Volunteer Handbook

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Partnerships with Israel

Useful Israel Information

Volunteer Handbook

Kefiada needs creative and energetic counselors

The following information was put together in order to assist you in understanding what Kefiada is all about. It can also assist you when getting ready towards your summer. We realize it might seem very challenging and perhaps impossible, remember, you are not alone and there is a whole network of people whose job it is to assist you in making Kefiada possible.

Your Role as a Counselor

You are the key factor in the success of the camp. You are unique to Israeli children. Your participation helps to create the motivation campers require in order to just speak English.
Your camp director will rely on you for your experience, skills and imagination to help draw up a creative program, and on your motivation and energy to implement it.
Camps run usually between 9am to 1pm. Plan on sticking around after camp is over for lunch and a staff meeting.

The Theme Day

One of the most unique elements of Kefiada is programming special theme days where all or most of the activities of the day relate to one central theme. The theme day is a challenge to your creativity and innovative ability to design and implement interesting and educational programs built around themes chosen by you.

The theme concept was developed so that the children would be able to hear the same group of words during the day in an informal atmosphere. Through a variety of fun activities, vocabulary will be reinforced. By doing it through fun activities the words will be associated with fun and therefore long lasting.

Teach a song that is related to the theme. Relate the arts and crafts and sports as well as drama (if possible) to the themes as well.

The English Club Segment of the Program

In most of the Kefiada camps the English club is the part of the day in which the daily vocabulary is introduced, it may be called differently form camp to camp but the concept is the same.

The English Club segment of the day usually takes place immediately following the morning assembly and may last up to an hour or more.

This time is spent teaching the campers INFORMALY- that's what it is all about. Through games and activities vocabulary can be extended and English speaking skills can be gained.

The English club should relate to the theme of the day. The more fun the children have during this part, the more meaningful and the easier it will be for your campers to learn English, also, the easier it will be for you the rest of the day.

The major components of the English club segment are:

Introducing vocabulary.
Reinforcing the words through fun/games.

Tips

Writing Words on Cards

Decide which words will be written on the cards. Each camper should write one word per card, for a total of 12-15 words per group per day. Have them write the words on cards you have cut in advance in shapes that relate to the theme of the day. You should hang the cards in the room by the end of each day so that the words are constantly visible to the campers. By the time camp ends your room will be filled with the words the campers learned through out the camp days.

Vocabulary Reinforcement Games and Tips

There are many types of games that use different skills to reinforce vocabulary. Examples are given further on and additional examples will be given during orientation in Israel. Repetitive games and songs (like "who stole the cookie from the cookie jar" and "B-I-N-G-O" ) are excellent. These types of games allow everybody to participate with the group.

Games like "BINGO" and word-finds are good practice and allow the campers to visually see the words.

Drama games require words to be used in context.

It is important to vary as much as possible. This way the campers have fun and do not get bored by doing the same type of activity over and over again.

Label everything in your room and the camp site in English, i.e. door, window, wall etc.
Each group should have a name and a cheer.
Print all songs on large construction paper.
Use your bus time to sing
Use pool time and off time to talk to your campers.
Give special recognition and awards to campers.
Have an America day in which you introduce the campers to your community.
Incorporate the concept of Partnership 2000 into the camp program.

Partnership 2000 Camp Programs

It is very important to have an idea on how to incorporate the concept of Partnership 2000 into the overall Kefiada daily camp program. One way is to develop theme days that "teach" the campers in English about their regions and hometowns of the volunteers. If your camp has campers from both rural and urban areas you can have them interact with one another. The following can be used as Partnership 2000 theme days.

my partnership 2000 community day
this is my Partnership 2000 region
travel day
fourth of July

In addition to the theme days, daily recognition of the partnership can also be established by:

going on field trips around the region (in English)
Creating a Kefiada Partnership 2000 newspaper.
Having a Partnership 2000 bulletin board that portrays pictures and words in English about the region and the partnered community/ies (created by the campers)
Camp t-shirts on which the name of the partnered communities and Partnership 2000 are printed.
Art projects
- Regional quilts (to be sent abroad and/or kept in the region).
- Sculpture or design
- Painting on a wall in a building (community center, hospital etc.) with a theme of Partnership 2000
community service projects
- planting trees , public gardens
- picking up trash
Final project about the Kefiada (which the federations or community center can use for publicity in the future)
- scrapbook or photo album
- video
- camp newspaper/ magazine
- partnership 2000 banner/ kefiada logo
- article to be published in local newspaper in Israel and in the Jewish paper in federation/s

Suggested Theme Day: My Partnered Community

Decorate the entire campsite with pictures and items from your city/consortium.

Morning Assembly

Skit: tourists visiting the partnered city, point out places of interest

Songs: any song related to your specific city/region

English Club

Vocabulary words:

City, state, town, building, museum, bank, hotel, store, city hall, hospital, community center, freeway, traffic, any words that specifically relate to your area (i.e. sports teams, places of interest, etc.).

Games:

Pictionary, word search, crossword puzzle, sentences, create a story of an imaginary city by using the vocabulary words, board baseball.

Station time

Cooking: campers cook favorite North American snacks; peanut butter and jelly, salads, hamburgers, pizza, nachos, etc.

Dance: teach dances that are popular in North America

Sports: play baseball, kickball, basketball, etc.

Crafts: campers create an art project that will stay in the community center
Banners/ murals about the twinning cities/regions
Model/map of the city /region.

Post office: supply campers with aerograms or postcards. Write letters to pen pals (for most effective post office station- bring letters and addresses from your community- the children will read them and answer them on the spot).

Crafts: teach songs that are popular in North America.

Afternoon Assembly

Review vocabulary words, songs

Suggested Theme Day: This is My Partnership 2000 Region

The campers will learn about their region in English.

This is a good chance to let campers "shine" by having them take charge of the teaching (they can teach each other as well as the American volunteers).

Morning Assembly

Selected campers will introduce a skit about their region.

English Club

Have the campers bring in pictures, maps, names of places to visit, etc.

Vocabulary words:
Citizen, mayor, council, committee, doctor, banker, neighbor, store, region, neighborhood, library, park, children, adults, youth, senior citizens, etc. Use any words that relate to the region.

Games:

Sentence games, create a region cheer/slogan, etc.

Station Activities

Cooking: create a cookbook of the campers' favorite recipes from Israel

Art: decorate t-shirts, buttons, visors, or bags that advertise their region. Design an region banner from the slogans /mottoes created in the English club.

Sports/games: play games that are popular in Israel

Newspaper: the campers could write articles about their life in the region to be compiled into a newspaper, magazine or travel brochure. This could also include cartoons, advertisements, maps, editorials, etc.

Afternoon Assembly

Present awards to the best banners, slogans, etc.

Review songs.

Suggested Theme Day: Fourth of July

Morning Assembly

Skit- the volunteers show the campers what they do to celebrate.

Songs- any folk song related to the days, freedom or independence

English Club

Bring in maps of the United States, pictures, symbols

Vocabulary words: Freedom, independence, constitution, rule, law, government, fireworks, picnic, etc.

Games: Charades, bingo, role-plays, etc.

Station Activities

Any art project that uses red, white and blue colors.

Make banners for a parade

Create a constitution for the camp

Teach any American sport (baseball, football, etc)

Have a picnic where the campers make there own food

Relay races

Afternoon Assembly:

Review songs

Additional Suggestions:

The campers and families can be invited to a camp fire in the evening

You can show American movies on a big screen

Maccabiah/Sports Day

Two Day Program

Any volunteer with camping experience knows how to organize a sports day.

This is a brief outline, which includes educational games and Partnership 2000.

Pre-planning

Divide the campers into mixed groups of ages.
Assign colors to each of the groups
Have the campers wear their color on the days of the Maccabiah

DAY ONE

Morning Assembly - 8:00-8:30

Songs: something about sportsmanship, teach general cheers

Activities: go over the rules and explanations of the next two days
Explain the point system
Divide into groups

English Club - 8:30-10:00

Activities: group bonding games, name games, etc. Decide on a team name. Create banners, posters, cheers, skits, pom-poms, etc. Assign sporting events

Activities: - 10:00:10:20

Competitions: - 10:20-12:30

This can be organized in many ways. The propose is to get campers moving while participating in educational and fun games. The following is a list of suggested activities

1. Puzzle Scavenger Hunt

The teams have to search for clues at different spots around the campsite. Each clue has a puzzle piece attached to it. After all the clues and puzzle pieces are found, the team has to put the puzzle together. The puzzle happens to be a map of the region. The team that put it together first and guesses the design is the winner. Points are awarded accordingly.

2. A question Scavenger Hunt

The teams have to answer the following questions

What is the name of the mayor?
Name three places of interest in your region.
Name a city where your counselor is from.
What is the name of the camp coordinator? Etc. etc.

The goal is to have the team interact, speak English and learn about each other.

3. Relay Races

Three-legged race
Ball races- over, under, put between your legs, etc.
Potato sack or burlap bags
Mini obstacle course
Egg and spoon/ egg toss Etc.

4. English related races

Put words in alphabetical order
Create the alphabet out of clay or any other way.
Do a word search Etc.

5. Crazy Relays/ Games

Toilet paper wrap
Feed someone pudding blindfolded
Bob for apples
Eating contest
Clothes relay, etc.

Closure

Spirit contest and sing along

DAY TWO

Morning Assembly - 8:00-8:30

Spirit contest for point, announcements

Sport activities - 8:30-10:00

Round of robins of sport activities chosen ahead of time. For example, soccer, basketball, Frisbee, etc.
Track and field events
Cheerleaders create cheers for their teams

Break - 10:00-10:20

Swimming and water activities - 10:30-12:45

Go to the local pool and have different kinds of water related and pool activities.