“I would do it all over again, even without compensation”
"Even without the compensation fee for volunteers, I would still sign up for the camps," says Eva Willems, a student of Business Communications at KU Leuven, and year-long activity leader with Roeland. “The experiences and memories you collect at language camp are invaluable. You meet friends for life, and you get to know a thing or two about yourself."
Eva studied Dutch & English Language and Literature at KU Leuven. Now she studies for a Master’s degree in Business Communication. “When a former KU Leuven associate advertised for Roeland at campus, I felt the urge to sign up as an activity leader for the non-profit organisation right away. It seemed like a wonderful opportunity to combine my passion for language and youth work. So, I signed up for the training weekend,” she says.
An exciting first experience
“At the training weekend, I met with novice and experienced volunteers of the team that organised a fortnight’s Dutch summer camp. And I decided to join up.”
“I felt overly excited to make this kind of commitment without hesitation. Will it be a smooth experience, what about the language level of the participants, how do I manage the language labs …? I asked myself all of these questions.”
“Luckily, I felt at ease at the camp right from the start, because of the support from the team. After the camp, back at home, I said to everyone: ‘I’m going back next year’. And I am not in it for the volunteer fee. That is how wonderful my stay there was.”
Personal growth and newly acquired skills
Apart from the friendships she built there, Eva also points out how much she has grown as a person, because of her responsibilities as a teacher. “I take care of the language labs, and I help the youngsters out when it comes to grammar and vocabulary. It showed me how much I love to teach, but the teaching experience also boosted my confidence. At the first camp I was still a shy person but nowadays I address a crowd with confidence, certainly an advantage when I am doing presentations at university.”
Eva emphasizes the importance of organisation and structure at the camps. “You have to make sure everything is well prepared, so you do not begin to improvise. An oversight of the participants and their diverse set of language skills is also indispensable, to guarantee that everyone stays on board. That organising skill set is really helpful to apply to my own studying.”
Sharing a passion for language and creativity
Besides a structured approach, creativity is of the utmost essence at camp, Eva explains. “It has to be fun and playful, primarily, and the feel has to be different from the school vibe. The creativity I apply at camp also trickles down into my academical work, for instance when authoring a paper.”
As a student of languages, Eva is aware of the fact that it can be particularly challenging to learn a new language. “I went through the process of learning a foreign language myself, so I fully understand how difficult it can be. That kind of understanding helps me to be patient with the participants at camp, when they struggle to find the right words.”
A connection with friends for life
To Eva, the social aspect of Roeland is the greatest gift. “You build a tightly knitted bond with friends. When you manage to organise and make it through a language camp, strong friendships arise. We stay in touch and meet over the course of a year, even when there are no camps scheduled. It is extra fun to reminisce, and to revive the camp vibe.”
The training moments are also highlights for Eva. “We keep coming together and relive the times we had at camp. The entire team of my first camp year is still active, which proves my point.”
Why you also should become a volunteer
Eva’s advice is to become a volunteer yourself, whether you do or do not study languages. “The Dutch camps are very accessible, even if you are not a student of languages. It is great to share a passion, to meet new people and to acquire valuable experiences for your resume.”
“And it’s an ideal situation for students,” Eva concludes. “You combine working with youngsters and languages in a fun way, without it hampering your day to day schedule. And the volunteers fee is a nice cherry on top of the cake.”