Lucas Hoffman, OFLA Executive Treasurer
French & Spanish Teacher, Sylvania Southview High School

We’re excited to announce that Camp OFLA is back this summer!  Like many events last year, Camp OFLA was unfortunately cancelled due to Covid-19.  Camp OFLA 2021 is scheduled to take place on site in Bellville, Ohio from June 6-12.  We are welcoming seventy-five campers from grades 3-8 to join us for a week of fun learning Arabic, Chinese or Russian.

Camp OFLA has been awarded a STARTALK grant which allows us to offer FREE camperships to all children participating this summer.  If you are not familiar with STARTALK, the program supports the study of critical languages, including Arabic, Chinese and Russian.

In a normal year, we function just like a regular residential camp but we talk, eat, sing and craft in our target languages! We learn language in small class settings. We practice language by cooking, dancing, singing, playing sports, hiking, and making arts and crafts. We sit by language to eat our meals and we sleep in cabins by language. In the evening, we share culture from all the languages through campfires, games and special guests.  The week culminates on Saturday morning with breakfast and the final class for parents and friends.

Due to the nature of the public health crisis, staff and campers will  need to be flexible as we work to meet the health and safety guidelines of the CDC, local health departments and the American Camp Association. The health and safety of our campers and staff are a top priority.

How can high school students participate? We are looking for patient, outgoing and energetic high schoolers who speak Arabic, Chinese and/or Russian to help this summer.  They should enjoy working with elementary students, spending time outdoors and speaking the target language.  High school students can apply here.  Applications due by February 28, 2021.

We expect that many families who planned to participate in 2020 will send their campers this summer.  However, it is likely that there may be spaces available.  If you are interested in signing your elementary student up for this unique experience, please look for the Camp OFLA registration to open this month.

For more information, check out our camp website here. You may also email Assistant Program Director Lucas Hoffman.