SwissCommunity Finding a location Before the campfires can crackle and the stars can come out at night, you have to find THE chalet: accessible, large enough, within budget and with enough equipment to cook fondue for 50 people. A particularly Swiss challenge. Training the staff Monitors? They’re heroes in t-shirts. Trained, enthusiastic and attentive, they know how to supervise young people from all around the world with energy and good humour. Finding the right people is crucial. Managing registrations Precision is the name of the game from the moment registration opens until the applications and information from the approximately 140 participants are received and processed. Everything must be clear, complete and secure. Devising the programme Walks, games, new experiences and culture: Youth Service camps: laughter, adventure – and pinpoint logistics The Organisation of the Swiss Abroad organises between three and five camps every year. But what exactly does organising these camps involve? From the outside, they look like a relaxing holiday. From the inside, they are quite the logistical challenge. a camp is a cornucopia of activities designed to be fun and safe, a subtle balance between adventure and learning. Our monitors devise their own programmes. The programmes are then approved by a sports and youth coach, who makes sure they are safe and feasible. Reconnaissance The location, the paths, the train journeys, the risks and the weather (which sometimes goes wrong at the last moment) all need to be checked. This is the lion’s share of our work. Everything we prepare ahead of time is aimed at one thing: making life at the camp as smooth and trouble-free as possible for the camp team. Preparing the equipment Tents, first aid kits, games, camp notebooks and a positive attitude. Before heading off, everything is loaded into the camp bus. Before the return, everything is checked, sorted and tidied away. This amount of logistics represents several days’ work. Organisation of the Swiss Abroad Alpenstrasse 26, 3006 Berne, Switzerland Phone. +41 31 356 61 25 youth@swisscommunity.org www.swisscommunity.org Finally: the camp When the young people arrive, the magic happens, and a fortnight of wild adventures begins. When the camp is over, the staff often say: “OK, that was intense... let’s do it again next year!” What makes them want to return? Comments like this one from Emma, this summer: “This camp was a fantastic experience! I loved travelling through the different regions of Switzerland and learning all about the features that make them stand apart from each other, and that make them so charming! We had so many adventures over the fortnight. What left the biggest impression on me during this camp is without a doubt the beauty of the location, and especially the friendships we made. Thank you for this brilliant camp!” CLÉMENT DE VAULCHIER, OSA PROJECT MANAGER YOUTH CAMPS Participants take a well-earned rest after walking to the summit of Chasseron (canton of Jura). Photo: Lorenzo Commergnat Food fit for Swiss National Day – getting ready for fondue. Photo: Thomas Slatter 31 Swiss Review / February 2026 / No.1
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