Camp Extravaganza

I just returned from almost 3 weeks away at camps...again. The first camp of this month started on July 11th and ran until July 15th. This camp, Camp SLAM, I directed and fundraised for so it was very special to me. It took place in Konstantinovka a city in Donetsk Oblast in the East of Ukraine. We have a blog which says it all.. http://campslam.blogspot.com/ check it out! The camp was a great success. Just like anything else there were some schedule issues in the beginning and our Ukrainian counterparts didn't necessarily agree with all the content of our lesson plans so we made some changes there but all in all it was a success. Everyone enjoyed themselves, campers, counselors and our Ukrainian counterparts. We even changed the minds of our Ukrainian counterparts on some things which is nice. At each camp I have worked we always put the kids in groups randomly so they don't hang out with their friends. Initially our counterparts are always against this process but after a few days when they realize that the world won't end because they can't hang with their friends they meet new friends and they have so much fun that they don't want to leave camp. My counterpart actually said to us as we were leaving camp that she understand now why we do that and it is a great method! Success! They will have this camp again next year too which again is Success...sustainable success!

We played a lot of sports. Not enough some of the counselors might say but we introduced a new sport to the kids each day for an hour and then we had them play each other in a volley ball tournament. We had two lessons a day on healthy lifestyles topics, teambuilding activities and night time activities which usually consisted of a talent show based event and of course a disco!

Directing the camp was a lot of fun and I felt right at home in my responsibilities. This is what I like to do. I had an opportunity to teach at this last camp and it made me realize that I don't particularly like that side of the coin. I am much better and happier in the chaos of organizing than trying to get students to listen to me. At Camp Excite I was a teacher and in my group I actually had a student from last year. Her name was Nadia. I can't remember my blog post from last year but my guess would be that I talked about how one of my students had a bad case of ADD and I couldn't get her to stop disrupting class by talking ALL the time. Well I had her again and not much has changed but her English which is AWESOME. And I just found out that she is only 14 and going into the eighth form. That is pretty impressive. She can be a BIG pain in my butt, however, she has come such a long way in some respects since last year and it is truly amazing to see that in her. She also knows that I can't stand that she always disrupts class and promises me that she will try to control it. It is actually pretty hilarious how she just gets up and walks away while you are teaching or turns to her classmate and starts having a conversation as if you are not there. This is why I could not be a teacher! Oy vey. Kudos to the teachers.

The last night and the last day at camp is always special to me. It is the end and you have finally gotten to know the kids and then it is time to leave. Kind of like Peace Corps. You finally have friends and family you really care about and you have to leave. It is always sad to leave the kids and the chaos from the week. Camp Excite was interesting too because we taught lessons on gender, environment and leadership. We did talent shows and discos, chants and sports. My team won the variety show which is like a skit show. Our theme was "riding the train 3rd class to Crimea" and the kids showed all the pain in the butt things that happen on trains and it was so funny!! It is what Americans go through everytime we get on a train so it is funny that the youth here in Ukraine feel the same way. For example, drunkards on the train, the fact that older people don't like the windows open EVEN when it is hot as hell, the people who sell things up and down the aisles on the train and the conductor who constantly asks you if you want tea. It was great and they worked hard to do it. After being in last place all week it was nice to see them win something!

Well...off to language refresher. I haven't been speaking much Russian in the last few months besides travel language so this ought to be interesting. Then I am traveling the west again to conquer the cities I haven't been to and then another camp, and then Crimea for the rest of the summer. To return on Aug 22nd!