The Volunteer Forum in Agder is a new arena that brings together educational institutions, voluntary organizations, and the public sector. The goal is to enhance students’ well-being and sense of belonging through co-creation, sharing insights, and developing initiatives that promote engagement in the local community and build lasting relationships between students and the region.
How Do We Create a more Inclusive and Vibrant Student City – Together?
This question has been central to the establishment of the forum, which has been developed to meet the need for new solutions that promote student well-being, belonging, and participation. The forum also focuses on improving collaboration across sectors and roles. At the same time, it’s about strengthening students’ connection to the city, so that more wish to stay after completing their studies. Volunteering plays a key role, as engagement in the local community not only provides social fellowship during study time but also creates lasting bonds with the region.
The initiative has been developed by a working group with representatives from the University of Agder, the Student Organization in Agder, the Student Welfare Council, the Student Welfare Organization in Agder, and project staff from Student Well-being. The group has jointly shaped a forum that will contribute to relationship building, sharing of insights, and development of new initiatives – with the aim of creating lasting ripple effects. The forum will meet regularly and be in continuous development.
What is the Volunteer Forum?
The Volunteer Forum is a meeting place and networking arena where key individuals from the student environment, educational institutions, the Student Welfare Organization, and the public sector will work to:
- Share insights, experiences, and needs
- Identify challenges and opportunities
- Create joint initiatives and collaborations
- Build relationships and trust between actors
The forum will exist in parallel in Kristiansand and Grimstad to cater to local needs. Although the structure and goals are common, there will be room to develop measures tailored to each campus and local community.
The First Gatherings: A Common Starting Point for Collaboration
The first meetings of the Volunteer Forum were held in Kristiansand on March 11 and in Grimstad on March 12, 2025. Representatives from UiA, SiA, voluntary organizations, student associations, and municipalities met here. Despite many working towards the same target groups, several had never met before. This highlighted the need for a coordinating meeting place. The meetings marked the beginning of a new cross-sector collaboration.
The purpose and structure of the forum were presented here – not as a finished recipe, but as an invitation to co-creation. Participants shared their experiences and perspectives, and were able to influence how the forum will function going forward. There was great enthusiasm and a clear interest in contributing further.
What Emerged from the Conversations?
- Need for low-threshold meeting places: The importance of open and informal meeting places in associational life was emphasized, without requirements for pre-registration or membership. Such arenas are important for lowering the threshold for participation in volunteering and meeting new people.
- Better knowledge of each other’s work: It became clear that participants both need and want better insight into each other’s work in volunteering. In particular, more insight into student life here in Agder and how student volunteering works was requested.
- Collaboration instead of competition: Several actors work towards the same target groups and experience challenges related to lack of overview and coordination. A desire for better interaction and more collaboration, rather than competition, between actors and organizations was expressed.
- Students’ voice must be included: Participants emphasized the importance of involving the students themselves in the development and implementation of initiatives. In addition to asking them directly what they need, we must also make room for their own initiatives.
The Way Forward: Co-creation in Practice
It is clear that the need for a common and coordinating meeting arena is great. The Volunteer Forum has already brought together actors with a shared commitment to student well-being and community development. Now the way forward is about translating this commitment into concrete actions.
The forum will be further developed as an inclusive and targeted meeting place, with room for both small and large initiatives. It will be a place to build trust, learn from each other, and develop joint solutions. Plans include mapping support schemes, highlighting initiatives, and establishing fixed contact points between student volunteering, municipalities, and the county council. The forum will also explore how the volunteering landscape can be communicated in a way that makes it more accessible and clear for students and student associations who want to explore their opportunities.
The next forum meeting is already being planned, and it is crucial that the actors remain active and engaged for this to succeed. The forum will be an arena for relationships, reflection, and action – and contribute to making Agder an even better region to be a student in.