The camp where you want to send your children

Summer camp is an unforgettable adventure for children. Photo: depositphotos.ru

Summer holidays at children's camp were an integral part of the lives of so many of us. Surely you remember evenings with a guitar by the fire, squad chants, fun contests and competitions, hobby groups, labor landings, tears of children and counselors when parting, letters to new friends and the long wait for a new summer and a new arrival at the camp. Our children do not understand these feelings, their childhood is completely different - in another country, at a different time, in a different rhythm of life. But caring parents are characterized by a desire to pass on all their experience to their children, a desire to share their best experiences. And the most active parents even make their wishes come true.

Thus, Ruslan Kaliullin and a group of like-minded people, wanting to share their childhood and help children preserve the Russian language, decided to organize a children's summer camp with an educational focus in New York State. And they did it great - camp “Leader” For years, 12 has been accepting children not only from different states, but also from different countries of the world. The editors of ForumDaily decided to tell about this camp in more detail, because with the onset of warm weather and the approach of summer vacation, more and more of our readers ask themselves: how to organize a summer holiday for a child? Children's summer camp can be a great solution for so many families. After all, this is not just babysitting while you are at work, but also new friends for your offspring, funny adventures, interesting activities and unforgettable impressions.

While organizing the camp, Ruslan’s team tried not only to show children their version of childhood and help them preserve the disappearing Russian language, but also to solve another problem - the problem of insufficient socialization of the younger generation. How was it with us? We walked in the yard in a huge group until it got dark or until my mother screamed from the window. Our children have almost no such free communication. They are at school all day, then study clubs, then quickly go home to do their homework - and there is no talk of communicating with peers. A children's camp is a unique environment where children, constantly being in a group, learn to get to know each other, build friendships, and resolve conflicts, and the professional teachers of “Leader” help them with this. All of these skills will provide a solid foundation for building relationships in their future adult lives.

The camp is located in an unusually beautiful place. Photo: facebook.com/camp.leader.1

The camp is located in the beautiful highlands of New York State. Fresh air and beautiful nature around will be an excellent environment for children's activities. In addition, your children are guaranteed an interesting pastime, hobby groups and sports clubs, excursions and children's parties, tasty and healthy food, improved Russian language and much more. Let's take a closer look at some points.

In the 12 years of existence, the camp “Leader” has already gained not only invaluable experience in organizing children's activities, but also fame among the Russian-speaking population of the United States and even other countries. Children from different states, from the CIS countries come to the “Leader”, there were even children from France, Italy, and Germany. Employees who come from afar, employees are met at the airport and brought to the camp.

Here there was a unique atmosphere in which children from Russian families in the United States can significantly “pull up” the Russian language, and children from other countries receive an excellent practice of English.

At the camp, children, as a rule, speak English to each other, and the teaching staff of the camp speaks Russian to the children. Many events at the camp are held in two languages ​​- Russian and English. In addition, at the request of children and parents, children can attend additional language classes. At the same time, the camp offers classes not only in Russian and English, but also programs in Spanish, Italian and even Chinese. But, of course, it is not the classes that give the greatest effect, but the live communication of the children.

Classes at the Leader camp are not only interesting and useful, but also fun. Photo: facebook.com/SummerCampLeader/

Julia Tkach, a mother of two children from Boston, Massachusetts, this year sends her children to the camp “Leader” for the fourth time. Julia says: “My children like it very much in the camp, and I like the fact that they are well cared for there. Experienced professionals work with children in the camp; children's leisure there turns out to be very diverse and interesting. After the rest, the children return home rested, significantly improving their Russian language, and with new friends, which makes me especially happy. ”

In “Leader”, children are divided into several groups based on age. Each detachment has two teachers, who must have teaching experience, and several assistant teachers. Tatiana Sauter of Houston, Texas, will be working at the camp for the second year this summer. The mother of three children and the head of the Russian theater studio in Houston says: “I was pleasantly surprised by how seriously they take teaching work at the camp. Every evening, teachers held planning meetings where they discussed not only plans for activities for the children, but also all, even the smallest, conflicts and problems that the children might have. The children in the camp are not abandoned - they are truly under the strict supervision of attentive and caring professionals.”

Tatiana Souter from Houston, Texas, with children. Photos from the personal archive.

An integral part of life in the camp “Leader” is the possibility of frequent contact of children with their parents (unlike many American camps, where such communication is extremely limited). At first, communication is necessary for the child, since the period of adaptation to a new environment is different for everyone. Then the child gets used to the camp life, and sometimes he simply doesn’t have time to call his parents, but to the bored parents, on the contrary, I want to know how their children live there.

When communicating with parents, it is important to maintain a middle ground. On the one hand, a sharp restriction of communication can traumatize a child, on the other hand, the availability of mobile phones and the Internet can lead to a child’s constant presence on social networks. In the “Leader” camp, this problem was solved in the following way: there are high mountains around the camp, and mobile communications do not work, but children can contact their parents at any time without restrictions using a free landline phone. Also, the child can talk with his parents using the Wi-Fi network, access to which is turned on only for one hour after lunch. So children will not be able to “hang out” on the Internet around the clock. Parents can also call here - camp staff will call the child to the phone or ask him to call his parents back. Relatives can come to visit the child at any time, the camp does not hold exemplary parent days, since every day is full of interesting events, and both children and staff are welcome to visit parents on any day.

The educational and entertainment program is the most important part of children's lives at camp. It’s not for nothing that all experts agree that a good camp is one where there’s simply no time to be bored. “Leader” offers many additional activities for children for an additional fee - a riding school, canoeing on a mountain river with an instructor, visiting caves, excursions to interesting places in the state, additional language classes, entertaining physics and chemistry lessons and much more. But that’s all - additional entertainment and activities, if desired. All the most important and exciting things happen in the camp and do not require any additional costs. The most interesting events for children are carried out by the teaching staff, as well as specially invited specialists - trainers, animators, stage directors, artists, etc. Theatrical performances, filming, holding your own film festival with the Oscars, celebrating the New Year in the middle of summer, sports competitions, discos - this is an incomplete list of entertainment that is already included in the basic price of the trip.

The pedagogical team of the camp approaches its work very responsibly and seriously. Photo: facebook.com/SummerCampLeader/

Separately, it is worth mentioning nutrition. After all, food in children's camps in America often becomes a nightmare for Russian-speaking mothers - heated pizza, boiled vegetables, defrosted chicken breasts and an abundance of French fries, unfortunately, often become the basis of the diet in many camps. At “Leader”, parents’ dream of delicious home-cooked food for your child will come true. There is a full kitchen at all times. Children eat buffet style; their menu always includes hot breakfasts, first and second courses for lunch, lots of fresh vegetables and fruits, and healthy snacks throughout the day.

Elena Kalinina from Brooklyn, New York, sent her son to Camp Leader for two weeks last year, but this year her child asked to be sent for six weeks. Elena says: “My child is simply delighted with the camp, but I am even more delighted. Professionals work with children, the food is simply excellent - homemade, healthy. All teams make their own films, and then hold film festivals with prizes, and parents can watch these masterpieces of cinema on the camp’s Youtube channel. There are no restrictions in communicating with your child - you can always call him, you can come and visit him any day. I highly recommend this camp to everyone.”

It seems that Ruslan Kaliullin really managed to create a unique place where children not only relax, but gain invaluable experience and many friends. Maybe a summer at the Leader camp would be a great gift for your child? Send your children to camp - give them childhood!
Camp “Leader” website: www.CampLeaderUsa.com