Waldsee

Wir haben viel Spass gehabt – und viel Deutsch gelernt! We had great fun, and learned a lot of German! We also experienced great adventures, whether as part of the Grüne Welle, the Märchenwald or Stadttheater, escaping pirates in the Piratenspiel, chasing counselors in the Wildsaujagd or each other in the Wilhelm Tell Spiel! We had a big Wasserfest with the other Language Villages, had fun with Lac du Bois and Lago del Bosco on Swiss Day, and of course enjoyed our two International Days held at Waldsee. You can find memories of your time at Waldsee by clicking on our photo section on the left of this screen. All of the songs we sang are also there under soundbites. Check out some of our funny stage productions under videos!

Modern European Jumpstyling and the Austrian dance wave called Krocha were cool additions to our activities this year, as well as such standards such as Schwimmen (swimming), Kanufahren (canoeing), Fechten (fencing), Bogenschiessen (archery), Radfahren (cycling), Malen (painting), Fußball (soccer), and much more.

Kids came from all over the country this summer to Waldsee – whether to our high school credit session, two-week core programs, one-week exploration or to the Waldsee Adventure Day Camp. The Waldsee staff was impressed with all the German our kids learned. Cabin life was fun, and we all made many new Freunde! Some friends were made for life.

Waldsee im Herbst, Winter und Frühling!

Of course, the fun and adventure of Waldsee doesn’t end with summer! Waldsee is active all through the year. Check out our weekend programs, Family Fun Weekend and Adult Weeks in the fall, winter and spring.

Waldsee 2009! Juchhe!

Can’t wait to join us in Waldsee this coming summer? Neither can we – in fact we are already planning a great Sommer of Spass, tolle Freunde und viel Deutsch! Many of your favorite Betreuer are gearing up for another wonderful summer at Waldsee, and great new staff will join us as well.

If you are wondering which type of session is best for you this coming summer, here’s a brief description of each type of program. The two-week sessions are what we consider our "core" programs. These sessions are well suited for villagers of all ages and for beginners as well as advanced students. Our one-week sessions are considered exploratory experiences – they are meant to give you a taste of Waldsee and are geared toward first-time villagers or to those who have never attended an away camp before. For our middle school and high school aged villagers there is the opportunity to spend a whole month with us at Waldsee. For the middle school students, we suggest signing up for the core curriculum during the first two weeks and then one of the adventure programs (described below) during the second two weeks. The high school students in our four-week credit program have an intensive learning experience during which they receive instruction in German that is the equivalent to one year of high school level German. High school students with good German skills might consider our college credit program on modern Germany, or actually go with Waldsee to Germany on our abroad credit trip.

Finally, if you would like to experience Waldsee with your whole family, sign up for one of the three family camp weeks. Two of the weeks are part of our traditional Waldsee curriculum, but the last week of the summer we are hosting a special Helvetia Swiss camp, which is open to both youth of all ages and families.

If you have been at Waldsee for a couple of summers and are looking for something new to try, think about signing up for one of our adventure programs. Der Märchenwald is our medieval program, where you will learn about life in the middle ages and produce your own play based on an ancient German legend. Die Grüne Welle is our environmental adventure program that allows villagers to explore the beautiful surroundings, learn about sustainable living, and take a canoe trip down the Mississippi River. Das Stadttheater is our city theater program, which focuses on acting, drama, and film-making skills and allows you to become a Waldsee star. Die Kollegstufe program is an adventure program aimed at those who are looking for a greater emphasis on reading and writing beyond that which is already a part of the Waldsee core curriculum and is a great preparation for villagers who are planning on making the transition to Waldsee’s high school credit program the following summer. Finally, Waldsee Radio lets you be the DJ and broadcast the Waldsee Hit Parade to the entire village via our very own radio station.

These are just a few ways to stay in touch with us during the year and to either join us for the first time or to come back ready for another Waldsee adventure. Bis dann!

Mit freundlichen Grüßen
Berndt und Karl
Deans of Waldsee