Villagers
We welcome you to join us at the Language Villages this summer or any time during the year. Summer camp is an exciting experience and you may want to find out more about what will happen this summer, or you may be interested in what your school visit will be like during the year.
We’ve picked out information that we think you may find useful when joining us at a Village for the first time.
Please do let us know if you have other questions or ideas for information you think would be helpful to other first-time villagers.
The Summer Villages Experience
Preparing to Be Away From Home
Arriving
Living at the Villages
Leaving Camp
Villager Frequently Asked Questions
Preparing to Be Away From Home
Concordia Language Villages is a lot of fun! For some villagers, though, spending time away from home and their family can be a challenge. Here are some ways to make going away to camp easier:
- Start early to prepare for your time away.
- Think about all the positive aspects of camp and remember that there will be others here who are feeling the same way you are.
- Learn about the town nearest to your Village. Find out what kind of trees grow and what kind of birds live there. Find out what kinds of sounds you might here while you are falling asleep.
- Give yourself time to adjust to the new situation. Most villagers are quickly consumed by the activities and opportunities of the Village and forget their first- or second-day worries.
- Tell all your friends and family to send you letters. Mail from home can make being away much easier.
Adjusting to an Immersion Setting
You will find elements in our program intense, fun, perplexing, rewarding and, most of all, unique. Villagers — of any age, especially those new to the program — will be experiencing what may be an entirely new style of teaching. Adjusting to a new situation usually takes a little time, and many of your unquestioned assumptions about education may be challenged for the first time. In an immersion environment it is not always easy to recognize your own progress, but it will be clear to your counselors.
Packing
A packing list is included in the Welcome Packet. The list includes two columns: “To Villages” and “From Villages.” These checklists will help you bring everything to the Village and back home again! Remember that villagers live in close quarters. It is often helpful to mark belongings and leave valuables at home. You are encouraged to bring items with them that will enhance the immersion experience, such as CDs or books in the target language.
Laundry
There are no laundry facilities on site for villagers. You will need to bring enough clothing for your session and a mesh or cloth (not plastic) laundry bag. You need to be able to carry your own bags.
If you are attending a four-week session or for consecutive sessions, you will be taken to a laundromat in town after two weeks to wash your clothes. You will have to pay for your own soap and washing machine fees.
Bedding
All facilities have bunk beds. Bring your own pillows, sheets and blankets. Only villagers participating in outdoor wilderness programs may sleep in zipped-up sleeping bags. Due to fire code regulations, villagers in other programs cannot sleep in zipped-up sleeping bags inside and may use them only as a blanket.
Spending Money
The registration cost of each Village session covers food, lodging, instructional materials and supplies. However, you may want additional spending money. The amount of money needed should be based on the length of stay, what your interests are, and your budget.
Village Store: Villagers have daily opportunities to purchase items using the target language. There are a number of items available for purchase, including T-shirts, sweatshirts, cookbooks, books, music, cultural items, souvenirs, international candy and soft drinks from language-specific countries. T-shirts are priced at $5 to $20, sweatshirts at $30 to $65.
International Day: Villagers attending International Day may want extra spending money to shop at the bazaar or to try festival foods.
Free Weekend: Villagers in sessions longer than two weeks need money for laundry and may want spending money for incidentals.
