with the kids individually on their projects.
One of those teachers, Kaitlyn Johnson, has loved the Scandinavian Youth Camp since she started as a Youth Camp student herself.
“I participated in the Swedish dance and song camp as a second- and third-grader, and in the Norwegian camp through sixth grade,” said Johnson, who graduated from Minot High School in May, and will pursue a minor in Norwegian at the University of North Dakota.
Festival performance
Following the busy weekend of learning and creating, the kids are invited to display their newly acquired skills each day at Norsk Høstfest. The student performances this year will be held in Tromsø Hall, and will include a dance around the Midsømmer Stang (Swedish Maypole), the Troll Beauty Pageant, and much more.
A registration form can be found online at hostfest.com. Send the completed form, along with the $10 registration fee, to Scandinavian Youth Camp, Longfellow Elementary, 600 16th St. NW, Minot, ND, 58703. Checks can be made payable to Teacher Center. Some camps have limited space and children will be accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis.
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