Language Camps ✏️

Language Camps - Community Experience

OOPS! SUMMER PROGRAM is SOLD OUT. 
OOPS! AUTUMN PROGRAM is SOLD OUT.
Winter Camps are Open now

The best way to reach the Alps mountains in Switzerland (one of the safest countries in Europe) far away from cities is by volunteering our Language Camps.
In these camps, the volunteers will be helping in housekeeping in general. Super easy 4-6 hours a day to clean and cook 3 meals for the students.
The students are in between the ages 10-18.
The camp is really an international nice vibe, full of teachers, camp leaders, chefs and volunteers from all over the world.

You can be living and exploring the area from a different concept, not just as a tourist ;) 

We are looking forward to welcoming you in one of our camp locations!
Please, take some time to read about it carefully.

What the volunteer has to do?

25 - 30 hours per week of the following:

✔ Kitchen Work

✔ House Keeping

✔ Social Media 

Requirements:

✔ Strong Personality 

✔ Advanced / Good level of English 

✔ Over 20 years old

✔ Accepts Solo Only (Friends nor Relatives are accepted together)

About the Program:

The goal of this program is to offer teenagers (age: 10-18 years) a language camp and create memories that will last for a lifetime. In these camps, students are taught languages such as English, French and German.

The instructors and volunteers form a youthful group. Instructors are responsible for educating the students, waking them up in the morning, organizing activities and providing night-time supervision (with many responsibilities).

On the other hand, volunteers are only required to assist in the kitchen; preparing meals with the chef, cleaning after each meal and handling any light requests to support instructors and supervisors, such as purchasing groceries or delivering specific items.

As a volunteer don’t expect the camps to be a holiday camp where you come to relax and enjoy your time. The main part of the Camp is “work” and any sightseeing trips must be planned on the weekends or when you are off.

The responsibility is light, and there is plenty of free time for travel and exploration in the region, building friendships with volunteers and instructors from around the world, enjoying the experience and atmosphere.

🚫 Rules:

• No Alcohol.
• No Smoking & Drugs.
• Fire of all types is absolutely prohibited in the rooms.
• Respect the property that doesn’t belong to you.

✏️ The Camps' Locations:

• Schwarzsee - Schwarzsee is blessed with nature’s bounty and lies 3’435 feet above sea level. The village is framed by impressive mountains and an idyllic mountain lake is nearby. The River Sense Country is on the so-called Röstigraben. The roll-ing countryside appeals due to its magnificent landscapes and varied cultural assets - it is definitely worthy to stay a bit longer there.
✈️ You can reach Schwarzsee, Bad from Geneva, Basel, Bern or Zurich airport.

• Estavayer - The old historic town of Estavayer-le-Lac on the southeast riverside of the lake is one of the most beautiful nature reserves in Europe. Estavayer with its two marinas is a paradise for water sport activities. There are two nice, sandy beaches and there are possibilities to sail, to do windsurfing or wake-boarding. The rural surrounding of Estavayer can be discovered on various hiking trails and bike routes. The soft hills in the backland are very idyllic.
✈️ You can reach Estavayer from Geneva airport and buy your train ticket there.

• Liddes - The small alpine village of Liddes (VS) is a getaway and holiday village between Martigny and the Great St Bernard Pass and the Valley of Aosta. It’s the border between Switzerland and Italy. The infrastructure includes green and quiet surroundings, a football pitch around the corner, beautiful hiking trails right in front of the door and multiple places of interest in the nearby area.
✈️ You can reach Liddes from Geneva, Basel, Bern or Zurich airport.

• Braunwald - The small alpine village of Braunwald is a car-free resort village close to Zurich and St. Gallen. Rough Swiss PreAlps will surely take your breath away! Endless hiking trails and beautiful scenery will guarantee memorable moments during your stay.
✈️ You can reach Braunwald from Geneva, Basel, Bern or Zurich airport.

🔗 Check the timetable for transportation on the Internet www.sbb.ch.
The public transport in Switzerland is very regular and good.

Each camp is an intensive group experience. Each Camp will teach you a lot about yourself (how you are reacting in situations and interactions with other people) and it will give you an opportunity to learn about different cultures. You need to be tolerant. We all have different backgrounds and ideologies. This is what makes it so great. You have the right to your own opinion as anyone else. Understanding the differences is good.

🏕️ What Exactly Will You do as a Volunteer?

The main work of the volunteers will be the preparation of the daily meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner). Together with the
chef they organise the menu schedule, do the shopping and wash the dishes afterwards. Volunteers will also do housekeeping and cleaning rooms, showers and toilets. It would be helpful if volunteers know how to prepare a meal for a bigger group.

Volunteers are responsible for their own cleaning and need to respect the house rules. There are things that the volunteers can’t change like the weather, but most things can be changed. For example, if you notice that the working conditions do not fit into the camp description share your thoughts with the other volunteers or the camp leader who is responsible for your volunteer group.

During the week, work will be for 5 to 6 days. On a daily basis, the working hours will be somewhere between 4-6 hours. However, it's not a typical 8:00 to 14:00 shift; it's more like one hour after breakfast, one hour after lunch, and one hour after dinner. You will have plenty of free time. Also, you won't be the only volunteer; there will always be a small and selected group of volunteers. You will have a meeting with them upon arrival, along with the camp leader, chef and volunteer coordinator.. You will collectively divide the workload.

✔ Kitchen Work - Since each camp has its own kitchen and chef and they have many students to feed, they actively need help in the kitchen. Assisting the chef in meal preparation, overseeing meal distribution and washing dishes afterward are essential.
Volunteering in the kitchen is organized in shifts;
3 meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner).
Shifts are evenly divided among all volunteers.
At most, 2 shifts per day unless in special cases.
Each shift is approximately 2 hours of work (not too challenging).
During your free time, you can do whatever you like.
✔ House Keeping - Considering that the camp locations are always crowded, you can imagine the potential chaos that may arise at times. For this reason, they need extra pairs of hands to help clean and tidy up common areas, classrooms and bathrooms.
Housekeeping volunteers are responsible for the general cleanliness of the area.

If you do posses a certain skill (jewelry making, pottery, yoga, etc) and you would like to organise a workshop with the students - feel free to do so! If you would like to host a kitchen workshop, sports tournament or something else, please communicate this with the camp leader or a teacher and make sure that we have the necessary material in the camp for that type of workshop.

📄 Volunteers' Example for Schedule:

• On Saturday after your arrival:
18:30 - Dinner and getting to know your new friends
22:00 - Volunteer meeting with other staff members and camp leader. During the meeting we’ll introduce you to the rest of the group, go through the schedule for the next week and explain to you what needs to be done in the coming days. After the meeting, we’ll take you to your accommodation.

• Monday - Friday:
Breakfast Preparation .......................... 7:30 - 8:15
Breakfast ................................................ 8:15 - 9:00
Breakfast Cleaning ................................ 9:00 - 9:30
Lunch Preparation ............................... 10:45 - 12:30
OR
Housekeeping ....................................... 10:45 - 12:30
Lunch ...................................................... 12:30 - 13:30
Lunch Cleaning ...................................... 13:30 - 14:30
Dinner Preparation ............................... 17:15 - 18:30
Dinner ..................................................... 18:30 - 19:30
Dinner Cleaning ...................................... 19:30 - 20:30
Free Time ................................................. 20:30 -

By no means you will be ordered to work for an entire day. For example, if you got up early in the morning to prepare breakfast, you will be excluded from housekeepeing/lunch preparation chores. At all times, besides you - we have at least 5-6 other volunteers and you will complement each other when it comes to these tasks.
If you are willing to work only in the kitchen as a kitchen assistant, please communicate this with the camp leader and the rest of the volunteers - we will take your request into consideration and exclude you from the housekeeping chores. If the occasion allows it, you will be working only in the kitchen from then on.

🏠 Accommodation:

• Shared rooms and bathrooms - males in a shared accommodation and females in another shared accommodation.

• Sometimes due to the large number of volunteers, rooms are shared between males and females.

• The volunteers will sleep in 4-6-10 bed dormitories. The accommodation is simple, but there is a kitchen, toilets and showers. Don’t expect luxurious accommodations. It’s usually basic and simple with tents or dormitories and simple toilets and showers.

🕶️ Activities for Days Off:

Discovering the charming region of the locations with its fascinating wildlife and nature - ideal for nature lovers, families and sports lovers! Twice a week, volunteers will accompany the adolescents on an afternoon journey in the region. On the weekends longer excursions are planned. The evenings will involve social events where the voluneteers can participate and enjoy various social activities.

Free time can be used to make local trips, sports or games together or just to relax.

⛅ Weather in Switzerland:

The climate in different regions of Switzerland varies. The southern part of Switzerland (Tessin) and also the western part of Switzerland (French part) is mild and Mediterranean while in the mountains it can be freezing cold. In the mountains there is even snow in summer. Switzerland can be mild and warm in summer, but also rainy.

🪙 Currency:

The official currency in Switzerland is Swiss Franc (CHF). Make sure you change currency before you leave your home country or at the airport / train station. You can also pay with EC Maestro Card or Credit Cards in shops, hotels and restaurants. Switzerland is a rather expensive country. EURO are not accepted everywhere and exchange rate is maybe not too good. It’s always helpful to have some cash with you for emergencies.

📆 Registration Dates:

Program Availability: 
☀️ Summer Camps: 07/07/2024 - 04/08/2024 => SOLD OUT!

🍂 Autumn Camps: (3 Weeks) => SOLD OUT!
• St. Bernard: 28/09/2024 - 27/10/2024
• Braunwald: 28/09/2024 - 27/10/2024

Winter Camps: 
• Braunwald: 22/12/2024 - 22/02/2025

 If you Sign Up as early as possible for the program, it gives you the opportunity to choose the camp you prefer, and this is done with the approval of the authorities in Switzerland.
Hurry up to save your spot!

Sundays are always the last day of your stay, and the day of your departure. (on Sundays, we need extra help from volunteers to prepare the camp for new arrivals).

You should arrive at the camp site right on Saturday (please do not arrive later because the first Sunday is important for us as we want to get to know each other and discuss everybody’s functions). If you arrive in Switzerland before your camp starts, please organize a place to stay yourself. There are youth hostels (backpackers) and hotels in any Swiss city.

Arrival and departure details will be sent to you when you Sign Up.

• Days off: 2 days per week.
• Minimum period for volunteering: 2 weeks (Preference is given to those who choose a longer period)
• Maximum period for volunteering: 8 weeks

💳 Registration Fees: 

• $550 - HomeAwe Fees.

Regarding registration fees, flight costs and living expenses in Switzerland, this opportunity is invaluable. A regular tourist trip would undoubtedly cost more. Here, the experiences you will have with HomeAwe are unique. And the daily life is relatively affordable.

📋 Registration Process:

1. Sign Up through the program's link down below - your details and answers to the questions will be reviewed and based on that, your acceptance will be determined. (It is preferable not to hesitate in providing clear and explicit answers to the questions without any sense of shyness. The clearer, more spontaneous and heartfelt your answers are, the higher the likelihood of your acceptance).
If we do not contact you within 2 weeks, it means that you have not been accepted.
If you are accepted, we will communicate with you via email to arrange the payment of the registration fees to reserve your spot in the program.

2. After you Sign Up, you'll receive an email that has a link to pay the registration fees to HomeAwe.

3. Have a personal interview with HomeAwe for introduction and further explanation of details.
+ In certain cases, an introductory interview with the HomeAwe team or program organizers will be scheduled to provide more detailed information about volunteering, confirm your acceptance and set a volunteering schedule. After the interview, your acceptance will be official 100%. If, for some reason, you are not accepted after the interview, the registration fee will be refunded on the same day.
Once you are officially accepted 100%, with or without an interview, there is no refund for the registration fees, even in case of an emergency. The fees will be retained until your participation in another program later on.

4. The host will communicate with you directly via WhatsApp or email to give you more information about the program, arrange your arrival day, to get to know you better and to inform you to which camp you are going to join.