Winter camps
Experience Switzerland in the winter
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Important information about our winter camps is provided below.
Valbella GR 24
27.12. – 05.01.2024
Ages 12 – 14
Melchtal OW 24
27.12.2024 – 05.01.2025
Ages 8 – 14
Lenk BE - JUSKILA 25
02.01.2025 – 08.01.2025
Age-groups 2010 / 2011
Winter camp information
Discover snow-covered Switzerland at a winter camp. Your holiday experience at this time of the year will be characterised by short days, long nights, low temperatures, snow, ice and numerous winter sports.
Registration
Registration for our winter camp opens mid march of every year. Registration is only possible via the homepage directly for the camp you would like to attend. We have provided instructions to assist you with the application process.
Age groups
Our winter camp is designed for young Swiss Abroad between the ages of 8 and 14. If you are aged 15 or older, please contact the Youth Service of the Organisation of the Swiss Abroad. It has many exciting winter sports 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 for the winter camp is between CHF 1000 and CHF 1300. It covers everything associated with the camp. The fee includes travel during the winter camp, food, accommodation, a ski pass, and all other programme activities. There are no additional costs during the camp.
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Snow sports equipment, e.g. skis or snowboards including poles, boots and helmets, can be rented from the FYSA. The approximate rental cost is CHF 200 and is not included in the camp fee. 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 10 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, in exceptional cases, towards travel expenses. The application form can be downloaded here and must be sent to info@sjas.ch within 7 days of receiving the confirmation of participation.
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.
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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 25 and 48 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 Swiss 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 J+S federally recognised youth and sports certification in skiing or snowboarding. The winter camp counsellors share a love of snow sports 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.
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At our winter camp, the focus is on winter sports, with the programme concentrating mainly on skiing and snowboarding. Other winter sports such as ice skating, snowshoeing and tobogganing can also be added for variety. All of the different sports are suitable for both beginners and those with more experience. Short excursions in the region are also planned in case of bad weather and as a break from the winter sports. In the evenings, you will have plenty of time to play, do arts and crafts and make new friends in the camp community while staying on the camp premises.
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.
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.
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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