Concordia Language Villages staff may speak a Village language, creatively teach culture, work and play hard. They also develop skills and qualities that will make them excellent employees in any field.
Al-Wāḥa الواح
Arabic Language Village
About the Village
Imagine reading in a totally different alphabet — and from right to left! With more than 370 million speakers over five continents, Arabic is the world’s fifth most-spoken language, and it has influenced and contributed to many others — even English. Arab cultures’ global and linguistic influences on astronomy, mathematics, medicine, art, and philosophy cannot be overstated.
At Al-Wāḥa الواحة, you’ll play kūrat al-qadam (soccer) and paddle out in a markab (canoe) onto the buḥayra (lake). You’ll dine on traditional foods like shawarma (spit-cooked meats), falāfel (deep-fried chickpea fritters) and baqlāwa (sweet, flaky pastry), plus, it’s a unique opportunity you can choose to earn high school credit in Arabic. Since 2006, our Arabic Language Village, Al-Wāḥa, has allowed complete beginners and advanced students alike to tap into cultures of the Arabic-speaking world firsthand.
What makes Al-Wāḥa special?
Experience Al-Wāḥa | الواحة
Summer 2027 Schedule
Session descriptions coming soon. Registration opens Oct. 15.
| Language | Session Type | Session Category | Ages | Start Date | End Date |
| Arabic | Youth Credit | Two Week | Grades 9-12 | 7/26/2027 | 8/7/2027 |
| Arabic | Youth Credit | Four Week | Grades 9-12 | 7/26/2027 | 8/21/2027 |
| Arabic | Youth | One Week | Ages 8-18 | 7/26/2027 | 7/31/2027 |
| Arabic | Youth | Two Week | Ages 10-18 | 7/26/2027 | 8/7/2027 |
| Arabic | Youth | One Week | Ages 8-18 | 8/2/2027 | 8/7/2027 |
| Arabic | Day Camp | One Week | Ages 6-11 | 8/9/2027 | 8/13/2027 |
| Arabic | Family | One Week | 8/9/2027 | 8/14/2027 | |
| Arabic | Youth | One Week | Ages 8-18 | 8/9/2027 | 8/14/2027 |
| Arabic | Youth | Two Week | Ages 10-18 | 8/9/2027 | 8/21/2027 |
Upcoming Arabic Camps & Programs
Minimum registration fee $200 Our one-week programs are perfect for villagers who are ready to experience an overnight camp but can't fit a longer program into busy summer schedules, or aren't quite ready for a longer time away from home. These programs provide an opportunity to explore the language through small and large group learning activities and immersive daily experiences. Plus, you'll get to do all the fun arts, crafts, games and cultural exploration of the Language Village camp experience, along with traditional summer camp activities like campfires, singing songs, and making new friends. These programs welcome language learners of all levels.
Registration closes June 28, 2027
Minimum registration fee $300 Our two-week programs are our most popular, providing an opportunity to become truly immersed in Village life! Villagers build and enhance their language skills through small and large group learning activities, and by hearing and using the language - with the encouragement of our supportive staff - throughout their daily activities. By engaging in a variety of music, arts, sports and classic summer camp activities like campfires, singing songs, and more, villagers can increase their confidence, improve their language ability, and grow to become courageous global citizens. These programs welcome language learners of all levels.
Registration closes June 28, 2027
Minimum registration fee $400 Our two-week high school credit program allows villagers to earn a semester's worth of high school credit in just two weeks! In addition to classes with formal language instruction, credit villagers can choose from a variety of elective activities, as well as classic summer camp favorites like campfires, singing songs, and more - all in the language of the Village. These programs welcome language learners of all levels. Fully accredited by Cognia, credit programs include standardized curriculums, assessments, and transcripts to meet your local school system’s requirements. Please check with your school district in advance to ensure that credit from Cognia will be accepted if you wish to have the credit reflected on your villager’s high school transcript. High school credit sessions are designed for villagers entering grades 9 and up in Fall 2027.
Registration closes June 28, 2027
Minimum registration fee $600 Want to gain an entire year’s worth of high school language credit in just four weeks? Our High School Credit programs are for you! In addition to classes with formal language instruction, credit villagers can choose from a variety of elective activities, as well as classic summer camp favorites like campfires, singing songs, and more - all in the language of the Village. Each four-week session is divided by an interim weekend, during which villagers have the opportunity to call home, do their laundry, and take a break from the intensive activity of Village life. These programs welcome language learners of all levels. Fully accredited by Cognia, credit programs include standardized curriculums, assessments, and transcripts to meet your local school system’s requirements. Please check with your school district in advance to ensure that credit from Cognia will be accepted if you wish to have the credit reflected on your villager’s high school transcript. High school credit sessions are designed for villagers entering grades 9 and up in Fall 2027.
Registration closes June 28, 2027
Minimum registration fee $200 Our one-week programs are perfect for villagers who are ready to experience an overnight camp but can't fit a longer program into busy summer schedules, or aren't quite ready for a longer time away from home. These programs provide an opportunity to explore the language through small and large group learning activities and immersive daily experiences. Plus, you'll get to do all the fun arts, crafts, games and cultural exploration of the Language Village camp experience, along with traditional summer camp activities like campfires, singing songs, and making new friends. These programs welcome language learners of all levels.
Registration closes July 05, 2027
Government & Corporate Programs
A global outlook is important for success in the domestic and international arena. Concordia Language Villages offers customized corporate, government and military training programs to meet the specific needs of our clients.
Learn About Scholarship Opportunities
Need-based scholarships are available for Arabic summer youth immersion sessions through the Passport Fund. Scholarships are based on a family’s adjusted gross income, number of dependents and the length of the session.
Additionally, the Minnesota Office of Higher Education offers a $1,000 stipend for Minnesota students who qualify for free or reduced lunch at school.
Meet Our Team
Read more about our professional staff at Al-Wāḥa, our Arabic Language Village.
Lucy Lulua Thiboutot
Dean
A native Minnesotan, Lulua has taught Arabic in New England private schools, public schools in rural Pennsylvania and in STARTALK high school summer programs in Boston. Since 2013, she has edited the Arabic Educator Bulletin, now a monthly newsletter distributed to more than 2,000 people across the U.S. and world that focuses on the teaching of Arabic at the K-12 level. She has an M.A. in Arab Studies from Georgetown University, taught pre-K at the American Community School in Beirut, Lebanon for two year and attended the CASA program in Damascus, Syria, studying Arabic intensively. She has been a leading member of the Board of the New England Arabic Teachers Council since 2019.
Our Location: Al-Wāḥa
Turtle River Lake
Al-Wāḥa will be held at our Korean Village, Sup sogŭi Hosu, in summer 2025. Our newest custom-built, culturally authentic Language Village, this state-of-the-art site opened in 2024. It will be artfully transformed into an Arab cultural oasis for Al-Wāḥa sessions.
The first phase of construction completed includes a dining hall and commercial kitchen, administrative complex, two villager cabins, soccer field and waterfront development. A cultural center, activities hall (including a martial arts studio and music room), archery range and more are planned in the coming years.