German: Waldsee
Ages 6-18
Willkommen inWaldsee!Join us for übercool immersion adventures in the German language and German-speaking cultures in Europe and around the world. From your first “Guten Morgen!” until your last “Gute Nacht!”, you’ll build an impressive foundation of German skills and cultural knowledge by participating in small language learning groups, joining cultural and camp activities, playing games and sports, dancing, singing, cooking — and most of all, having fun with friends new and old. German Musik rocks the Haus! In all these ways, you’ll learn German by living it – naturally and with confidence.
Sports and Games
You can enjoy European sports from Fussball (soccer), Bogenschiessen (archery) and Fechten (fencing) to Schwimmen (swimming), Kanufahren (canoeing) and Radfahren (biking). Active, hands-on adventure learning is the key. You can try giant Schach (chess) Mühle, or play the crazy Swiss chocolate game.
Arts
At our artists’ colony Worpswede, you can try Buntglas (stained glass), Töpfern (pottery) and Drucken (printing) and many other crafts and arts. If you like drama, our Stadttheater (City Theater) adventure program at Waldsee brings language to life through acting. Villager Rockkonzerte will knock your Socken off!
Fantastic Food
Tempt your taste buds with fabulous food such as Wiener Schnitzel, Rouladen, Kaiserschmarrn, Bayrische Crème or Schokolade Fondue, chow down on some Gummibären, sample an Afri-Cola or an Almdudler, or try our homemade gelato at the Waldsee Café. We prepare all of our foods and bake all of our breads and pastries from scratch. Read about our delicious food.
Outdoor Experiences
At Waldsee, you'll have plenty of outdoor experiences. You can try das Matterhorn (our own language-immersion ropes course), visit our mystical Zwergensumpf (the dwarves’ swamp) and wander through the magical Märchenwald (fairy tale forest).
Join our Grüne Welle nature adventure for a walk on our own unique Sinnespfad (path of the senses). Of course, there’s nothing like sitting around the Lagerfeuer (campfire) at the beach watching the Sonnenuntergang (sunset)!
Typical Day
7.30 Wake Up/Guten Morgen!
8.10 Morning Circle/Breakfast
9.00 Clean Up (1st Credit Class Period)
9.15 Language Group/Music
10.00 Small Language Group Activities
10.45 1st Break Period – Cafe, Stores, Bank open
11.15 1st Activity Period Clubs (2nd Credit Class-Activity-based )
12.30 Midday Meal
13.30 Time in the Cabin
14.15 Small Language Group Activities (3rd Credit Class Period)
15.00 2nd Activity Period
16.00 2nd Break Period – Cafe, Stores, Bank open
16.30 Small Language Group Activities (4th Class Period)
17.30 Mail/3rd Activity Period
18.30 Evening Circle/Evening Meal
19.30 Free time/Activities
20.15 Evening Program (Credit study activities)
21.30 Cabin Council/Gute Nacht!
Location
Located on Turtle River Lake near Bemidji, Minn., Waldsee provides a beautiful, architecturally authentic backdrop for our German programs. Buildings are modeled on a real German village; everything from the mailboxes to the street signs is authentic to German style.
Most villagers are housed in five winterized buildings. Sleeping quarters house 8-13 villagers each with access to bathroom facilities inside those buildings. Some villagers are housed in cabins with bathroom facilities in a separate building. The Waldsee BioHaus won the Minnesota Environmental Initiative Award for its ultra-comfortable, super energy-efficient environment.
You’ll be amazed at how quickly Waldsee feels like your home-away-from-home. Our talented and caring staff knows how to make you feel included and how to help you learn, no matter what your background. Learning German has never been so effective – and fun!
Fast Facts
· Founded: 1961
· Borders: Turtle River Lake
· Population: 176
· Language: German
· Currency: Euro/Swiss franc
· Time zone: CDT (Daylight Savings)
Waldsee offers five choices of Summer Villages for young people:
· One- and two-week sessions for ages 7-17
· Four-week sessions for middle school students
· Four-week sessions for high school credit for students entering grades 9 through 12
· Four-week sessions college credit sessions for high school students
· NEW! Four-week German apprenticeship sessions for high school students GB 26, GB 66, GB 86
· One-week Waldsee Adventure Day Camp sessions for ages 6-11
· Swiss Helvetia, ages 7-18
Contact Information While in Session
German Language Village
Waldsee, Bemidji
9550 Ruppstrasse NE
Bemidji MN 56601
(218) 586-8630
Villager Fax (218) 586-8788
Want to learn more about Waldsee?
Visit our Village Production Page to see pictures of last year’s villagers and camp activities.
Meet our deans:
o Dan Karl Hamilton
o Jon Berndt Olsen
Waldsee Specialty Programs
NEW! German High School Apprenticeship Programs GB 26, GB 66, GB 86
Grüne Welle
Kollegstufe
Der Märchenwald
Stadttheater
Waldsee Radio
Helvetia
Grüne Welle High School Credit
Der Märchenwald High School Credit
Helvetia Swiss Week
College Credit for High School Students
Thanks to generous donations to the Passport Fund from our supporters, scholarships are available.
Is your child ready for a Concordia Language Villages over-night immersion program?
