Many villagers and staff have passed through Lac du Bois Hackensack since its' first use by Concordia Language Villages in 1976. The connections and community created among all those who pass through are long-standing and dear to our hearts, from villagers, counselors, support staff, site owners, maintenance staff to parents we see year after year. The traditional architecture and pristine scenic views add to the village ambiance.

The lakes and the waterfronts are part of the heart and soul of Lac du Bois Hackensack, including waterfront activities (swimming, canoeing, and sauna) as well as opportunities to experience the out-of doors. Animals seen range from turtles, raccoons, loons, ducks, blue heron, fish (the small ones nibble at your feet from time to time!) to an occasional fox. We have our own nature trail curriculum and are working to develop a complete outdoor skills program based on the Outdoor Living Skills program offered by the American Camping Association. Living at Lac du Bois Hackensack, hearing the loons call and seeing the lake sparkle on the way to activities, instills a respect for the environment in all our villagers and staff. To that end we hope to further develop environmental education programming that will emphasize and utilize the unique aspects of the Camp Holiday natural setting. Our vision in this area also includes establishing support mechanisms for continued growth (including increased staff training, site development, etc).

Of course, our Lac du Bois language and cultural learning are not to be forgotten! Another part of our vision is to continue to evaluate and assess the needs of current programming. We are working on our two week language curricula to increase the use of principles of content-based instruction. We are very interested in developing new programs in photography, creative writing, and astronomy, as well as further development of our dance and ethnic arts areas.

Finally, I cannot forget the amazing staff members who take part in Lac du Bois. The hiring process is competitive and staff have varied and diverse backgrounds. The final part of our Village Vision is to increase the effectiveness of human resources at the village level, both during the summer and the school year. I am always hoping to offer more resources so they can continue to do a great job!

Bien sur, these visions are never meant to loose sight of the villagers and are chosen in an effort to always improve the experience of each villager. We are striving to create new ways to fulfill the mission of Concordia Language Villages, “to prepare young people for responsible citizenship in our global community”. Our hope is that by participating in our communauté Lac du Boisienne, (Lac du Bois community) villagers will have lived the principles that will enable them to approach world issues in a similar way.

We have a vision for Lac du Bois at Camp Holiday; we need expertise to make it happen! The three areas are: environmental education and awareness, refining and developing program areas (photography, creative writing, astronomy, dance and ethnic arts), and staff development. If you or anyone you know would like to contribute in these areas, please let me know!

Merci mille fois (Thank you a thousand times) for your support of Lac du Bois Hackensack. If you would like to know more about our Village Vision, please feel free to contact me here until July 26th or by e-mail during the rest of the year. (kanderso@cord.edu ).

Very sincerely,

Karen “Nicole” Anderson
Dean, Lac du Bois Hackensack