Lac du Bois (camp)
Lac du Bois ("Lake of the Woods" in French) is a French language and culture program at the Concordia Language Villages based in Minnesota. As with the other Concordia Language Village programs, it is a language immersion-based program.
General program content
The Lac du Bois immersion program spans pre-school to adult learners. The program emphasizes French culture in France and throughout the Francophone world. Countries explored include Belgium, Switzerland, Canada (Quebec), sub-Saharan Africa (ex. Cameroon, Mali, Ivory Coast, Senegal), Northern Africa (Le Maghreb), the United States (Louisiana and Maine), Vietnam, the Caribbean, and the Pacific Islands (Tahiti). Village programs include music, games, traditions, film, clothes, and food from all regions. A villager might listen to rai music from North Africa, eat boeuf bourgignon, play in a "world cup" soccer game, learn to play an African drum djembe, make fondue, and participate in a Mardi Gras celebration, all in French.
Lac du Bois is a total immersion program, and (with exceptions for emergencies) counsellors and staff communicate exclusively in French. At the beginning of the program, villagers go through a simulated customs process and choose Francophone names, which are used during their stay. Currency is also exchanged (using an exchange rate which is fixed throughout the camp's duration) into euros, which are used at camp stores.
Staff
Lac du Bois staff come from all over the United States and the French-speaking world. Business and meetings within the village are conducted exclusively in French. Since all staff members are successful second language learners themselves, whether they are native French or English speakers, they are able to provide an empathetic, patient, supportive and challenging environment for villagers learning their first foreign language.
All the Lac du Bois staff are a good resource for the credit villagers. They are always willing to help if one doesn't understand, and they are approachable. Many of them only speak French, so one must learn how to explain oneself even if one doesn't know the exact words to use.
Program types
Lac du Bois offers one-week exploratory sessions, two-week in depth discovery programs, and four-week high school credit programs. Four week credit villagers can earn either the equivalent of one year of high school French or one class of college credit. These intensive courses are somewhat non-traditional since they are conducted in a camp environment and the time is highly condensed. Credit is given by Concordia College, which sponsors the Concordia Language Village program.
Locations
Permanent site
The permanent Lac du Bois site is located on Turtle River Lake with several other Language Villages (Skogfjorden, Salolampi, El Lago del Bosque, Lesnoe Ozero, Waldsee) near Bemidji, Minnesota. The site is designed to be as authentically French as possible, with French style architecture, including three sets of cabins named Corse, Bretagne and Provence and with details that reflect the appropriate region of France. The cabins themselves are named after major cities within those provinces. The main building is called Paris. There is also a regulation pétanque or boules court, and a small store that sells authentic European candy and treats.
During their stay, villagers and staff enjoy culturally authentic food as well as entertaining shows, while learning French during the day. A picture of one of these shows is included to the right.
A new addition to the Bemidji site is a traditional African Round House, called a "Boukarou". This is an Concordia Language Village Evergreen Award presented to Karen "Nicole" Anderson, a longtime Dean of Lac du Bois, for 25 years of service to the organization.
Camp Holiday
Located near Hackensack, Minnesota, Camp Holiday is the oldest site still being leased by Concordia Language Villages. The Camp Holiday site was originally a camp for girls built in the 1920s and many of its buildings still date from that era. The pristine lakes and traditional camp feel of Lac du Bois, Hackensack (as the program is sometimes called) offers a home to many villagers and staff summer after summer.
The geography of Camp Holiday includes two hills (which used to be known as and are sometimes still are referred to as, Senior and Junior hills) which are called respectively France and Franco. The cabins on France correspond to cities in France and those on Franco correspond to cities in the greater French-speaking world. It is located between Mann and Baby Lakes with part of the main road separating the two by just a few yards. Of all the Concordia sites, it has the most waterfront.
The program at Hackensack is known for its emphasis on Francophone cultures, particularly those of West Africa as well as an emphasis on nature, pioneering the Aventure Nature program which incorporates canoeing and outdoor living skills as well as French language curriculum.
Lac du Bois, Hackensack-Holiday is the longest-running French site of Concordia. It has also hosted the early Italian Program "Lago del Bosco".
New Ebenezer Retreat Center
The Savannah, Georgia location which features full air-conditioning and a swimming pool. Lac du Bois, Savannah creates a full village experience, holding mayoral elections and running a camp newspaper.
Leased sites
There are other Lac du Bois sites that are not permanent (the longest-running Lac du Bois is hosted by Camp Holiday). These consist of traditional camps around Minnesota as well as one in Savannah, Georgia. Though the buildings do not offer the same architectural representation of the francophone world, the programs offered at each of these sites follows the same philosophy of language and culture immersion that is part of the Lac du Bois celebrated tradition. A fourth camp, in Fosston, Minnesota was used for French instruction but is now used for Italian.
French abroad
French students may also choose to study French abroad in France or Cameroon as part of Concordia Language Villages' French program.
Village weekends
Hosted at Skogfjorden's permanent site outside Bemidji, Minnesota, the French Language Village offers short term programs for school groups and teachers. This program (which used to be called mini-programs or mini-weekends) has welcomed eager learners of French for exploratory weekends throughout the academic year since the early 1970s. Each year a new theme is explored in depth through music, art, meals, skits and of course French. Though the Lac du Bois magic of the summer program lives on through these Village Weekends, the structure and activities are geared towards groups of students rather than individuals. Past themes have included l'Acadie, le Maroc, le Sud de la France, le Moyen Age, la Revolution Francaise, l'Afrique and les Caraibes. Village Weekends host school groups from across the country who are interested in short term experiences in language and culture within the United States.