Camp Life

 

Ionian Village allows campers to experience life in a fully Orthodox environment as they travel to historic churches and religious sites across Greece. The Orthodox Faith is at the heart of the Ionian Village program. Each day begins and ends at the Chapel with morning and evening prayers. 

Campers spend each day either at camp or traveling. When not traveling, campers take part in activities on the campgrounds. Daily life at Ionian Village includes many traditional summer camp activities that emphasize fun, fellowship, and learning. Campers engage in daily sessions of Arts and Crafts, Athletics and Aquatics, Music and Greek Culture, and Orthodox Life. Time is also spent at either the pool or our private beach every day while at camp.

Every sunset brings a different Evening Activity. Whether our campers are performing in the talent festival, singing by the bonfire on the beach, Greek dancing to live music at the Glendi, or gathering in the amphitheater for a quiet "Night with God" in preparation for the next day's Divine Liturgy, they continue to build upon the camaraderie they have established within our Ionian Village community.

Typical Daily Camp Schedule:

8:00 am Morning prayer service (Orthros) and breakfast

9:00 am Activities and Sessions

11:00am Free-swim on the beach
1:00 pm Lunch followed by siesta

3:00 pm Activities and Sessions

5:30 pm Supervised free time for sports, crafts, or just relaxation

7:00 pm Evening prayer service (Vespers) and dinner

8:30 pm Evening activities

Programs

Orthodox Life

Orthodox Life is a dialogue between teens and young adults and their Church. In these discussion groups, led by priests and seminarians of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, campers gather by cabin not only to learn about Orthodox Christianity, but also for the opportunity to share their own experiences. Campers voice questions and concerns about their Church, their lives, and the world in a loving, trusting, and accepting environment so that they may grow in their faith.

Arts & Crafts

Our talented Arts and Crafts staff design various activities for campers to create items to take home, to learn creative skills and techniques, and to learn more about Greece and Orthodoxy through art. Campers may choose from a variety of projects including watercolor painting, bracelet and necklace design, "worry bead" creation, clay sculpture, icon painting, and much more.

Athletics & Aquatics

Campers engage in various games and sports like tennis, volleyball, basketball, ping-pong, softball, football, soccer, and swimming, to name a few. Also, there are plenty of opportunities for swimming and time in the sun while at Ionian Village. Aquatics activities are run by experienced and certified lifeguards and water safety instructors that supervise time and activities on the beach and in the Olympic-sized pool.

Music and Greek Culture

In the Music and Greek Culture session, campers learn about the traditions, customs, culture, history, food, music, dance, mythology, and language of Greece. Activities are complimented by being in Greece, and campers experience the places they learn about as they visit modern cities and villages, and interact with the Greek people.

 

Educational Value

The Ionian Village program places a high priority on its opportunity to educate our teens and young adults. Many of the Ionian Village staff members have backgrounds in education and curricula development, and teaching experience. With this expertise, Ionian Village carefully designs and creates lessons to cater to all modalities in many areas. Participants are provided with interactive lessons in religious education, Greek history and culture, music, and the arts. Through these areas, Ionian Village is able to broaden the horizons of its participants so that they return home with a better understanding of the Orthodox faith and Greek culture.

Safety and Supervision

Ionian Village not only prides itself on the incredible spiritual and cultural experiences that it creates for its campers, but on its camp standards and safety precautions, as well. In coordination with the Greek Orthodox Archdiocesan Office of Camping Ministries, the Ionian Village Administrative Team joins camp directors from across the nation to attend the American Camping Association's (ACA) training conferences. Ionian Village implements a rigorous staff application process that requires a national background investigation and screening. This helps assure that Ionian Village only hires the finest of the many interested applicants each year. Additionally, Ionian Village maintains a 1:7 staff-to-camper ratio.

Medical Staff and Facilities

Ionian Village employs qualified medical staff to maintain the health and well-being of each camper while in Greece. Typically, the medical staff is comprised of American physicians and or nurses (RN certified). Ionian Village also has a medical clinic on its grounds, which is annually stocked with medications and equipment to meet any medical need or emergency.

Insurance

Since it is considered an international camp, Ionian Village has full liability insurance, which covers injuries, accidents, and kidnapping and ransom for all its participants. Ionian Village also holds insurance that allows us to immediately fly back any seriously injured or ill participant to the United States on a medically equipped aircraft, so that he/she may receive the best medical attention from US physicians and medical teams.

International Travel

Flights will be chaperoned to and from Athens. Upon arriving at New York's JFK Airport, campers will be greeted by Ionian Village staff and clergy. Each flight to Athens will be supervised by several clergy and staff members that will be responsible for escorting all campers safely aboard the flights to the Ionian Village staff awaiting them at the Athens Airport. These chaperones will also ensure that all campers clear International Customs, collect their luggage, and board the Ionian Village chartered busses at the airport, which are supervised by more Ionian Village staff members and clergy. These busses will depart Athens for Bartholomeio, where campers will settle in at the Ionian Village campgrounds. Please see the Registration Form for details concerning extended stay return flight supervision.

As Ionian Village is a "travel" camp, parents should be aware that campers travel to each site by cabin, and that every trip is accompanied and supervised by cabin staff, and administrative staff. As part of the intense training and orientation program that Ionian Village staff members experience, all staff members have been educated on the sites we visit, and several have previously visited the sites. Fully aware of their surroundings, Ionian Village staff are prepared to deal effectively with safety issues that might arise.