English language camp in Croatia
The English language camp began on July 6th in the picturesque coastal town of Crikvenica.
On Sunday afternoon, after a long journey, the sea glistened before us as we arrived near the town in our vans descending the serpentines. After a short rest, we tested ourselves with the rich buffet offer in the hotel restaurant, and then the introductory evening that established the camp began.
A passing thunderstorm almost ruined our plans, but in the end we managed to hold the program in the cozy seaside twilight. During the evening, we collected a lot of useful information about the participants – in English, of course.
Exciting project tasks, tempting excursions and the carefree joys of seaside life await the team during the week. -Sándor Kovács, mentor, group Szentes 1.
Monday
This morning, the English-language sessions of the camp began. Campers who had participated in previous years approached the topic from a new perspective: they reviewed the information they had previously learned about the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) and presented it to the others. Those who weren’t already familiar with the SDGs were introduced to the goals through fun, interactive activities led by the our teachers. After that, we were divided into groups. Throughout the week, we will not only work on a project (presentation) but also explore the SDGs in greater depth within these groups. In the afternoon, everyone started planning their projects. Then we all took a walk to the town center, stopping for ice cream at the beach near the hotel. While in town, everyone had time to look around or buy some souvenirs if they wanted to.
In the evening, after dinner, we had the opportunity to go down to the beach, where everyone could enjoy the sunset in their own way. (either in the water or on the beach) 🙂 -Szirovicza Zsanett, Pajor-Vincze Anna, Szeged 2
Wednesday
The third day of the camp started quite sadly in terms of weather, it was raining and windy, but that didn’t stop us from having a good time.
We started with the usual buffet breakfast, where everyone found the right starter for the day. Shortly after that, at 9 am, the English lessons started, where we were able to gain more than useful information. After the 4-hour session, we had a well-deserved lunch, which is famous not only for its variety but also for its deliciousness, so no one ever goes hungry. Before the afternoon break, we still had to think up and develop the project work, which we will present in groups on the final day of the camp. Lots of creative ideas and excellent thoughts were generated. The afternoon program ended with free time, including walking around the city/beach, socializing or relaxing in the room. And around ten in the evening, naturally, everyone got ready for the next day’s competitions. -Anna Radoszáv volunteer, Orsolya Varga, Jászság 3
Thursday
After we had our usual breakfast, we went down to our English classes. During the classes, we had the opportunity to learn about several goals from the sustainability plan, such as ending poverty, developing the economy, combating climate change, and life on earth. From these, we also learned how interconnected the goals set for 2030 are and how important it is to deal with all of them at the same time. After the classes, we had lunch in the hotel canteen, and then we worked on our project work one last time before the final rehearsal on the last day. Then we went down to the beach to swim, play ball games, and sunbathe, as the sun was shining brightly that day. After the sea program, we each had a soft drink, went back to the accommodation for dinner, then part of the group went into town, while the other part of the group waited for the quiz night organized at the accommodation, where the foundation team won by making 2 mistakes on the test made up of trivial questions. After that, everyone went in their rooms for curfew to start the last day full of programs. -Benedek Kovács, Nagybajom 3
Friday
This day we were not idle either! We started the morning with an English class, divided into two parts: the first half of the class was dedicated to soaking up every last drop of knowledge, and the second half was full steam ahead with our presentations. During the preparation, our helpers gave us some useful advice and tips that will come in handy in the future! After a short break, we were excited to show what we had been working on this week. Everyone did their best, resulting in some fantastic presentations that we can be really proud of. In the afternoon, we explored Crikvenica from a bird’s eye view and then visited the castle ruins of Gardina Badanj. Our little tour was made even more interesting by a colourful presentation by Sanya bá: we learned about the secrets of fennel, sage, laurel, oregano and peppermint, among others. After the tour, four teams competed in a fun quiz based on the material from the lectures, with exciting penalties and fun prizes. Finally, to cap off the day, we took a ride up to the Crikvenica Eye to admire the city’s evening lights. It was an unforgettable end to the day and we trust it won’t be the last time we visit this fantastic camp! -Ferenc Horváth, András Mihály Oláh, Márk Szücs, Jászság 3
