Summer camps

Experience everything that Switzerland has to offer in the summer

Important: A system update has been performed. The login process works differently than usual. Please refer to the instructions below and follow them.

Registrations begin in...

Day(s)

:

Hour(s)

:

Minute(s)

:

Second(s)

p

Important information about our summer camps is provided below.

"

Flüeli-Ranft OW

22.06. – 05.07.2024 (Sa-Fr)
Ages 10 – 14

Meiringen+DiemtigenBE

06.07. – 19.07.2024 (Sa-Fr)
Ages 12 – 14

Rueun GR

20.07. – 02.08.2024 (Sa-Fr)
Ages 12 – 14

Pizol 2 SG

03.08. – 16.08.2024 (Sa-Fr)
Ages 10 – 14

Adelboden BE

10.07. – 19.07.2024 (We-Fr)
Ages 8 – 11

Pizol 1 SG

20.07. – 02.08.2024 (Sa-Fr)
Ages 8 – 11

Swiss Trip 1

26.06. – 05.07.2024 (We-Fr)
Ages 12 – 14

Swiss Trip 2

10.07. – 19.07.2024 (We-Fr)
Ages 12 – 14

Swiss Trip 3

03.08. – 16.08.2024 (We-Fr)
Ages 12 – 14

Summer camp information

Our summer camp features hiking, games, excursions and other indoor and outdoor activities that create a truly special holiday experience in Switzerland.

Registration

The FYSA opens registration for its summer camps at the beginning of January every year. Registration is only possible via the homepage directly for the advertised summer camp you would like to attend. We have provided instructions to assist you with the application process.

Age groups

Our camps are for young Swiss Abroad aged between 8 and 14 and are divided into two age groups: ages 8 to 11 and 12 to 14. If you are aged 15 or older, please contact the Youth Service of the Organisation of the Swiss Abroad. It has many exciting camp offers.

Languages

All of our camps are offered in German, English, French, Italian and Spanish. If you want to participate in a camp, you must speak one of these languages fluently.

Camp location

Our camps take place at different locations in different cantons each year. The individual camp offers indicate where a specific camp will be held.

Fees

The camp fee is CHF 950, except for the Swiss Trip and special holiday camps, which have a fee of CHF 1100. It covers the entire operation of the holiday camp, including all trips during the camp, meals, accommodation, and all scheduled activities. There are no additional costs incurred during the camp. For all our holiday camps, the costs for the journey to Switzerland and the return home are the responsibility of the parents.

Read more ↓

The only exceptions are the Swiss Trip and the special camps, whose fees total CHF 950. Parents are responsible for travel costs to and from Switzerland for all our camps.

Financial support

In keeping with our Foundation’s purpose, the FYSA wants to ensure that all young Swiss Abroad between the ages of 8 and 14 have the chance to experience at least one camp in Switzerland, regardless of their family’s financial situation. We provide financial support towards the camp fees and/or travel expenses. More information on applying for reduced fees is available here.

Meeting point

On the first day, all of our camps start at 1 p.m. at the train station at Zurich Airport. The camp councellors will meet you there, and you will all travel together by train to the camp location. On the last day, everyone takes the train together again to the Zurich Airport train station, where you will arrive at 12 p.m.

The journey back and forth from the meeting point to your home is the responsibility of your parents.

Young Swiss Abroad travelling alone

If you are travelling unaccompanied to and/or from the camp, our camp counsellors can accompany you from the airport to the meeting point and back. If you require accompaniment, you must arrive at the airport between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m. on the first day of the camp. On the last day of the camp, your flight must leave between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m.

Read more ↓

We charge parents a maximum of CHF 50 for this additional service. We would like to inform parents that if our camp counsellors provide accompaniment for your child, the responsibility of the FYSA begins when your child arrives at the airport in Switzerland and ends when they check in on the last day. Therefore, we strongly recommend that every young Swiss Abroad camp participant travelling alone (including those over the age of twelve) should fly as an ‘unaccompanied minor’ (UM). Please contact your airline for more information.

Participants

Our camps bring together young people from all over the world in a relaxed setting. Depending on the camp, the groups usually include between 24 and 42 young Swiss Abroad. You can participate if you are a Swiss Abroad between the ages of 8 and 14, regardless of your gender, religion, political views, financial situation or culture. What connects you with everyone in the camp community is - you are all Swiss.

You can make friends from all over the globe in this multicultural community. However, the success of the camp also depends on your cooperation and independent completion of daily tasks such as washing dishes, tidying up, cleaning the bathroom, etc.

Leadership team

The summer camp is planned and run by a leadership team of volunteers (with the exception of civilian service assignees).

Depending on the size of the camp, the leadership team consists of six to eight young adults from Switzerland and abroad. The leadership team is further supported by two kitchen staff. All camp counsellors are at least 18 years old and multilingual. The counsellors are overseen by experienced camp leaders.

At least half of the leadership team members have a federally recognised J+S youth and sports certification in camp sports and trekking. The summer camp counsellors share a love of the outdoors and supervise the camp community around the clock. They are also your contact point for individual requests or concerns.

Programme

The camp programme is put together by the leadership team in cooperation with the FYSA administrative office. The aim of the camp programme is for you to experience Switzerland in a variety of ways and get to know your home country better.

Read more ↓

Games, sports, hikes, excursions, city tours and much more are the main focus of the activities. We make every effort to provide a varied, age-appropriate programme. Adventure, fun and diverse encounters are guaranteed!

Insurance

Camp participants are insured against accidents during the camps (supplementary to their own accident insurance for those living in Europe). Expenses resulting from illness or damage to property are the responsibility of the parents. Therefore, we recommend that parents also obtain international insurance from their travel or insurance provider.

Accommodation

The majority of our camps are housed in simple but well-furnished camp buildings with dormitory rooms that offer enough space for everyone. The different camp offers tell you the location of the respective camp.

Read more ↓

Our Swiss Trips are the exception. Since the camp community is on the move all over Switzerland, participants spend the night in different types of accommodation (e.g. farms, tents, mountain huts). We also offer special camps with a themed focus such as music, sailing or the circus. The accommodation differs for these camps as well, depending on the theme.

Meals

The kitchen is staffed by people who have experience in cooking for larger groups and are passionate about their work. They put together a balanced, varied menu plan for the camp that includes traditional Swiss dishes so you can also experience Switzerland at mealtimes.

Reduced fees

In keeping with our Foundation’s purpose, the FYSA supports young Swiss Abroad whose families cannot afford to give them a first-hand experience of their home country for financial reasons. One of our main priorities is to ensure that as many young Swiss Abroad as possible are able to spend at least one holiday in Switzerland. We have set up a fund with the aim of providing financial support to Swiss families Abroad for camps and/or travel expenses.

Read more ↓

A visit to Switzerland is an identity-forming experience for every young Swiss Abroad, so we encourage Swiss families Abroad to apply for a reduced fee if necessary. The corresponding form can be downloaded here and must be submitted to the administrative office within 7 days after receiving the confirmation of participation for a winter or summer camp.

For more information on how to apply, filling out the reduced fees form, and the respective reduced fees, please contact Julia Gunti at info@sjas.ch.

Impressions