“BUA was particularly interesting to me. You can borrow all kinds of equipment for outdoor activities there, including bikes and canoes. It’s completely free as long as you return everything in good condition and at the agreed time,” says Oliver Nikolai Bendiksen, a teacher student at the University of Inland Norway (INN).
Together with fellow students Kristin Haugen Øgaard and Sindre Sundstu, he spent Friday 28 August at “Market Day – campus meets city” at the Hamar campus. Local organisations and businesses had stands at the event, introducing curious students to the opportunities and services available to them.
The Market Day was organised as part of the pedagogy course for first-year teacher students. They interviewed local organisations, explored the opportunities available and reflected on how they could contribute to strong local communities, both as students and in their future roles as teachers. The event was also open to everyone and attracted a good number of other students from the campus.
“The aim was to get to know each other and the local community, and to understand how inclusive, resilient and sustainable local communities are connected to learning. We achieved that! It’s about both how you can make use of and contribute to strong local communities,” emphasises Bente Knippa Vestad, co-organiser and lecturer in pedagogy and educational studies at the Centre for Collaborative Learning for Sustainable Development (CCL).
The event was organised by the Inland Norway Students’ Welfare Organisation (SINN) and EMERGE – INN’s European collaboration with a strong focus on civic engagement and strengthening local communities.
There was a strong turnout in the foyer at the Hamar campus, where students had the opportunity to get to know around 20 different local organisations and initiatives.
Holdbart offers affordable food for students while helping to prevent food waste. The chain buys perfectly good products that, for various reasons, are not sold by large supermarket chains. In Hamar, Holdbart is located at Maxi Storsenter.
Hamar E-Sport Club is an activity group for people who enjoy gaming in a social setting. Many former and current students from the Game School are members, but the club is open to everyone. You can find the club in the basement of Torghjørnet.
Hamar Frivillighetssentral is a local meeting place for people who either want to help others or need help themselves. There are many different types of voluntary work you can get involved in, and the volunteer centre is, among other things, affiliated with Queer Café and Language Café.
Naturvernforbundet Innlandet was also present. The organisation works on issues including forests, land use, motorways, holiday-home development, wild reindeer, energy, large carnivores, enjoying nature and much more.
If you love theatre and live performances, you can, among other things, become a theatre ambassador for Teater Innlandet. This involves attending performances with free tickets for yourself and a friend, in return for sharing your experiences on social media, distributing flyers and putting up posters.
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services in Hamar Municipality is a free service for people experiencing mental health difficulties or problems related to substance use. You can receive counselling and guidance without a referral from a doctor.
Nok. Hamar is a free, low-threshold, multidisciplinary support service for anyone who has experienced sexual abuse, as well as their relatives and loved ones.
Terningkast 7 is a gaming association in Hamar that meets every Wednesday from 4pm to 10pm at Hamar kulturhus. Participation is free, and the group is open to everyone.
“I’m a new student here in Hamar, so it’s really useful to have a day like this where you’re introduced to all the different organisations. It gives you an overview of what you might find interesting to get involved in,” says Øgaard.
In addition to the organisations mentioned in the text and photo gallery, the following organisations and groups were also present: Unge Voksne Nettverk run by Hamarregionen Utvikling, Hamar idrettslag, Anno museum, Culture and Activities in Hamar Municipality, the Hamar Friendship City Association, NITO Innlandet East, and the Norwegian Cyclists’ Association.
INN was represented by SINN, the International Office and the university chaplains. Various student associations affiliated with the Student Society of Inland Norway (StudINN) were also represented, including Musli, Biovitale, LENS, HAST and Valmuen.
The organisers report that the event has helped expand INN’s network and generated interest in further collaboration among local organisations and stakeholders. Among other things, they are looking for more opportunities to meet students and engage them in work placements, as well as bachelor’s and master’s thesis projects.
“I see the impact of the event as a step in the right direction towards achieving EMERGE’s and INN’s goals of strengthening collaboration with local communities. We are doing this to be better equipped to address the challenges facing our region, and it is a key part of our university’s societal mission,” says Sacha Irene de Raaf, co-organiser and adviser at CCL.
Fortunately, the intention is for the Market Day to become an annual event, and INN also plans to build on this initiative at several of its campuses.