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INTERNATIONAL NIGHT |
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We, for our part, have done a fairly standard event every summer, but it is always most successful. Although we have 350 campers, it can be done with few or more, it takes relatively little time to prepare and the materials needed are not very complex. Our event is International Night. We plan the night as follows: 1.) A week or so before International Night is scheduled, the evening’s coordinator meets with all of the international staff and divides them by countries. We like two/three staff members to a country, but one will do, and if we have four or more from the same country, we will break them into separate groups representing the same country. 2.) We ask each country’s representatives to (a) prepare a game indigenous to their country that they can teach campers to play, and (b) prepare a song they can teach campers, again indigenous t their country. 3.) We then break the number of campers who are going to participate in International Night into country groups based on the number of staff we have representing individual countries. 4.) During a rest hour several days before the event, staff members meet with their group to talk about their country and what it was like growing up there. Together they design a simple costume using only what is available either in their cabin or our art studio; the costume must in some way represent the country’s culture or history. Campers then have the remaining few days to prepare their costumes -- some end up being quite elaborate, others could not be more simple. All are based around staff and camper creativity using whatever is available to them in camp; none cost anything more than a few pennies. 5.) Our chef is asked to prepare an “International Dinner”, and this has usually meant a multi-dish buffet including Greek salad, egg rolls, pasta, humus and crackers, quesadillas , kabobs, etc. Desserts too will have an international theme. 6.) Our art staff assisted by our dining room staff will pick a theme for dinner -- one year it was Italian with red and white checkered table clothes, candle light, etc.; another year we had Chinese lanterns, chopsticks, etc. 7.) Everyone come to dinner in costume. After dinner campers break into their representative groups and spread throughout camp to learn the game and song which they will then demonstrate in front of everyone seated on our front lawn. We usually allow about one hour for learning the song and the game, and depending on the number of groups, the performance of games and songs by each group usually takes an hour to an hour and a half. How did the activity increase international understanding and/or cultural awareness among your campers and staff? Although the formula has stayed the same for a number of years, campers always look forward to International Night, and the feelings of warmth and good will are hard to duplicate in any other event.
This international program idea submitted by:
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