Blick visits high school from Ittigen BE at ski camp: “No one needs to stay at home”

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Many young people are having fun in the picnic room in Saanerslochgrat on Thursday lunchtime. Snowflakes are spinning outside the window. Students with red cheeks are eating their sandwiches. One person forgot his lunch; but the teacher is prepared and has an emergency lunch with him.

Class 9C of the third high school in Ittigen BE is already spending its third ski camp in Saanen BE. Teacher Danielle Völlmin (53) organized the ski camp with the snow sports initiative GoSnow: “This requires great dedication from the teacher.” Organizing is easier with GoSnow.

“Most of the kids couldn’t even ski before the first camp. During Blick’s visit, Völlmin said only six of the children brought their own equipment. The first thing we did on the first day of camp was to go to the snow sports store. All students were given skis, helmets, shoes and poles. Then we hit the slopes for the first time.

Taking the child to the slopes

This is the kids’ third camp, so they’ve all had some practice. “It’s a shame this is the last camp,” says student Nathan Tekie (15). His colleague Mark Castillo Thöni (15) adds: “Ski holidays in the camp with colleagues are different from those with the family.”

The snow sports initiative aims to get more young people back on the slopes and bring them closer to snow sports. This seems to have worked. “I can dream of going skiing with my colleagues again,” says student Amirthavarshini Sureshkumar (15). A new record was reached this season in the history of the GoSnow snow sports initiative, with approximately 17,000 participants in approximately 400 camps.

Students spend the night not in the warehouse, but in the Gstaad Saanenland youth hostel. “We also get to meet students from other schools there, which I think is great,” continues Mark. The youth hostel takes care of the meals. “This makes our job easier,” the teacher said.

Ski camps have always been held in youth hostels. “In this way, we encourage, among other things, the organization of snow sports camps and thus support extracurricular learning and integration,” says Janine Bunte (51), CEO of Swiss Youth Hostels. To ensure that snow sports camps remain affordable for schools and parents, special prices are offered to schools.

Nobody has to stay at home

Students of grade 9C pay 125 francs for the camp. “If someone cannot afford it, the local community helps. No one needs to stay at home,” says Völlmin. Both the community and the youth and sports support program participate in the classroom camp.

The snow sports initiative provides its services free of charge. Affordable storage prices are possible thanks to the favorable conditions of service providers.

The camps also mean a lot for the tourist region of Gstaad: “Children can return to the resort area with their families or discover snow sports themselves,” says spokeswoman Ariane Ludwig. Last winter season, more than 2,000 children attended ski camps, again thanks to snow sports funding. There is a similar number this year. “Of course we are happy with this. After all, they are potential customers,” says Ludwig with a smile.

But class isn’t just on the slopes. For example, on Wednesday afternoon, students went swimming in the indoor pool. The class spent the final evening around a cozy campfire following the torchlight procession.

Source :Blick