Special Report

Best Summer Camps 2006

A new genre of specialist firms which employ research teams to design innovative programmes delivered by highly-trained facilitators is offering a plethora of summer camps featuring activities ranging from creative writing, pottery, painting and theatre to swimming, tennis, trekking and telephone etiquette.
Summiya Yasmeen reports

They are the new status symbol of urban middle class India. Now that summer (April-June) holidays have begun, the search for aptitudinally appropriate summer camps for the children has become frantic in upwardly mobile households. While politicians continue to accord low priority to education — or at best pay lip service to it — the Indian bourgeoisie, dazzled by celebratory reportage of well-educated IIM and IIT graduates bagging jobs with five-figure dollar salaries, has fully absorbed the reality that sound education is the passport to job security and prosperity. The more the better.  

Hence the scramble for enrollment in summer camps where children are schooled in life skills, extra-curricular and sports education. The typical summer vacation of yore in which bourgeois children spent holidays with grandparents, or just stayed put at home playing in backyards or staring at the television set with a maid servant and colouring books for company, is definitely passe in post-liberalisation India where every new skill learnt adds value to education and curricula vitae.

Where there’s demand, inevitably there’s supply. Therefore a new genre of education entrepreneurs are offering a plethora of summer camps featuring activities ranging from elocution, creative writing, pottery, ikebana, painting, theatre, frame-making to swimming, tennis, trekking, telephone etiquette and personality development education.

"During the past two-three years there’s been an almost 50 percent increase in the number of people/ organisations conducting summer camps. The primary reason for the spurt in summer camp enrollments is the phenomenon of nuclear households with two working parents. Tending to the children through the long two-month summer break is a difficult proposition for such young profes-sionals. For them summer camps are a boon, offering children safe and secure environments and teaching useful life skills. Moreover there’s general awareness in middle class India that if children learn new skills, it could give them an edge in the highly competitive job markets. A growing number of teachers and education professionals are cashing in on this demand for extra-curricular education in summer camps," says Ratnesh Mathur, a Bangalore-based postgraduate of IIM-Lucknow who gave up a corporate career in 1998 to found Geniekids, a supplementary learning centre for children which also offers support programmes to parents and teachers. This summer Geniekids has about 250 children enrolled in its summer camps (see p.61).

A contributory cause of the rising popularity of summer camps is also the over-emphasis of school managements on academic education. Obsessed with syllabus completion and pass percentages, schools allocate precious little time for sports and extra-curricular education. Summer camps provide children the opportunity to catch up, discover or develop their sports and hidden talents, acknowledged as important for holistic development and workplace success.

Says Smita Deepak Bedre, a Chennai-based mother whose 15-year-old son has been attending summer camp regularly: "During term the pressure of academics, tuition and exams leaves no time for children to pursue extra-curricular activities. Summer camps keep children busy and focussed on their hobbies and sports. My son Anubhav loves playing table tennis and learning computer animation. Summer camp provides him the time and oppor-tunity for enjoying these activities. Moreover being an only child, summer camp helps him make new friends."

Simultaneously with professional educationists entering the life skills and sports education sectors, vacation schools and community classes of the 1970s where children typically learnt about religion, language, culture and family crafts, have been replaced with specialist firms which employ research teams to design innovative programmes delivered by highly-trained facilitators. For instance the Delhi-based iDiscoveri Pvt Ltd, an educational consultancy firm promoted by four former Harvard and XLRI alumni, which has established five life skills education campuses across the country, offers its painstakingly conceptualised Youreka outdoor education programme to nine-14-year olds. The basic premise of Youerka is that children learn best outdoors in the company of peers.

"The Youreka programme has been designed by experts bearing in mind the natural physical and mental development processes of children. Through activities such as rock climbing, wilderness backpacking, river rafting, kayaking and mountain biking, children learn life skills such as self-reliance, innovation and team work in joyous, fun-filled environments. Facilitators in our camps are specially trained to handle children in areas like safety and first aid. In fact international safety practices are the cornerstone of our programmes," says Anubhav Das, the Delhi-based spokesman of Youreka.

However it’s not just expert life skills education firms that have jumped into the summer education market but also schools, which use their vacant classrooms and auditoria during vacation time to promote non-academic activity. Says Padma Vaswani, principal of the Hiranandani School, Mumbai: "Last year we conducted a camp where former IIT students trained children in aero-modelling and robotics. This was something very novel and the kids absolutely enjoyed the experience. We plan to re-run the programme this year."

Although there is a general agreement about the utility of summer camps which deliver useful extra-curricular and life skills education to children, education experts warn organisers and parents against transforming them into schools by another name. They emphasise that they should be designed and run as pleasurable learning holidays, wholly divorced from classroom teaching.

This warning is timely because with competition for admission into education institutions of excellence becoming intense, parents are tempted to enroll children into tutorial academies disguised as summer camps. "The best summer camps are those which compensate for the sedentary boredom of school. I’m not in favour of them being used to deliver learning skills which are strictly part of school curriculums. Parents should exercise caution while selecting summer camps and choose the better reputed programmes run by experts," advises Sonali Nag, a Bangalore-based clinical psychologist, who together with her husband Dr. Gideon Arulmani runs the Promise Foundation, a Bangalore-based education consultancy firm with clients in India and abroad.

Ratnesh Mathur of Geniekids also advises parents to check out summer camps for their fun and games quotient. "Summer holidays are a time for free play, fun and enjoyment for children. If a little learning happens incidentally, it’s a bonus. We ensure our camps are fun-oriented and stress free. Indeed we don’t promise parents any radical learning improvement in their children," says Mathur.

With the weight of expert opinion advocating careful evaluation of summer camps, to help parents choose wisely, EW correspondents across the country fanned out to check and detail the best summer camp options under three categories: sports and outdoor education; cultural and co-curricular activities and life skills education. Read on for what’s on offer in Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai and Delhi.

Sports and outdoor education camps

• The Bangalore chapter of the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) will conduct 30-day Learn Skills Camps for children aged six-17 years in four locations across the city during the period May 10-June 10. Training is provided in cricket, lawn tennis, football, karate, basketball, swimming, badminton, billiards, aerobics, athletics etc. Contact Dr. Anthony Issac/ John Kennedy, YMCA, Nrupathunga Road, Bangalore 560 001; Tel: 23538322/ 22105159. Fee: Rs.500-1,800 per student.

• The Basavangudi Aquatic Centre (BAC) is staging month-long swimming training camps (May 1-30 and June 1-30). Children in the age group five-15 years can enroll and choose between morning and evening training sessions. Contact Basavangudi Aquatic Centre, Pampa Mahakavi Road, Basavangudi, Bangalore 560 004; Tel: 26612675/ 26916696. Fee: Rs.1,400.

• The Karnataka State Lawn Tennis Association will conduct a month-long tennis camp beginning May 10. About 200 children are expected to enroll. Training will be conducted in two separate age groups: six-16 and 17-19 years. Contact Secretary, KSLTA Stadium, Cubbon Park, Bangalore; Tel: 22863636/ 22869797. Fee: Rs.3,000-3,500.

• The Bangalore Sports Club’s International Cricket School of Excellence (BSCICSE) founded by Mohandas Pai, chief financial officer, Infosys Ltd, will host a cricket coaching camp in May-June. D. Padmanabhan and V.S. Vijaykumar, former Ranji Trophy players for Madras and Mysore, are the chief coaches. In addition children will be trained in physical fitness, yoga and swimming. Contact D. Padmanabhan, BSCICSE at St. Josephs Indian High School, Museum Road, Bangalore; Mob: 9845731561. Fee: Rs.2,500.

• iDiscoveri Pvt Ltd, Bangalore invites participation in its annual outdoor six-day Youreka summer camp for children aged nine-16 years at its campsites in Coorg and Kollur. Activities include rock climbing, trekking, mountain biking, camping, bird watching etc. Contact Kalyan Keerthi, 95, First Cross, Victoria Layout, Bangalore 560 047; Tel: 4122 5557; email: kalyan@youreka.in. Fee: Rs.8,500.

• Don Bosco High School is organising its annual Don Bosco multi-game coaching camp from May 2. Children (four years and above) will be trained by expert coaches in football, cricket, malkhamb (acrobatic yoga), basketball, hockey, table tennis, roller skating, gymnastics and swimming. Contact Sunil Mehra on 28330514 / 28332604. Fee: Rs.400-600.

• The Squash Racquets Association of Maharashtra (SRAM) will conduct free coaching camps in three locations — A.H. Ansari Squash Academy, Police Gymkhana and the Bombay Gymkhana — between May 13-21. Contact Vidhya/ Dhruta on 28523433/ 28525568.

• The YMCA Mumbai is organising two five-day adventure camps (May 7-11 and May 12-16) at Nilshi lake, near the Nethersole Dam. The campsite is a 37-acre property offering opportunities for outdoor activities including trekking, rock climbing and rappelling. Telephone 22020079/ 22021316.

• The Children’s Club, Mylapore (registered as a society in 1954) offers a series of summer camps in cricket, chess and table tennis for children of differing age groups throughout May. The cricket camp is open to children in the age group eight-13; table tennis (seven-15 years) and chess (five-15 years). Contact The Children’s Club, 96, V.M. Street, Mylapore, Chennai 600004; Tel: 28474140.

• Aavishkaar India has scheduled several nature camps for children aged nine and above. The destinations are: Thekkady, Kerala (May 4-8); Annamalai (May 8-12) and Mudumalai (May 12-16). Activities will include trekking, bird watching, slide shows and photography and quiz sessions. Contact Aavishkaar India at 20, 5th Cross Street, CIT Colony, Mylapore; Mob: 92821 06618. Fee: Rs.2,550.

• Bal Bhavan, an autonomous organisation funded by the Union HRD ministry, will conduct special summer camps offering coaching in cricket, football, basketball, judo, skating and table tennis for children up to 16 years of age. The camps commence in mid-May. Contact 23232667/ 23231597. Fee: Rs.50-100.

• iDiscoveri invites participation in its annual outdoor Youreka summer camps for children in the age group nine-16 at its campsites in Sitlakhet, Tirthan Valley (25 km from Kullu) and Tons (180 km from Dehra Dun). Activities include rock climbing, trekking, river rafting, mountain biking, camping, bird watching etc. Contact iDiscoveri, E-52 Hauz Khas Market, New Delhi; Tel: 41644055. Fee: Rs.8,500.

• Banjara Camps & Travels is organising camps for children in several activities: trekking, rock climbing, star gazing, air rifle shooting, river crossing, rappelling, self development, outdoor skills, treasure hunt etc through May and June. Contact Banjara Camps, 1A Hauz Khas Village, New Delhi; Tel: 26861397/ 26855152.

Cultural and extra-curricular activities

• Design Resources offers a multi-activity summer camp for school children during the months of May and June. Children will be taught 3D drawing, carpentry, designing 3D models, preparing geography maps, charts etc. Contact R. M. Chandra Mohan, Design Resources, 12, Doddakatappa Road, Bikasi Villas, Ulsoor, Bangalore; Mob: 9980627417. Fee: Rs.1,500.

• Yours Truly, an amateur theatre group, has scheduled acting and creativity workshops for children. The workshops cover theatre games, basic voice and breathing exercises, introduction to silent theatre, body theatre, interactive theatre, masked acting, character study, mime, art of story telling, rhythm and patterns etc. The camp starts on May 21. Contact Nandini on 9845853093 or e-mail yourstrulytheatre@gmail.com. Fee: Rs.2,500.

• The Shiamak Davar Institute has programmed dance workshops in nine centres across Mumbai during May-June. The workshops will introduce children (four-12 years) to different dance forms including jazz, salsa, rap and Indo-western. Contact Shiamak Davar’s Institute; Tel: 4949346/ 4921659.

• Prithvi Theatre offers a hands-on workshop — Thinking Differently — designed by Moloyashree Hashmi for children aged six to nine years from May 17-22. Through games and group activities children will explore the world around them. Another workshop titled Write Your Own Magic by Indrani Roy Misra will teach children between 10-12 years emotional and artistic expression (May 29-June 9). Contact Prithvi Theatre, Janki Kutir, Juhu Church Road, Mumbai 400 049; Tel: 2614 9546/ 26183568. Fee: Rs.800-1000.

• Don Bosco High School, Matunga is conducting weekly workshops from May 2 onwards in western dance, keyboard and guitar, speech and drama, elementary drawing, creative writing, handwriting, voice culture and elocution. Contact Sunil Mehra on 28330514 / 28332604. Fee: Rs.400-600.

• Renowned Carnatic musician Ramjhi offers an advanced Carnatic music training camp (until May 30) for children who have already learnt 20 varnams and 30 keerthanas in Carnatic music. They will be helped to progress to alapanas, swarams and mini ragams. The training will equip children to perform full-fledged concerts on stage. The well-known Ramjhi Isai Mazhalai children’s group has already performed 104 concerts in two years. Contact Ramjhi at 57, Moosa Street, T-Nagar, Chennai; Tel: 24910501. Fee: Rs.6,000.

• Ashraya, a non-government organisation, is conducting a summer camp — Funstation — for children between four and 12 years on May 12. Activities include contemporary dance routines taught by instructors from John Britto (a well-known dance studio in Chennai), action songs, story-telling, games, and magic. Moreover a one-day excursion to MGM Dizee World, an amusement park in Chennai is also part of the itinerary. At the end of the camp children will stage a song and dance programme for parents. Contact Funstation, 25, McNichols Road, 3rd Floor, Grace Towers, Chetpet, Chennai 600031; Mob: 9884280349. Fee: Rs.1,750.

• Meghana Vaid of Meghana Vaid Creations is organising an arts and craft camp titled The Little Creative Funland for children aged three-12 years through May. Activities include mask making, photo frames, sand painting, gift box and basket making. The aim of the camp is to develop children’s creativity and motor skills. Training in fusion art, mural and ceramic painting is also offered. Contact Meghana Vaid, No 19, Haddows Road, Chennai 600006; Mob: 9382305994.

• The Children’s Club in Mylapore is conducting drawing and painting camps for children in the age group five-15 (May1-May 30). Contact The Children’s Club, 96, V.M. Street, Mylapore, Chennai 600004; Tel: 28474140.

• The Sri Ram Centre for Performing Arts is convening a theatre workshop for children between eight-15 years in the last week of May. Contact Camp Director, Safdar Hashmi Marg, New Delhi 110 001; Tel: 23714307.

• Dilli Haat is organising an arts and craft workshop (activities include pottery, embroidery, waste recycling, paper craft, sketching, painting, puppetry, stuffed toys, wood craft, mehendi application). The camp begins in mid-May and its duration is ten days. Contact Dilli Haat, Sri Aurobindo Marg, Opp. INA Market, Near Medical Flyover, New Delhi; Tel: 26119055.

• The Bal Bhavan Centre in Delhi is offering summer camps in the performing arts (classic, folk, vocal music, instrumental music, dance etc); creative arts (painting, clay modelling, handicraft, woodcraft etc.); photography; radio electronics and aero modelling. The camps commence in mid-May. Telephone 23232667/ 23231597.

Life skills education camps

• Geniekids Learning Centre (estb. 1998), a supplementary learning centre, offers a range of three-nine week summer programmes for children in the age group three-16 years. They include: Fun Tales, Discover Me, Creative Genie, Global Games, Young Leader and Theatre Magic. Contact Ratnesh Mathur, Geniekids Learning Centre, 18, 16 E Main, Next to Lohita Hospital, Off 100 ft road, HAL 2nd Stage, Bangalore 560 008; Tel: 25202510/ 98450 45833. Fee: Rs.800-2,000 per week.

• Enrich will conduct a three-week summer programme in developing creative (English) language skills (May-June). The aim of the course is to foster artistic expression, stimulate imagination, and improve oral and written communication skills. Contact Sonali Malhotra, Enrich, 87, Defence Colony, 2nd Main, 2nd Cross, Indiranagar, Bangalore; Tel: 25291686/ 25297514. Fee: Rs.3,000.

• The Basaveswara School of Yoga has scheduled a summer yoga camp of two-months duration for children in the age group eight-18. Participants will be trained in basic yogaasanas, surya namaskar, breathing techniques (pranayama), and meditation. New batches commence on May 5, 10, 15 and 20. Contact H.S. Parvathi, Basaveswara School of Yoga, Rajajinagar, Bangalore 560 010; Mob: 9449445892. Fee: Rs.500.

• Sharanrani offers personality enhancement classes through the summer. This year the focus areas are story-telling, impromptu speeches and improvised acting. Contact Sharanrani on 22189669.

• Summer Camp 2006 is a 15-day programme for children in the age group seven-16 years focusing on yoga, meditation, pranayama, public speaking, communication skills, self defence etc. The camp begins on May 15. Contact A.H. Wadia High School, Munshi Nagar, J.P. Road, Near Andheri Sports complex, Andheri (W), Mumbai 400058; Tel: 9870085400. Fee: Rs.1,800.

• Marion Mathews, a former teacher of the Bombay Scottish School, Mumbai, will conduct The Wonderkids Workshop at Lady Andal Venkatesh-subharao School on Harrington Road, Chetpet from May 1-12 for children aged four-ten. Activities include eurhythmics, to enable children to move to music shedding their inhibitions; elocution classes; personality development sessions featuring diction improvement, telephone etiquette and cooking classes. After May 12, Mathews has scheduled classes in drama and elocution at Sherwood School Hall in Chetpet. Contact Marion Mathews, F-3, Parkland Apartments, Nathan Street, Harrington Road, Chetpet, Chennai; Tel: 42101168.

• Usha Ramakrishnan, a well-known life skills educator, is staging an All-Rounders Camp from May13 for children aged nine-14 years. The focus will be on public speaking — through games and practical exercises children will be encouraged to speak impromptu on diverse subjects. Other activities include a creative thinking workshop, humour sessions conducted by an expert humourist, value-based story sessions and a health programme featuring diet tips and basic yoga exercises. Contact Rasa Ranga Mandapam, 10/47 1st main Road, R.K Nagar, Mandaveli, Chennai 600028; Tel: 42120394 or 9840520394. Fee: Rs.500.

• Through May and June Wanderland Inc has programmed workshops on creative writing, robotics, communi-cation-based theatre, photography, puppetry, mask making, oral and written communication skills, personality development. Visits to science museums and a workshop on uses and misuses of energy in collaboration with IIT-Delhi have also been planned. Contact Shibani Kapoor, S-7 (IInd Flr), Okhla Phase-II, New Delhi: Tel: 26658020.

• The Art of Living Foundation will train children in yoga, meditation and life skills. Enrollment for the camp begins in mid-May. Contact Art of Living Foundation, C-9 Green Park, New Delhi; Tel: 26562606/ 26611097.

• Smile Foundation has organised a Smile Super Summer Camp 2006 for children between seven-17 years to help them imbibe life skills in a fun-filled way. Activities include sessions on water conservation, healthy dietary habits, goal setting, time management, communication, yoga etc. Contact Sapna Kulshreshta, Programme Officer, B-4/115, 1st Floor, Safdarjung Enclave, New Delhi 110029; Tel: 41354565/ 41354566. 

With Srinidhi Raghavendra (Bangalore); Gaver Chatterjee (Mumbai); Autar Nehru (Delhi) & Hemalatha Raghupathi (Chennai)