Jose Luis Lomeli, the Founder of the International American Summer Camp Golden Gate: “Our philosophy pledges to inspire teenagers to collaborate, to think outside the box placing a great value on respect within a multicultural environment.”
Jose Luis Lomeli, director of the International American Summer Camp Golden Gate in Bulgaria, told us that philosophy of his camp is to inspire teenagers to create together, to collaborate, to think outside the box and to learn from each other, placing a great value on respect within a multicultural environment.
Jose Luis is a San Francisco native and he has traveled to over 35 countries. He got the idea to bring the American Camp Experience to Easter Europe without traveling to America and thus was conceived Golden Gate Camp in Bulgaria.
- Jose Luis please tell us more about how your camp appeared?
- I founded this startup in conjunction with my friend and now business partner, Vladimir Lalov, a Bulgarian who also lived, studied, and worked in different courtiers and shares my passion for education. We are on this together because, even though our life stories might be different, our set of beliefs and values for a better world are the same. We both strongly believe that education is a core mechanism for economic and social development.
My biggest goal now is to focus on this project that will improve the education of the youth by helping them expand their access to diversity, knowledge exchange, and innovation. After all, I truly believe that the best way to develop a country or a community is through education.
- What is your program about in general? What skills and knowledge do you give to children?
- Camp Golden Gate is an American international summer camp for teenagers aged 14 - 18. The learning curriculum is 3 hours per day, combined with afternoon activities that are designed to develop both the mind and body.
These include sports, arts and crafts, photography, cooking classes, beach sports activities and more. In the evening, there is a range of pursuits which will increase leadership and networking skills, while enhancing a student's capacity to work with a diverse set of individuals. This is all aimed at enabling a student to become a leader of the future.
Camp Golden Gate is focused on the underlying values of optimism, and the perseverance of ideas through complex and challenging tasks. Students will learn the acceptance of failure and are encouraged to develop a willingness to try alternatives, demonstrating that collaboration yields the best outcomes.
- And what is the main language do you speak during the sessions?
- The main language we use in the Golden Gate Camp is American English. All our teachers come from different states from the USA. Our counselors come from different parts of Europe.
- What are the most important activities and events within a day and a program?
- Camp Golden Gate has a very interactive and structured schedule. From Monday to Friday, 9-11am, the campers will be taking a course of their choice. In the afternoon they have sport activities, and in the evening they have team building activities.
- The question that parents often ask when choosing a program is if the schedule is structured or it is child’s individual choice?
- During the week the schedule in our camp is very intensive and we have many hours of lessons and courses. But the rest is also very important. On weekends children don’t have lessons - on Saturday all the campers go on an excursion. And on Sunday all campers have a free day to enjoy their new friends and the beach. Throughout the camp we have movie nights, talent shows, karaoke party and many more fun activities. So I can say that our program has a good mix of education and recreation.
- As we know your camp is international one. Where do the campers come from?
- We have the children from at least 10 different countries, including: Russia, Spain, Israel, Ukraine, Serbia, Montenegro, USA, etc.
- How should a child be to enjoy participation in your camp’s program?
- Children that like to travel, meet new people, learn new subjects, and want to improve their English are the ideal candidates for our camp. We encourage our campers to think outside the box and to push themselves to be the best they can be.
- How does the camp program meet individual needs and differences?
- Our camp offers eight different courses with a diverse range of fields such as science, technology, humanities, etch. We offer over 16 different afternoon activities and over 12 different evening activities. We have something for everyone. A summer camp like ours means many things for our campers: Improving their English, making new friends, gaining confidence, learning to make decisions, applying what they learned in school into real life situations, becoming more independent.
- How does you recruit, screen and train your staff?
- The Founders are in charge or selecting the best staff for the camp. They have traveled all over Europe and the USA to find the best. All candidates went through several interviews. Every member of our Team is well educated and has experience working with children. Above all, our staff believes that the needs of our campers come first!
- What are the safety procedures in the camp?
- The camp takes safety as our top priority. The hotel is located in one of the safest areas of Bulgaria. There is one of the best hospitals just five minutes from the hotel. We have a doctor on site, life guards at the beach and at the pools in the hotel, and we have security guards 24/7. In case of an emergency, we will call the parents immediately.
- How do you think Jose Luis what makes a successful and memorable summer?
- Providing a fun and learning environment where everyone has the choice to do what they love to do.
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