Further information about EUROCAMP
LET US INTRODUCE OURSELVES
The main organisers have been working with children since their student years. In the nineties, according to new legislation, the Association of Entrepreneurs was founded for annual summer camps in Stádlec. In the year 2000 the Czech law for traveling changed and that’s why the association was transformed to a regular travel agency. SYKA AGENCY a.s., travel agency is insured by ČPP, a.s., Vienna Insurance Group. Perhaps you have heard or read about our successful camps. We have organised the camp SUMMER TIME – summertimecamp.eu for the past 29 years already. It’s a camp with an English focus, and with adventure activities and sports. A few years later, now already twenty one years ago, we set up a new camp, ENGLISH 4 YOU – englishcamp.eu, with intensive English lessons exclusively with native English speaking teachers. And now for the eighteenth year EUROCAMP introduces an original idea: this international camp has got a bit of both SUMMER TIME and ENGLISH 4 YOU. In EUROCAMP children are in constant contact with native English speaking adults and children. This is also reflected in their participation in the exciting camp games. The main people behind EUROCAMP are real specialists:
Ing. Josef Syka is the founder of the camps SUMMER TIME,
ENGLISH 4 YOU and EUROCAMP (see syka.cz). He is the owner of both camps where
events take place. Until 2005 he was also the main leader for ENGLISH 4 YOU. He is focused on constantly
improving and offering new ideas, as well as the camps’ promotion. He is always trying to come up with
something new, something progressive. Nowadays he is more focused on programs that unify children from different countries. Thanks to the growing offers
of different language camps and courses, the central aim of his work has developed – to help children
prepare for a modern Europe through fun and play. Currently, he is Member of the Board of Directors
of the SYKA AGENCY a.s., travel agency. 30 years of experience of organizing English camps is a guarantee of his professionalism and enthusiasm.
RNDr. Veronika Kopřivová is a teacher of English and Geography at a secondary school in Prague. During her professional
career, she also worked for many years as an English lecturer at a language school. In addition to teaching, she organizes student exchanges,
prepares students to participate in international events and acts as a coordinator for Erasmus+ projects.
She is constantly striving to improve her knowledge of English and she studied in Great Britain
for several months. More than 15 years Veronika has devoted her time to working with children, either as an au-pair, a group leader on trips abroad and on
ENGLISH 4 YOU camp, as the deputy of the main leader at SUMMER TIME or eight times as the main leader at EUROCAMP. Her organisational skills, promptness and ability
to solve unexpected situations are big advantages and that is why she is the Human Resources Coordinator of our camps.
Karolína Martincová was born in Prague but she has spent most of her childhood abroad, first in Luxembourg and later in Belgium.
Thanks to her multilingual family, she learned to communicate in English and French at a very early age. After high school, she studied psychology and education
at the University of Liège in Belgium. However, after becoming homesick she returned to Prague after many years. Now she studies at the Faculty of Arts at
Charles University focusing on English and French. Karolína also teaches flute at the French Lyceum in Prague. She has been attending our camps
since she was a child. Later she worked as an assistant, a team leader and the main leader of EUROCAMP. Now she is a Native Speaker Coordinator
for camps EUROCAMP, ENGLISH 4 YOU and SUMMER TIME. Besides foreign languages, her interests include music, art and working with children.
Pavel Jahelka is an experienced camp leader who has shown a
lot of ability and an open-minded approach to children over many previous years.
Since 2004 he has occupied various important positions at SUMMER TIME CAMPS. From 2006 he has proven his abilities
as the main leader for the English courses ENGLISH 4 YOU and he was also helping with the realisation of English
camps SUMMER TIME and EUROCAMP. At SYKA AGENCY a.s. he is now standing as the External Advisor and he helps significantly in the realization of our
summer English camps. At the same time, however, he also provides considerable support and assistance with the organisation of language courses, which take place
in apartments in Monínec. Pavel’s strength is his friendly character and kindly approach to the kids that makes him a camp favourite.
CAMP PLACE
After introducing ourselves, we would like to introduce our place and its surroundings. The camp covers two big meadows in the middle of a private forest. There is good access to the river, which runs nearby through our beautiful valley. You won’t find a better place to play football or volleyball than on our sports grounds. In case of bad weather conditions we have two big clubrooms and even in our big dining room we can be in a cozy mood near the fireplace. And naturally we are equipped with new, modern facilities. Each cottage contains four beds, so it fits four good friends perfectly. Finally, it will be reassuring to know that we have been using this peaceful and beautiful place already for twenty nine years, which is why we know the best way to take advantage of it.
PROFESSIONAL AND SKILLED APPROACH
Thanks to 29 years' experience in organising summer camps we know exactly what is the best for children. We have a competent approach and every year we look for ways of improving and developing new skills and evaluating them. Although we take care of children in the best way possible, we are insured and of course we carefully and professionally select all of our employees.
STAFF
The English speaking leaders come from England, the USA, Canada or Australia. All of them are professionally qualified to work with children. We have a minimum requirement that they have attended an International TEFL Certificate Training Program that prepares native speakers for teaching children and adult students and authorises the teaching of English as a foreign language. Our teachers have been educated at a number of prestigious international schools or are certified to teach children by reputable language agencies, primarily through TEFL Worldwide Prague – www.teflworldwideprague.com, a member of the American Chamber of Commerce in the Czech Republic, Oxford TEFL – oxfordtefl.com, belonging to the International Association of Teachers of English as a Foreign Language (IATEFL) and finally The Language House TEFL – thelanguagehouse.net. The Czech leaders also go through extensive training. The kitchen staff have been chosen in the best confidence, which is a guarantee of quality and varied meals. The healthcare provider is also chosen carefully, either from a hospital (as a doctor or a nurse) or from university at least after the third year of studying medicine (a medical student). It is, of course, a given that we also oversee participants who regularly take medication.Gallery
SAFETY
The care of all participants in our camp takes precedence. There are two leaders (one English and one Czech) who look after the children at all times. While swimming or boating (lifejackets are always used in the boats) another adult accompanies them. We are very strict in these cases. The camp’s program can sometimes be quite demanding, which is why we never forget important and necessary rest periods. We don’t want the children to get tired or exhausted. We adjust the games and activities to the weather conditions, particularly during the hot, summer days. Beverages are always available in the dining room, which means the children will be properly hydrated for the whole day and night. Recently, there has been a worldwide increase in the way of negative social behaviour (vexation or unmotivated violence), and it is important for us to be vigilant that it does not occur in any way in our camp. So far, thankfully, we have had no experience with any behaviour of this manner, but we are well prepared to prevent it from occurring. In case of any serious behaviour offence, we reserve the right to urgently act. The camp resort is situated in a safe place, which was proven by the once-in-a-thousand-year flood when the Lužnice broke its banks in 2002.TRANSPORT
If you prefer taking your children to the camp yourself, there are maps included in the information you will receive once you have been accepted. We also have comfortable buses reserved for transportation to our camp and back, provided by the reliable company autobusy-dvorak.cz. This company provides services using only modern Mercedes and VDL buses that meet the highest demands for quality, comfort and convenient transport. Bus transport is not included in the price of the camp and the return journey is charged at a single amount of 25 EUR, i.e. 28 USD round trip. Departure and arrival is from Prague.
PICK UP
For those who plan to travel to the Czech Republic from abroad, we offer the possibility of a pick up at Vaclav Havel Airport Prague or at the main train or bus station in Prague. Our representative will pick up the participant at a specified time of arrival and transport them either to our bus departure point in Prague, or directly to the camp resort EUROCAMP. Likewise, the return trip from the camp back to the airport, train or bus station on the final day of the camp. This service is optional and is charged separately. Please note, participants who require pick up from/to Prague, this is only possible on the start/end day of the camp term attended. In the event that our representative will pick up and take the participant only to and from our bus pick up point in Prague a one off fee of 90 EUR, i.e. 100 USD round trip will be charged. In the event of an individual transfer to the camp and back a one off fee of 200 EUR, i.e. 220 USD will be charged. Please contact us for further info and details.
