After almost 2 years of a pause due to pandemic restrictions, the Russian Camp Association MOO “SDO” recently took the initiative to re-open camp conversation s by organizing a gathering of European camp professionals in Greece.

The meeting took place in the picturesque resort community of Loutraki, Greece on the coast of the Aegean Sea on October 14-24, 2021. The purpose of the meeting was to renew and extend the dialogue between Russian and European camp professionals as well as with other organizers of children’s recreation.

The program followed on the heels of an annual meeting of the Russian group held in Moscow the previous week. Over 40 Russian camp professionals were joined by associates from Greece, Spain, Turkey and Belgium.  There were various presentations, networking opportunities, discussions, project developments and excursions to local Greek camps. In addition there were some tours Greek archaeological sites and cities of interest.

The participants at this first European Meeting of Camp Professionals included Board members of MOO “SDO” (Russia), heads of several regional camp associations in Russia (Tyumen, Perm, St Petersburg, Moscow, Samara) public organizations for children’s recreation, camp owners and directors. Fahrettin Gozet – ICF President, Valery Kostin – ICF Past President, Alexia Sideri, Valeriy Dolgikh and Carolina Fleix-Wright – ICF Board Members were also present.

The outcomes of this meeting have been so profound that the Russian Camp Association MOO “SDO” is discussing the repetition of this type of sharing event in October 2022 in another European country.

Presentations:

  • “International Camp Movement in a Pandemic” – Fahrettin Gozet, ICF President; Camp Future Stars camp, Turkey.
  • “New point on the map – Spanish Camps Association”, Carolina Fleix-Wright, ICF Board member, English Summer Camp, Barcelona, ​​
  • “Greek camps: yesterday, today, tomorrow” Anastasia Bouka, “SportKids camp”, Loutraki, Greece
  • “Pivot point. Scaling experience in European countries” Ivanova Tatiana, Head of the recreation and education program for children “Tochka Opory”.
  • “Children’s camp in the frame. Positive camp video projects” Dudkov Dmitry.
  • “Cooperation projects within the framework of the International Community of Camps” – Alexia Sideri, ICF Board Member; Delphicamp, Greece.
  • “Festival movement of youth, as a direction of increasing the prestige of the profession of a counselor and securing personnel in camp pedagogy”. Sergey Mankov, Forus, Russia
  • “The paths that unite us: children’s camps in Europe” Alexia Sideri, ICF Board; “Delphicamp”, Greece.
  • “Summer lessons 2021”. Nadezhda Mikhailovna Sukholapova, President of the St. Petersburg public organization of leaders and organizers of children’s recreation and health improvement of the Association “Adults and Children”
  • Round table “International partnership projects of camps”.  Moderator Valery Kostin ICF Past President
  • Round table “European contacts of children’s camps: opportunities for cooperation and partnership.” Moderator Valeriy Dolgikh, ICF Board Member; New Generation Camp, Perm, Russia and Alexia Sideri ICF Board Member, Delphicamp, Greece.
  • “The author in the camp, or camp as art.” Svetlana Petrova, St Petersburg Camp Association
  • “Inclusion in the children’s camp: what you need to know” Lyudmila Sekreteva
  • “The role of a public organization in ensuring the right of children to rest and health improvement in the Tyumen region” Larisa Shilova President Tyumen Camp Association, Tyumen, Russia
  • “Organization and conduct of interesting specialized shifts in the camp” Savelyeva Oksana Petrovna, Cand. ped. Sciences, Associate Professor, Leading specialist in NMR CHU DO PJSC “MMK” “DOOK”
  • “Working with international campers and staff in a cross-cultural children’s environment” Makarova Elena Valerievna, Business coach, coach, psychotherapist, Active member of the Professional Psychotherapeutic League, Consultant of educational programs of the Sodruzhestvo Foundation
  • “Camp in Present Continuous” Irina Lotova, Russian Camp Programs Association.

These and additional presentations will be available in the resource library of www.myicfconnect.net , “European Camp Meeting 2021” for ICF Affiliates (free) and ICF Members.

A big thank you to our ICF volunteers who helped with the live translations: Valery Kostin (Past ICF President), Liliana Kostina, Oksana Petrovskaya (ICF Ambassador for Russia) and Ksenia Zubarevaa!

Excursions:

Thanks to our member Taras Kononets, you may view the videos from the excursions in the ICF YouTube Channel playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBYn098zGD_CYygosEP98VFEGvX8WM662

In the words of Valery Dolgikh, Board Chair of MOO “SDO”, their association is hoping to continue visiting and networking with the rest of Europe by making the European Camp Meeting an annual event.

European camps interested wishing to learn more, participate in, host tours or co-host a future European Camp Meeting email us at info@icfconnect.net

#ICFConnect #ICFEvents #ThanksToCamp #Greece #Russia

Tags: , ,