Reykjavík Grapevine - 01.08.2014, Page 16

16
The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 11 — 2014
A Different Kind Of
Summer School
Icelandic “work school” pays young teens to learn about the
environment while doing manual labour tasks with their friends
Culture | Youth
SALKA. IS
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The book gives a brief history of Icelandic
women and describes their lifestyle.
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the author depict the uniqueness and
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centuries on this cold island.
TOP 10
IN ICELAND
In this fascinating book
photographer Vilhelm Gunnarsson
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lowlands, these are truly the Top Ten
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Founded in 1951, the programme draws
nearly 1,500 kids every summer. “Most
Icelanders have done Vinnuskólinn at
least once,” Group Leader Íris Cochran
Lárusdóttir explains. “Even my grand-
mother did it.”
The kids, who are put into small work
groups based on their age and place of
residence, work from eight thirty in the
morning to around three thirty in the
afternoon five days a week, earning 408–
543 ISK per hour depending on their age.
“They mainly do gardening work, but
there is also a group for kids who are al-
lergic to grass and pollen. Those kids do
other tasks like painting, although they
can’t paint on rainy days. Sometimes,
they do something else like pick up rub-
bish or other things to make the city
clean,” Íris says. “The point is to make the
city look good and to teach the kids about
the environment and how to work.”
What The Kids Really
Think
“I’ve done this for two summers,” says
Elín Kjartansdóttir, a tenth grader who
is weeding with her friend Ástrós Sigur-
jónsdóttir. “I like it here. It’s not too much
work. It will be easier to get a job next
summer, but now we’re still too young.”
Ástrós nods her head in agreement.
“It’s a good way to be outside and to enjoy
the summer while working. But it’s not so
nice sometimes. When it rains, it gets a bit
cold.”
Two boys, Tómas Thoroddsen and
Kristinn Sigurðarson, dressed in fluo-
rescent vests walk over with wheelbar-
rows full of leaves. They too are back at
Vinnuskólinn for the second summer in a
row and share similar opinions with the
girls. “It’s good to have something to do
in the summer and to have some money,”
Tómas says. “We like it… but it’s not fun in
the rain,” Kristinn continues.
Meanwhile, Íris Sævarsdóttir sits
alone, seemingly focused on weeding, but
not overly enthusiastic about her work. “I
don’t really like it,” she says honestly. “I
chose to do it because I can make some
money and it’s better than wasting time
at home on the computer. I mean, it’s not
very fun doing this!” she says, laughing as
she holds up a handful of soil.
That said she recognises that it’s a
great opportunity. “I’d rather be work-
ing in an ice cream shop or something,
but I’m too young and small, and people
think I’m younger than I actually am,”
she says. “It’s not bad overall, I guess. We
get to work and relax at the same time.
I’ve also made many friends here. I’ve
known them before but we got closer
here.”
Fun And Rest
In between working hours and regu-
lar breaks, the kids break for games and
activities. “They love this game called
Shovel,” Íris says as she waves to get the
attention of the kids who were all hard
at work. “Let me show you.”
Upon hearing that they are going
to play their favourite game, the kids
leap up excitedly, leaving their shovels
behind for a more desirable shovel. The
game works almost exactly like Twist-
er. The first person throws the shovel
into the ground and the next person
has to pull it out. The person is only al-
lowed to take one step and has to stay
in that position until it is his or her turn
again. If a person falls or fails to pull the
shovel out in one step, he or she loses.
The game ends when there is one last
person standing.
There is plenty of screaming, throw-
ing, twisting, bending and falling over.
The game finally ends with everyone
feeling happy, energised and ready to
return to work. Laughing and dusting
the dirt off their clothes, the kids walk
back to work.
In many other places in the world,
kids spend the sunny months of the year
at summer camps or doing different
enrichment and sports programmes.
In Iceland, kids spend their summers
doing menial labour. But hey—they get
to make friends, learn new things and
earn some cash while enjoying the
wonderful Icelandic summer heat! It
doesn’t sound too bad after all, does it?
It is a beautiful Friday morning in Hljómskálagarðurinn park. The sun shines bright-
ly and the air is crisp. A group of 15 and 16-year-olds gather around different areas of
the park, weeding, raking leaves and planting trees. They are participating in Vin-
nuskólinn, a programme that educates kids about the environment while providing
many of them with their first job.
Words by Susanna Lam
Photo by Óli Dóri