Summer School for Croatian Immigrant Children

by croatiaweek
March 9, 2018
in News

Summer School ‘Stopama Kraljice Katarine’

A long-awaited project designed for Croatian immigrant children gets underway this summer when the Summer School ‘Stopama Kraljica Katarina’ opens.

Summer School ‘Stopama Kraljice Katarine’ (in the land of Queen Katarina) is a school with no grades, but instead offers educational and sporting activities in nature, allowing kids to play, sing, and learn about Croatia’s rich cultural, religious and historical past.

The school is open to children aged between 8-12 from the Croatian Diaspora and the homeland, and will be held from 8 July – 14 July 2018.

Waterfall in Jajce

The main goal of the Summer School Stopama Kraljice Katarine is to give an opportunity to the children of Croatian immigrants to learn both written and spoken and to learn the customs, culture, and history of their people, and to spend time with their peers from Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and other nations.

“Learning their mother language, culture, and history, kids will be on the path to save the national identity. Also, our goal is to make kids stay in contact with other peers from other countries to exchange experiences and knowledge about different cultures,“ the school’s organisers said.

Kravice Waterfall

Since the 7th century, Croatians have been living on the lands of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Through history, they have been migrating and now they live on all continents. The Summer School programme is made for immigrant kids so they can get to know their ancestors’ land through different themes:

 history of Croatians form BiH
 symbols of Croatians form BiH through history
 religion, art, and literature
 music and tradition
 sport and education
 life and customs
 traditional dishes

Church St. Ilija in Masna Luka

Programme:

Day 1
 Arrival, check-in and student accommodation from 9:00 to 12:00 in hotel Etno selo “Herceg”
Međugorje
 Traditional Herzegovian lunch of welcome
 Evening mass in the church St. Jakov in Međugorje
 Dinner
 Hanging and fun
 Sleeping

Day 2
 Breakfast
 Morning recreation (badminton, football and tennis)
 A field trip to waterfall Kravica and a visit to the oldest museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina,
Museum of the Franciscan monastery of St. Ante Podavanskog on Humac in Ljubuški
 Lunch – special dishes from Ljubuški
 Return to Međugorje
 Educational
 Pool swimming
 Traditional dinner from Herzegovina
 The quiz of knowledge
 Sleeping

Day 3
 Breakfast
 A visit to the Franciscan monastery in Široki Brijeg
 A tour of plateau Bile and park Doline in Goranci at the foot of the mountain Čabulja
 Lunch – tasting of traditional dishes in a mountain cottage
 A tour of cultural and historical contents in the Mostar
 Accommodation in the magical heart of Herzegovina in a tourist resort Relax Outdoor Center
 Dinner
 Sports competitions at the sports grounds of the Center
 Sleeping

Day 4
 Breakfast
 A trip to Kupres
 A tour of an ecological farm
 Lunch – tasting of traditional dishes in a village tavern
 Games and fun on the ecological farm
 A trip to nature park Blidinje
 Dinner and accommodation in Blidinje
 Fun with a campfire and a quiz of knowledge
 Sleeping

Day 5
 Traditional breakfast from Herzegovina
 A trip to the royal town of Jajce
 A tour of religious, cultural and historical monuments
 Lunch – tasting of traditional dishes from Središnja Bosna
 A visit to the royal city Bobovac and Kraljeva Sutjeska
 Dinner
 Evening fun and a quiz of knowledge
 Sleeping

Day 6
 Breakfast
 Morning mass in church St. Ilija in Masna Luka
 Country Olympics Games
 Lunch
 The continuation of the country’s Olympic Games and the proclamation of the winners
 A trip to Međugorje
 Dinner
 Entertainment program with surprise guests

Day 7
 Breakfast
 Solemn award ceremonies, gifts, and diplomas to the participants
 Sendoff of participants of Summer School – Stopama kraljice Katarine