This year, the foreign language camp in Croatia was held once again, with Crikvenica hosting it just like last year.
Today we departed from Nagybajom to Croatia. After arriving in the late afternoon, most of the group settled into a hotel complex that provided a completely new experience. Those who participated in the camp last year greeted the sea, which cools their feet like an old friend. Our language teachers – Peter Holly, Zsuzsanna Hamlin, Amber Woolam, and István Vidákovics – prepared an icebreaker task on the beach, following last year’s model: everyone received a printed list of names with an empty box next to each. We had to ask everyone a single question, but the difficult part was to share a truly interesting and unique fact about ourselves. I believe this task proved to everyone how diverse and valuable we all are, and I hope it set a positive tone for the entire camp.
Throughout the week, in addition to regular language project sessions, there will be a focus on relaxation; beach activities, a boat excursion, and cultural development: we will visit the picturesque Plitvice Lakes National Park, and we will also delve deeper into the history and local values of the town that is hosting us.
László Gázsik, ELTE
In the mornings, the children took part in small group foreign language sessions, where the development teachers worked with the groups in a rotating way, adding variety to the learning with their individuality. In the afternoons, the children’s project activities and enrichment programmes took centre stage: as last year, in addition to relaxing by the beach, everyone was actively involved in the SDGs and there were unique creative presentations from each group at the project’s closing on Friday.
The lakes of Plitvice and the town of Vrbnik on the island of Krk welcomed us back this year; the new group had a similarly breathtaking experience hiking alongside crystal clear lake systems dotted with waterfalls. And the town of Vrbnik remains a fairytale town with a medieval character, a popular tourist destination with its atmosphere and history – and so just as attractive to us.
The photos taken during the week can be viewed in the gallery.
“Today, in the morning hours, we will continue to expand our knowledge on pressing issues related to the environment and nature conservation. In both German and English, we will talk through the main issues and then work and brainstorm together for the big task ahead of us, the project work on Friday. After lunch, we visited the heart of Crikvenica, where life is alive on every corner and in the winding forest of narrow streets. As part of our playful activity, we visited the centre’s notable buildings and sculptures, put together by our little mentor, Laci Gázsik. After our wanderings, we had a nice time lounging on the rocks along the coast to share our experiences and admire the Adriatic Sea.” Pretz Jázmin, Kaposvár Group 2
“Today we went on an excursion to Plitvice National Park. We did a hike of about 6 km, during which we were surrounded by beautiful scenery at every moment! Lots of clear water lakes, trees, fresh air and everything you need to recharge! For me, it was a great experience, as I got to discover the nature of a National Park in a new country. It was great to spend half a day in nature, especially as the views made up for the time!” András Pivó, Foundation grantee in Transylvania
“Today was a day of games and happy sunny faces, as a hearty breakfast was followed by a morning of board games, where we were able to try out the English board game we made at the camp. Everyone had a choice of games, which were super team-building. In the afternoon we took to the water and then sailed to the island of Krk, where we explored Vrbnik. We learned from our German-speaking guide that all roads lead, if not to Rome, then certainly to St Margaret’s Church. We tried to beat the heat with ice cream and then another boat trip. We had a fantastic week! Thanks for everything!” Milán Vajda, Nagybajom Group 2