About NWDA

Attendees at the Queen of Denmark's Birthday Reception in Seattle

At Northwest Danish Association (NWDA), we give you access to Danish culture and community in the Pacific Northwest. We are proud of all Denmark has to offer and seek to share unique Danish specialties and strengths with this region of the United States. Subscribe to our e-bulletin for updates on our activities.

NWDA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization headquartered in Seattle, Washington. Since 1923, we have been offering social services, cultural programs, and events in the Pacific Northwest.

Our Mission:

The mission of Northwest Danish Association is to preserve and share with others our Danish culture, tradition, and values.

Our Core Areas:

1. A Spotlight on Denmark

We know that Denmark is a small country with a lot to offer. Our goal is to share this knowledge with the Pacific Northwest and beyond, fostering cross-cultural exchange between Denmark and the U.S. Danish social experience has been on the global radar. In recent years, Denmark has been named the happiest nation in the world and the Danish concept of ‘hygge’ has become a hot topic in global media. Denmark is also a world leader in sustainability and green living, while Danish architecture, cinema, and design remain well-known around the world. At NWDA we put a spotlight on contributions from Denmark in an effort to share innovation from Denmark and strengths found in Danish culture. Beyond our focus on Denmark, important topics pertaining to the other Nordic countries and Greenland have also been woven into the conversation.

2. Danish Culture: Art, Music, Language

NWDA promotes exchanges between Danish and American artists and audiences, both in music and in fine arts. We aim to increase mutual awareness and appreciation for Danish works and artists through actively supporting and sponsoring performances in Washington and Oregon. NWDA events such as Fastelavn, Julestue, and Lillejuleaften celebrate Danish traditions and provide the community with access to Danish culture in this region. We also preserve Danish language in the Pacific Northwest, ensuring that those who would like to speak or learn Danish have access to the language through our Danish community.

3. Life-long Education

NWDA embraces the Danish folk school movement called Grundtvig, a tradition of education and learning for all. We provide education for all generations through our summer camps for children and teens, as well as lectures and exhibitions for adult audiences. NWDA believes in the importance of engaging the community by providing opportunities for members to learn about and explore contemporary and historical issues.

Scholarship Programs: Beyond providing learning opportunities in the community, NWDA is also dedicated to supporting students and academia. Our scholarship programs have been available to students for over 20 years, helping students in need reach their educational and career goals.

4. Community, Family, and Networking

NWDA is driven by people and functions from a solid foundation of dedicated volunteers and donors. Our organization is a strong community of passionate individuals from all backgrounds. The community we build together serves to support all individuals in it. Our members and friends have found different benefits from this system of support, from networking within the community to finding friends and companionship. To support the role of the family in transmitting cultural traditions and social values to younger generations, NWDA sponsors traditional Danish holiday events.

Our Community Partners: NWDA also connects with the broader community in the Pacific Northwest. We collaborate with several organizations and businesses, many of whom are organization-level members of NWDA or kindly donate to NWDA and our events. These partners include Scan Design Foundation, University of Washington Scandinavian Studies Department, UW Center for European Studies, Danes Soccer Club of Seattle, Danish Brotherhood Lodges, Danish Sisterhood Lodges, The Swedish Club, Scandinavian Specialties, Danish American Language Foundation, Nordic Northwest, and others. Thank you to our partners for helping us culturally enrich our community.

5. Eldercare

Founded as the Danish Old People’s Home in 1923, NWDA continues to make care for elders a primary concern within its broadened mission. NWDA provides medical, housing, transportation, and other needed assistance to help elders stay in their own homes longer with open access to a social community. Following Danish tradition, NWDA provides opportunity for an active, engaged life for all.

 

For updates on all our upcoming events and programs, sign up for our e-mail list here: www.northwestdanish.org/e-bulletin/


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