Having explained that we can divide the local community where the project will take place as follows:
Volunteers will most likely be in Reykjavík during during stage 1, as SEEDS has organised the activities in/close to the capital of Iceland due to the easy connection to many insititutions, the possibilities to invite guests and lecturers, as to organise study visits.
The second stage, will take place partly in Reykjanesbaer and partly in one of our workcamps in the country-side, there volunteers may be living at a small local township, village or in an isolated protected area.
After having received enough preparation and having acquired the basic knowledge, skills and competences to lead the projects, volunteers pass to the third stage, which comprises most of the time in Iceland and where volunteers work at different locations all around the country.
SEEDS Iceland works closely with local communities, their administration or authorities and with other Icelandic associations. Jointly we develop projects aimed at fulfil an identified need or to help in the development of particular actions that are already being undertaken.
The projects may be hosted for example at a small isolated village, at a National park or protected area, in the capital of the country, its surroundings, at an island off the coast of Iceland, etc.
The last part of the project will be held at the permanent accommodation location of the volunteers in Reykjanesbaer; EVS volunteers have their residence at the premises of a former NATO military base in the Reykjanes Peninsula, 45 Km away from the capital Reykjavík.
The former military base is being turned into a dynamic knowledge and academic community and SEEDS Iceland is happily being part of this process, as we are also contributing to make this happen.
While volunteers move from project to project between the months of June and October, the accommodation will be available for them to rest and to evaluate the projects ending, as to prepare and plan those coming up.
In this way, the EVS volunteers will have the unique opportunity to experience Iceland both in its main city and its surroundings but also to work and develop projects in different sites all around the country.
From the beginning on, the project is a group experience, as SEEDS hosts several EVS simultaneously and volunteers share the different tasks common to an usual household.
In some of our projects volunteers share a big room with all the participants (short-term volunteers) of the workcamps and in some others; there will be a couple of shared rooms. Conditions will change from site to site and they basically depend on the facilities available from our local hosts; standards may be very different from one location to another one.
SEEDS always ensures that our volunteers have adequate lodging places well equipped; nevertheless some of them will be very basic; while some others may be luxurious.
The permanent accommodation will be in form of a shared apartment or house with other volunteers and usually they bond closely together, so the local community usually becomes a European village as the participants in the programme come from several different countries.