Santa Lingua (“SL”) is a student, children, youth organisation committed to enhancing the experience of those students (school children) interested in learning foreign languages and of world's culture. "SL" is a social organisation serving both the educational and recreational demands of students. "SL" is responsible for student coordination with Universities of Izhevsk, as well as bringing many distinguished speakers to this organisation to discuss relevant issues. It also organises seminars on teaching methods for teachers of the Udmurtia Republic.
The Mission of "SL" is to ensure an excellent junior, secondary and high school education in the sphere of foreign languages for all students by providing innovative, challenging, and diverse learning opportunities which address specific developmental needs of each student in a secure environment.
All volunteers are at camp as nurturers of children, to be available, accepting, non-judgmental, encouraging and protective. Volunteers are attentive and engaged with the children at camp, able to reach out to them in friendly, engaging and caring ways. We are also sensitive in understanding that each child has his/her own pace and style of developing relationships and of joining our community at camp. Activities are offered, not pushed. Participation is encouraged. We support and assist the children in the activities they desire, letting the children take the lead.
8:20 - Good morning! Dobroe Utro!
8:40 - Morning Exercise!
9:00 – 9:30Morning Assembly
9:30 - 10:00 Breakfast in the Dining Room
10:15 - 11:00 - Classes + 15 min break
11:15 - 12:00 - Classes + 15 min break
12:15 - 13:00 - Classes + 15 min break
13:30 - Lunch
14:00 - 15:00 - Clubs (Activity time (choice of arts, sports, other activities)
15:00 - 16:00 - Clubs (Activity time (choice of arts, sports, other activities)
16:30 - 17:00 - Snack time
17:15 - 19:00 - Preparing for evening activities
19:00 - 19:45 - Dinner
20:00 - 21:15 - Evening Activities
21:30 - 22:00 (23:00) - Disco
22:00 - 23:00 - End of day/family time for younger kids. Lights out at 23:00, Good night!
23:00 - 24:00 - End of the day/family time for older kids. Lights out at 24:00. Good night!
ALL CAMP EVENTS / AFTERNOON ACTIVITIES / GROUPS
During camp, volunteers and campers are divided up into. There will be about 4 family groups and each group consists of 20-23 campers and 2 volunteers. While many activities are done in groups, there are also All-Camp Events that happen every day, and a daily afternoon Activity Time, when each group is free to choose from available activities such as art, sports, music, debate, drama, discussion. During all the times of the day, campers and volunteers are together in their groups.
ALL-CAMP EVENTS
All-camp events include:
1) all-camp games and community building, scheduled for every morning and
2) evening programs in which the entire camp participates each evening.
All-Camp games are scheduled for each morning. The entire camp is involved in these games and activities, though each family group participates together as a group. These games and activities are fun, help the campers and volunteers get acquainted, support community building and provide some experience with team building and problem solving.
Every evening there is a special evening program in which the entire camp participates. Fair night, disco nights, fashion-show night, and talent show nights are among the theme nights the campers look forward to.
Activity Time occurs every afternoon between 14:00 and 16:30. During this time, volunteers sign up to lead or be part of a wonderful and wide array of activities. Some activities are offered every day, such as art, soccer, baseball, dance while others (debate, different countries history, etc.) are offered every other day or a few days over the course of camp.
The activities available are announced to the campers each day; some campers sample many activities over the course of camp while others look forward to returning to the same activity day after day.
During activity time, all volunteers are busy participating in some activity.
We encourage all volunteers to think ahead to what special activities they might want to lead or help with during camp. If you have something that you are an expert in or have an interest in (Origami? Frisbee? Beading? Magic tricks? Dance?) We’d love you to organise and lead this activity. (You will need to bring with you all supplies necessary for your activity) Here are descriptions of the some of the many Afternoon Activities available.
Sports:
Many children love sports and games. Some enjoy simple individual or small-group games that help build feelings of control and coordination while others chose to play larger, organised group games like football, baseball, and volleyball. At camp we have settings for all of these sports and game activities and each day campers choose what they’d like to participate in.
Art
Art is a wonderful method of self-expression. The opportunity to express oneself through many different art projects (drawing, sowing, using clay, etc.) available daily at camp is a great favourite for many of our campers.
Music and Dance
Opportunities to dance, sing and make music are also available during Activity time. Each session, volunteers lead a variety of music and dance/movement activities (based on their own skill sets and interests), including drumming, singing, world-dance.
Journal Writing
For children who like to write, this can be a wonderful activity. Some children are comforted by writing down events of each day with their thoughts and feelings about these events. This may be something a child will take back after the camp and continue to do. The child knows what to write. What we do is gently encourage the activity, if the child is interested and willing.
Story Telling/Drama
Developing stories and scenes to write down and/or act out is another wonderful means of self- expression.
The campers in a group are close in age and are of different sex. Groups spend a great deal of time together. They share sleeping rooms, with usually 4-5 campers sharing one room. Each group sits together at mealtimes. The campers in your family group will be counting on you to take responsibility for them throughout the duration of camp.
You will be responsible, along with the other volunteers in your group, for waking up the children in your family group in the morning, getting them to meals, ensuring they get to and from all activities throughout the day, helping them prepare for the evening activities and putting them to bed at night.
During Family Time, each afternoon, the family group meets to enjoy “hang out” time or a small game or activity together. The volunteers working together in each group are responsible for planning and initiating Group Time activities suited for the age and temperament of your children. Come with ideas and also be ready to be flexible and creative in response to age, energy level and interests of your campers. (what’s fun and interesting to 7-year-old kids may not be a hit for 17-year-old teenagers!)
To make the most of Group Time, it’s a great idea to pick out a “special spot” out of doors where your group meets at Group Time.
Volunteers assigned to a group work together closely. Creative, constructive and supportive teamwork is the key to success. Scheduled into every other day of camp is a half hour block of time when the volunteers from each group meet to plan, discuss, delegate and problem solve. Solid teamwork makes it possible to work together to deliver the best care and camp programme to your campers. Sharing the load of work and responsibility fairly is essential in order to take good care of each member of your team of volunteers.
Sleeping arrangements are dormitory style with every hallway containing some rooms for campers and some for volunteers. Campers and volunteers share the same bathroom facilities.
A very important element of the SL camp is the lessons of foreign languages. The founders of the programme are of the firm belief that being involved in various linguistic activities together with artistic expression plays an essential role in the developing of educational and recreational demands of the children as well as helps to the opening of their inner world; therefore, it has become an important daily activity.
Everyday, in the morning, a communal space is set out in the equipped rooms so the volunteers who teach classes can use white boards, tape recorders, VCRs, paper and other supplies when the children can express themselves.
During the classes, as well as during activities time, the volunteers may introduce different arts activities, like painting or making own newspaper so that the children have a choice depending on their own particular needs.
Sometimes the themes of their art are very emotional and sometimes are fantasy of happy times. It is important to remember that the goal is not necessarily to create “good” or aesthetically appealing art, but to get involved in the process, to have fun, to play, and to give free vent to innermost feelings in a safe, containing environment. It is, therefore, not the product but rather the process that matters most.
We encourage everyone to get involved in teaching classes of foreign language and in different workshops. As a volunteer, you are welcome to sign up to be part of any activity as often as you like. We have found in the past that volunteers who teach classes obtain big teaching experience, and those who are involved in leading workshops have pedagogical experience. Many of the volunteers find it a peaceful and relaxing part of the day, an activity you can enjoy with the children, yet also a time for you to create and express.
We also encourage volunteers to bring any art and study activity or idea or project they want. We are very open and appreciate your interests and talents so please feel free to get involved. If you have something in mind, please call me ahead of time so we can talk about the materials you need to bring. Any new ideas will help us round out the program.
Few minutes of free time during a day is a wonderful opportunity to be together in small groups and get to know one another. It can also be quite challenging, initially, for the out of country volunteers because for the most part, the children speak not good English, so we can’t rely on the “spoken language” to communicate with one another. While the in-country volunteers are always available and are good in helping with translation when needed, picture yourself surrounded with three little 7-year-olds who do not speak your language. You will certainly need some good non-verbal skills to understand and be understood.
Think ahead a bit about some fun things to do while you are waiting for a meal or for a performance. The children love when you teach words and expressions in your language. Remember: they are in the camp to learn the English. Playing little word games; using paper and pencil to do little drawings; sharing napkin tricks, etc
Meals are taken in a big dining room with small tables seating 5-7 around each table.
A staff of young people serves us our meals.
Breakfast tends to be simple but quite filling: kasha, bread, butter, cheese, tea, one fruit
Lunch and dinner usually include a soup course and a main meal (pasta, kasha, vegetables and meat or fish). You can request vegetarian meals for the course of your stay at camp.
Snack time – tea with pastry
Everyone comes to the dining room at the same time to have meals.
For Suppertime we have yoghurt or juice with pastry.
Each group is assigned a group of tables and eats at these same 3 or 4 tables every meal. While your tables are always the same ones, your group can change who sits where at these tables any way you like. Volunteers sit together at a separate table at mealtime.
All volunteers must ensure that that all children from their group are in the dining room and have their meal. If a child refuses to eat the volunteers should persuade the child to eat at least three spoons of soup or kasha (1 – for his/her mother, 2 – for his/her father, 3- for "Santa Lingua")
Going from the excitement of a long and active day to a quiet, safe bedtime is the task at hand at the end of the day. Quiet voices and a slower gentler pace make for a calming time for the children.
The routines of washing faces and brushing teeth are often transition times…moving from the fun and excitement of the evening into a comforting time that helps children feel safe and tucked in.
Routines for younger versus older children will differ and you will figure out what works best with your group.Little stories, songs, sitting with children quietly as they calm down, good night rituals, quiet games, group journals – “what we did today” or individual journals/letters (guardian angel) are among the many ideas you might consider. This is often the time of day kids need a lot of attention to help them settle into a soothing and gentle sleep in new and exciting surroundings. At bedtime, children will be remembering home and family and may be a little homesick. Or they may be so excited or stimulated at all that is happening at camp that it maybe very tough for them to settle down to sleep. Children sharing the same room may have differing experiences at bedtime, so volunteers need to be aware of the needs of each child. They need the clear and calm message that it’s time for bed and they also need lots of reassurance in words and actions that lets them know they are in a safe and caring environment.
Volunteers/families must work together to decide who is going to have primary responsibility for getting which rooms/children in their group tucked in, but everyone is responsible for working together to get the children to bed. On a rotating basis, one volunteer stays on each floor until all rooms are quiet and the children are sleeping. Volunteers are often surprised to find one or two campers have roused an entire room to a pillow fight or exploratory trips down the hall!
Bedtime for the campers coincides with a time the volunteers want to get together and socialise. Just when your campers may need some of your most focused and calming attention, you may find you are impatient to get them to bed so you can go have some time with your friends.Remember: campers really need your very best attention at bedtime; be sure to be there solidly for them then. You are at camp for the children.
The summer weather in this area is usually very warm +22-26C. In mid August the weather starts changing and may drop down to +16. It sometimes rains. So you need to bring rain gear; as well as a sweatshirt or light windbreaker. To ensure your comfort, bring enough clothing and personal items. If you need to do laundry you can ask our Director to help you with this, please note that there are no washers available in the camp.
Clothes:
- Toiletries
- 1 shower towel
- Sleepers
- Swimming suit
- Lightweight pants
- Shorts
- Sports clothes
- T-shirts
- Jacket, sweater– in case it rains
- (baseball) hat – in case the sun is too hot
- Evening dress – red-letter day
- Sneakers
- Socks
- Money can be obtained in cash machines. Don’t bring too much extra cash.
Medicine:
- Aspirin
- Throat drops (be prepared to support your team when they play baseball, or perform on the stage)
- Medicine against cough and sore throat
- Medicine for your stomach
- Insect repellent.
Would be great of you could bring with you:
- Flag of your country
- Geographical, political map of your country
- National costume
- Post cards with view of your country, city
Material for teaching foreign language:
- Magazines
- Songs (traditional and modern)
- Audio tapes
- Videos
- Text book(s)
Santa Lingua provides a full range of teaching material (text books, teaching magazines, etc.), technical equipment (tape recorders, VCR, CD players. In the office – computer, copy machine), arts and crafts supplies (paper, scissors, markers, clay, etc.), sports equipment (baseball bat, footballs, ping pong, etc.).
The following is a list of supplies needed to make the camp experience the best possible. This list is merely a guideline so please take a look at these guidelines and contribute what can and/or what you have available.
However, if you have a special project or activity you plan to do during Activity Time or during Group Time, please bring all needed supplies for that activity or let us know so we could purchase it beforehand. (examples: beads and string for jewellery making, face paints, supplies for any special art project).
Supplies for evening program: Evening activities include dancing, games and theme nights (Hawaii night, talent night, crazy hat night, etc) for the entire camp. SL provides all necessary things for these activities.
Sports: soccer balls, basketballs, volleyballs, jump ropes, Frisbees – supplied by SL
General: Legos (used is fine), ribbons, music tapes, colouring books, checkers and chess games, quiet games, notepads/paper/pens/markers/paints - supplied by SL.
Other possibilities: Use your imagination! Bring things you’d love to add to “the mix”. Feel free to e-mail SL office to check out any supply questions you have.
Don’t bring anything that is too bulky or heavy for you to carry, because you will need to carry your own luggage as well as the supplies you bring. Generally, most volunteers bring one large suitcase for themselves and a duffel bag of supplies. Luggage with wheels makes it easier for you.
Santa Lingua Institution welcomed many foreign volunteers from different parts of the world. Many first time volunteers and their families have questions and concerns about safety issues. This is intended to be a general overview.
Legal:
Santa Lingua Institution invites you to the work in the linguistic camp based on Study visa. The main purpose of your visit is learning new culture, studying Russian (optional) together with pedagogical activity in Santa Lingua. We expect you to arrive in the country at the date specified in your visa, and to leave the country not later than the date in your visa. We do not provide services to extend your stay in Russia. If you wish to travel in the country please tell us about your plans beforehand. We can offer you good deal trips to Moscow, Golden Ring and Saint Petersburg.
Medical:
Santa Lingua summer camp has a local medical personnel on duty at camp and there is an emergency hospital and dentist available in the camp. The food is very safe in this part of the world. But do not drink tap water. Volunteers should consult the What to Bring List in the Volunteer Manual for suggestions as to what personal medical supplies are recommended. Also, volunteers should check that their medical insurance covers illness or injury outside their country. The most common medical problems among volunteers are mosquito bites, sore throat (after cheering during all activities).
Travel:
Volunteers arrived by air to Moscow airport Sheremetyevo-2 or Domodedovo will be met at the airport by our representative and will be accompanied to Izhevsk. The airlines and airports meet international standards. If it is necessary we book for you a hotel in Moscow. Accommodations meet traditional tourist ratings based on price and location. Travellers should take reasonable precautions for their own safety. There are many web sites that give information about tourism in the Russian Federation.