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Waldsee

German Language Village
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THE

possibilities

About the Village

At Waldsee, our German Language Village, we do Deutsch. On the lake. At the beach. On the Fußball field. At the Café. In the Gasthof (dining hall). In the cabin. Have fun learning everyday German you can really use with friends and in games, arts, sports, cooking, baking, environmental, historical and cultural activities. The authentic architecture of Waldsee will transport you to another world, where the immersive experience makes the language come alive. From the cabins to the Gasthof, to the innovative BioHaus, Waldsee inspires villagers to live the language and culture of Germany.

Our German Location
Waldsee
Biking Around Our Site
Waldsee
Culturally Appropriate Cuisine
a group of people standing in a field with a bow and arrow
Waldsee
Archery
Waldsee
Giant Chess
Waldsee
Woodfired Pizza
Waldsee
Ordering at Cafe Einbeck
Waldsee
Starting Our Day with Yoga
Waldsee
STEM at BioHaus
Waldsee
Canoeing on Turtle River Lake
Waldsee
Village Store
Waldsee
Fencing
Waldsee
BioHaus Rooftop Biology
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Experience

Waldsee

A Lifetime of Learning

From our flagship summer youth camps to family programs and adults-only sessions, Concordia Language Villages provides a lifetime of language learning and cultural adventure. Find the program that’s right for you!

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Youth Overnight

Season: Summer

Duration: 1 Week | 2 Weeks | 4 Weeks

Our flagship Language Village camps where language comes to life. A fully immersive cultural experience.

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High School Credit

Season: Year-round

Duration: 4 Weeks | 24 Weeks

Earn a year’s worth of language credit in just four weeks (24 weeks for Virtual fall/spring option). Accredited by Cognia.

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Adventure Day Camp

Season: Summer

Duration: 1 Week

Daytime programming for young villagers ready to explore the Village experience without overnight stays.

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Youth Virtual

Season: Year-round

Duration: Varies

Keep your Language Village experience going all year long with our Virtual Clubs, Classes and High School Credit programs.

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Family Weeks & Weekends

Season: Year-round

Duration: 2 Days | 3 Days | 1 Week

Fun and learning for the whole family (and friends)! Enjoy culturally immersive activities, meals and tailored learning.

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Adult Overnight

Season: Year-round

Duration: 3 Days | 1 Week

Learn a new language or advance your skills in a fully immersive environment. Choose from Workshops, Weekends or Week-long programs.

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School & Educator

Season: Year-round

Duration: Varies

Special programming for school groups and language educators. Introduce your students to cultural immersion or advance your own education!

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Government & Corporate

Season: Year-round

Duration: Varies

Training for military, healthcare and corporate clients, with customizable programming designed to bridge cultures and break language barriers.

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Upcoming German Camps & Programs

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German Club Waldsee
Youth Virtual
|
German
Dates:
Oct 5
-
Nov 9
2024
Location:
Virtual
Ages 10 - 18
Cost: $
230
Saturdays from 4-5. Join our instructor for one hour a week for six weeks to experience a new aspect of German culture, all while increasing your language proficiency! All language levels are welcome.
Registration closes
Sep 30, 2024
Male openings:
7
|
Female openings:
9
Register NowJoin Waitlist
Session Full
Registration Closed
Limited Availibility
Registration opens on
June 26, 2024
German Family Weekend
Family Overnight
|
German
Dates:
Feb 14
-
Feb 17
2025
Location:
Bemidji
N/A
Cost: $
395
Family programs are designed for family units that include at least one adult (age 19 or older) and one child (age 18 or younger). Individual adults should register for our Adult Programs instead. Adult programs provide more and more intensive opportunities for language learning geared specifically towards adult learners. Individual adults not attending with minor children may request an exception to this policy, please contact clvregister@cord.edu to start this process. All attendees, regardless of age, need to register individually for the Family Programs. Tuition is as follows: Adult participants: $395 each Youth participants: $215 each Participants ages 3 and under: Free All paying participants must pay a $50 registration fee to save a spot.
Registration closes
Jan 31, 2025
Male openings:
59
|
Female openings:
64
Register NowJoin Waitlist
Session Full
Registration Closed
Limited Availibility
Registration opens on
March 10, 2024
German Club Waldsee
Youth Virtual
|
German
Dates:
Mar 8
-
Apr 12
2025
Location:
Virtual
Ages 10 - 18
Cost: $
230
Saturdays from 4-5. Join our instructor for one hour a week for six weeks to experience a new aspect of German culture, all while increasing your language proficiency! All language levels are welcome.
Registration closes
Feb 22, 2025
Male openings:
6
|
Female openings:
6
Register NowJoin Waitlist
Session Full
Registration Closed
Limited Availibility
Registration opens on
June 26, 2024
German Adult Week
Adult Overnight
|
German
Dates:
Apr 28
-
May 4
2025
Location:
Bemidji
Ages 18 - 99
Cost: $
1195
Adult Week Standard price $1195 65+ and students $1100 Minimum deposit for registration $125
Registration closes
Mar 31, 2025
Male openings:
38
|
Female openings:
37
Register NowJoin Waitlist
Session Full
Registration Closed
Limited Availibility
Registration opens on
March 10, 2024
German Family Week
Family Overnight
|
German
Dates:
Jun 9
-
Jun 14
2025
Location:
Bemidji
N/A
Cost: $
910
Family programs are designed for family units that include at least one adult (age 19 or older) and one child (age 18 or younger). Individual adults should register for our Adult Programs instead. Adult programs provide more and more intensive opportunities for language learning geared specifically towards adult learners. Individual adults not attending with minor children may request an exception to this policy, please contact clvregister@cord.edu to start this process. All attendees, regardless of age, need to register individually for the Family Programs. Tuition is as follows: Adult participants: $910 each Youth participants: $740 each Participants ages 3 and under: Free All paying participants must pay a $100 registration fee to save a spot.
Registration closes
May 19, 2025
Male openings:
43
|
Female openings:
36
Register NowJoin Waitlist
Session Full
Registration Closed
Limited Availibility
Registration opens on
September 4, 2024
German Youth One Week
Youth Overnight
|
German
Dates:
Jun 9
-
Jun 14
2025
Location:
Bemidji
Ages 8 - 12
Cost: $
1395
Minimum registration fee $150
Registration closes
May 19, 2025
Male openings:
11
|
Female openings:
11
Register NowJoin Waitlist
Session Full
Registration Closed
Limited Availibility
Registration opens on
September 4, 2024
German Apprentice
Youth Overnight
|
German
Dates:
Jun 16
-
Jul 12
2025
Location:
Bemidji
Ages 16 - 18
Cost: $
3135
One of Germany’s most time-honored traditions is embarking on an apprenticeship and becoming a Lehrling. In Waldsee's German Apprentice Program*, you'll learn German by working half-time developing a community skill auf deutsch and half-time in regular Waldsee learning groups. Waldsee apprentices live with other Waldsee participants and join in village activities, but also contribute to the Waldsee community and develop a work skill at the same time, learning from master teachers and experts in their field. Participation in the Waldsee apprentice program is subject to approval by the dean. To apply, please follow the link below: https://forms.gle/jja6rNDqWutdvUv7A
Registration closes
May 19, 2025
Male openings:
5
|
Female openings:
5
Register NowJoin Waitlist
Session Full
Registration Closed
Limited Availibility
Registration opens on
September 4, 2024
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Upcoming Holiday Workshops

There are no sessions that match your selected filter.
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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.

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LEARN ABOUT

scholarship

OPPORTUNITIES

Need-based scholarships are available for German 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.

Find Additional Information Here

Our Location:

Waldsee

Turtle River Lake

When you see Waldsee for the first time, you might be surprised to find yourself transported to a small German village. Every detail from the Bahnhof (train station) to the Gasthof (dining hall) immerses you in German life and culture. Even the modern-day Passivhaus standard of “green” building is reflected in our Waldsee BioHaus, the first building of its kind in North America. Cabins at Waldsee are comfortable, safe, beautiful reflections of German architecture. Most program participants are housed in five winterized cabins (restroom and shower facilities are located within the buildings) with sleeping rooms housing 12-16 each on bunk beds. Waldsee also has a sauna building with private showers and bathroom facilities. Birch, oak and pine forests offer shade on hot summer days. This site is known for spectacular sunsets, a cozy feel and the sound of loons.

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meet

OUR

team

Read more about our professional staff at Waldsee, our German Language Village.

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Jon Berndt Olsen

Dean

Berndt is an Associate Professor of History at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where he teaches courses in German, European and Public History. He has held numerous fellowships, including from the Fulbright Commission, the Robert Bosch Foundation and the Social Science Research Council. He is currently writing a book on the history of East German travel culture. In his free time, Berndt is an avid woodworker and baker.

Angela Johanna Schneider

Dean | Program Leader

Johanna has worked in many roles at Concordia Language Villages since 2008. She has a degree in Education and has spent time studying and working in Magedeburg, Bonn, Minden and Linz, Austria. The Waldsee people and community are what keeps her coming back to play in the woods and on the lake.

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Maddie Thusnelda Flom-Staab

Program Leader

Thusnelda is a lifetime Concordia Language Villages villager and counselor at Waldsee and Lac du Bois. She has led the Family Program at Waldsee since 2021 and loves it! Thusnelda is a German teacher at a middle school in St. Paul, Minn., and always looks forward to her time at the Villages.

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Gwen Liese Child

Program Leader

Gwen Liese Child is a French and Francophone Studies major at Hamilton College in upstate New York, hoping to teach English abroad with Fulbright in 2024. She has loved sharing her German skills at Waldsee over the summers, and is excited to bring this to a virtual setting at the Virtual Youth Club! In her free time, Liese can be found painting, playing the saxophone or flute, singing with her a cappella group or baking.

Megan Mirabelle Baldwin

Program Leader

Megan Mirabelle Baldwin is part of the year-round staff in our facilities department with a special focus on risk management for all the Villages. She also serves as our liaison with the American Camp Association and currently sits on the Local Council of Leaders as the Membership Chair in our region. After spending a year as an exchange student with the Rotary in France, she discovered the Language Villages and fellow francophone culture enthusiasts. As a longtime staff member at the French Language Village, she honed her skills in sharing culture through art and baking activities. Megan is the program leader for our European Holiday Workshop.

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Work at Concordia Language Villages

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.