Summer Youth Camp 2009

Watch this slide show with music on YouTube

Read article on the Youth Camp published in Atlanta Dunia

 

Radha Madhav Society hosted its second Summer Hindu Youth Camp from June 27 – July 4, 2009 at the Indian Springs State Park near Atlanta, Georgia. The main focus of this camp was to provide the Hindu kids growing up in North America a strong spiritual foundation by providing them correct and practical information about Hinduism and Hindu culture.

Children were divided into two groups: 5-9 years and 10-15 years. Age-appropriate schedules were designed for them. In this week long camp, several activities were planned for the children which allowed them to learn the basics of Hinduism, Yoga, Arts & Crafts, Hindi, musical instruments (dholak, harmonium, manjeera), great Hindu saints (Prahlad and Dhruv), dancing (garba), games (kho-kho, pitthu, cricket) etc. in a fun and nurturing environment. They also celebrated various festivals such as Janmashtami, Holi, Shivratri, Navratri and Guru Poornima, went on nature walks, had a picnic and put on a great cultural program for everyone at the end of the camp. Older children had the opportunity to discuss the issues they face growing up in two cultures (Indian at home and western outside home) with Didi Ji and get a spiritual perspective on how they should handle them. While children were attending various classes, parents spent their time in Satsang with Didi Ji, learning how to incorporate spiritual discipline in their daily lives and in the lives of their children.

At the end of the week, everyone - children and adults alike - was sad to leave. The kids repeatedly told us that they had a great time and it was difficult to believe that the week had come to an end. The camaraderie that all the camp attendees displayed can only be experienced; it cannot be expressed in words.

Since the end of the camp, we have been flooded with positive feedback from the parents and the children who attended the camp. The children, parents, youth counselors and volunteers have formed lasting friendships and have promised to continue to stay in touch with each other.

The smiles on the faces of the children have been the biggest reward. The children have all promised to come back next year and bring their friends along and the volunteers are inspired to work diligently all year round to ensure that the next year's camp is an even greater success!

Our Instructors at the Summer Camp

Meet our Instructors who taught at the Summer Camp

Testimonials from children who attended the Summer Camp

"This camp was a life changing experience for me. I learned so much more about Hinduisim in a fun way. Didiji's lectures were great, all the teachers and volunteers there were EXTREMELY friendly, and I came back home way more religious then I was before the camp. Before I left, I thought this camp was going to be lame. But boy was I wrong! The camp was AMAZING! I made the best friends there. I got so close to them that I had already started to miss them while I was in the car driving back home! The food was wonderful there too. They not only had the BEST indian food, but they had Italian and Mexican food (Yes, Italian as in PIZZA and PASTA)! We played well known sports at camp like football, soccer, and ultimate frisbee. We also got to try out new sports such as pittu and kho-kho! I am definitely coming back next year. Hope to see you there!"

Rohan Gupta, Middle School student
Auburn, AL

 

"Registering for this camp might have been one of the best decisions of my life. Before the camp, I thought, as many newcomers probably did, that the camp was childish and "cheesy". I could not have been more INCORRECT! The classes and discussions there were far from being silly, and the games were everyday games we play such as football and ultimate frisbee, but also new and traditional games such as pittu! The camp was amazing, and I made some GREAT friends. The food was also really good. Not only do they have good Indian food, but some great Italian, Mexican, etc! I can't wait to do the camp next year. I wish I had found out about this society a lot earlier!"

Pranjal Gupta, High School student
Auburn, AL

Testimonials from our youth volunteers

"The youth camp was an amazing opportunity not only for the kids but personally for me as well. Having taught Dholak lessons, I was amazed to see how fast the kids picked up in such a short time frame. The Keertan by kids was a big hit! Initially, many were hesitant to sing but as a couple days passed, children of all ages would jump at the opportunity to sing a keertan. This personally gave me a lot of satisfaction as I don’t meet many children nowadays who love to participate in keertans. What I found most inspirational was when all the kids sung a keertan at the cultural program. The kids learned instruments such as Harmonium, Dholak, Manjeera, Jhaanj and they all sounded wonderful. I talked with a couple of parents and they were utterly amazed at how fast their children learned various musical instruments. It served as an inspiration for me to further teach them next year. I would personally invite any youth who is interested in learning new skills or to simply just have a great time and make new friends.

I believe that this was a wonderful opportunity for all youth trying to improve their daily life or advance in the spiritual path; I hope the kids continue to incorporate spiritual aspect as well as good habits that they learned at this precious camp. I can truly say that I am eagerly waiting for next year to create many more wonderful memories."

Gaurav Chenji, Sophomore in college
Canton, MI

 

"After having experienced firsthand all that the 2009 Hindu Youth Camp had to offer, I can honestly say that the time I spent in Atlanta accounted for one of the best weeks of my life. As a first year camp counselor, I was unsure of what to expect from both the other volunteers and children. However, I need not have worried. The camp was not only educational for the kids, but for me as well. Being a volunteer for many of the camp activities, it was refreshing to see the older children actively participate in discussions about Hinduism, while the younger kids brought forth fresh enthusiasm to their classes. The kids also seemed to hit it off great with one another; I know the kids all exchanged contact information so they could keep in touch after the camp was over!

As I still consider myself to be a youth, the best part of the camp was definitely seeing other young minds show a true interest in learning more about Hinduism. It was a good feeling to know that kids wanted to be closer to God, Guru, and their heritage. As the week progressed, each upcoming festival was celebrated with more fervor and appreciation for the Indian culture. I was astonished to see how quickly the kids picked up on playing Indian musical instruments and singing keertans! Looking back, I’m glad I was presented with the opportunity to volunteer at this camp and I’m already looking forward to next year. I believe the children walked away from the camp with a greater sense of spirituality and I hope they will use the lessons they learned from the camp in their everyday lives. I would definitely recommend this camp to kids of all ages!"

Sonali Sharma, Senior in High School
Dayton, OH

 

"The Radha Madhav Society summer Youth Camp was both enjoyable and rewarding. As youth councellors, it was our responsibillity to help and teach the kids and make sure they got along well, so everybody could have a good time. I felt that by helping the kids, we not only set a good example, but also made many new friends! Our other responsibilities included helping the adults wherever help was needed, in order to make the whole process run more smoothly. Helping the adults was just as much fun as helping or spending time with the kids. You get to meet a lot of good people who dedicate a lot of their time and energy to helping the camp. And, of course, there were numerous fun activities and celebrations that were just too good to miss. Overall being a youth councellor was very fun. You just get a really good feeling knowing that you're part of something bigger than yourself. I'd definitely recommend anyone who is thinking about sending their kids to the next youth camp to volunteer as well. It's a very special and fun experience."

Karthik Reddy, High School student
Jackson, MS

 

Testimonials from parents who attended the Summer Camp

"The Youth Camp 2009 with Siddheshvari Didi Ji of Radha Madhav Society was a life transforming experience for our family. We brought our two children of ages 5 and 7 to the camp. I feel really blessed that we decided to take them there. The camp far exceeded our expectations. These two little minds had numerous opportunities to experience the richness of Hinduism and the Indian culture in only 7 days. They have become our motivation to provide such environment even at home. The curriculum at the camp was appropriately designed for each age group children. The children celebrated one major Hindu festival each day of the camp - Shivratri, Holi, Navratri, Janmashthami and Guru Poornima. This was the most fun filled experience for them. Some other blasts were water slide, yoga, pitthoo, cricket etc. Punctuality and discipline was just everywhere at the camp. Each child got a chance to recite the daily morning prayer and bhajans, cultural program, learning musical instruments like dholak, harmonium and manjeera etc. Everyday the children had sessions with Didi Ji where they got chance to ask questions about Hinduism. They also heard great stories of Mahabharat, Ramayan, Bhagwat Geeta and other epics. Our children also learnt a lot from the older children who were inspiration for the litle ones. Although it was all about the children, we as parents also got a lot of opportunities to learn from Didi Ji and the whole atmosphere there. It was just un-believable...

I congratulate the organizers and Didi Ji herself for such a successful event. There is no doubt in my mind that we are going back again next year and probably for all the coming years. We have also decided to continue to follow the path shown by Didi Ji and will remain involved to the best of our capacity."

Richa Sinha
Atlanta, GA