The Kennebec Journal

YMCA CAMP OF MAINE

July 28

International flavor at YMCA camp

Record number at East Winthrop this year

By Betty Adams badams@centralmaine.com
Staff Writer

EAST WINTHROP -- When international campers leave the YMCA Camp of Maine, they take home an improved grasp of the English language and a host of new friendships.

"My mother and father sent me here to improve my English," said Elena Dejero, 15, of Guadalajara, Spain, a second-year camper and leader-in-training.

On Monday, she was carrying supplies for counselors teaching fire-building and outdoor cooking to a dozen campers.

Elena's brother, Juan, 12 -- along with a cousin, and the cousin's cousin -- flew together from Spain to attend the camp.

At camp, it's all English, except for a few asides to determine the precise word needed.

"I try to speak English as much as I can," Elena said, adding, "It's hard to speak English with another Spanish girl."

This week, the camp on the edge of Lake Cobbossee resembled an outdoor League of Nations, with 140 campers and 55 staff on site -- many of whose hometowns are in foreign countries.

The number of international campers at the YMCA Camp of Maine will set a new record this year, with more than 225 campers and counselors from outside the United States, according to Barry Costa, camp director.

Costa said this year's registrations include 27 campers from Spain, 160 from Quebec, 11 from Mexico and a number from other nations.

In early August, 13 new campers are scheduled to arrive from mainland China, Costa said. Some of the Spanish campers are coming through an exchange program with a YMCA in Madrid.

Founded in 1915, the nonprofit camp is a residential summer camp for boys and girls age 8 to 16. It focuses on skills in athletics, outdoor living, creative arts and music, and offers traditional camping activities such as singing and story telling around an evening campfire.

Although international campers are a hallmark of the current session, Costa said 80 percent of the campers come from Maine.

The cost for a two-week session is $495; for the same session, an out-of state camper would be charged $525. All the campers are subsidized by foundation grants and other monies.

Maude Guérette and Bénédicte Roberge, both 14 and good friends, came to camp from Quebec City, Quebec, after hearing from a third girl about the camp. Last year, Bénédicte attended a girls' camp in Toronto, Ontario, and she decided a co-ed camp might be better.

Also, the state Y camp is much closer drive for her parents, she said.

"We're trying to speak English," Maude said, glancing at her friend and then asking Bénédicte in rapid French how to say something in English.

Maude said she enjoys the evening programs the most, including the "Mr. and Mrs. Y Camp" program.

Maude and Bénédicte agreed on their favorite activity: buddy boarding on Lake Cobbossee.

Picture two teens standing on a sail-less windsurf board and then maneuvering to switch places -- all the time floating on the water.

"We fell in the lake 100 times," Bénédicte said. "The water was hot."

On Monday afternoon, after a morning session of buddy boarding, the two were also headed to outdoor cooking.

Last week they made s'mores, apples and cinnamon and "delicious" muffins baked in hollowed-out oranges.

Another international camper, Carlos Leiva, 13, is a legacy camper who hails from San Luis, Mexico.

"My mom came here when she was little," he said. "I don't know how she found the camp. She remembered she went here, so she tried to get me here."

Now this is his third year at the camp. He said he likes to spend two hours each afternoon doing advanced kayaking.

"In Mexico, I study Spanish and English," he said. "I learn much more English here."

Costa said the campers gain self-confidence at camp. "They learn to do things on their own and are able to make decisions."

As for the language barriers, "Parents want their children to learn English when they come here," Costa said. "No matter where they're from, they think it will be important."

The camp bans cell phones and other electronic devices. "There's nothing other than nature to help them," he said.

Campers aren't the only international presence at the lakeside setting. Some are teachers.

Olga Tkachenko, 22, of Barnaul, Russia, teaches basketball and arts and crafts at camp. For the past two years, she worked in the camp kitchen.

"I am here to improve my English skills because I'm a teacher in Russia in secondary school," she said.

On a blustery summer afternoon, a dozen campers lined up at the archery range, a dozen more toted nets to a pond, and others headed to the waterfront for swimming or the hall for arts and crafts.

The absence of outside contact allows more time for friendships to form, camp directors say -- friendships they'll then keep up with Facebook and e-mail.

"They'll stay in contact for the rest of their lives," Costa said.

Betty Adams -- 621-5631

badams@centralmaine.com