Our students participated in two Slovenian language summer schools: the 19th Youth Summer School of Slovenian and Slovenian Somewhat Different.
19th YOUTH SUMMER SCHOOL - LJUBLJANA
At the beginning of July, the Centre for Slovenian as a Second and Foreign Language, University of Ljubljana organised the 19th Youth Summer School of Slovenian. From 1 to 12 July 2024, more than 110 young people, aged 14 to 18, from all over the world attended this prestigious course or summer school of the Slovenian language in Ljubljana. It is aimed at children and young people who are descendants of Slovenian emigrants or are cross-border Slovenians, or those who for various reasons live outside Slovenia, and use the opportunity during the summer holidays to learn Slovenian or refresh their knowledge, with the professional work of teachers.
They were housed in the Student Dormitory in Bežigrad, and classes and indoor activities were held on the premises of the Secondary School for Preschool Teachers, Grammar School and Art Grammar School Ljubljana, in the immediate vicinity of the dormitory.
For better acquisition of knowledge, they were divided into 14 groups, classified by age and level of knowledge of the Slovenian language. Regular classes in the classroom were held every working day for four school hours. However, the entire programme was aimed at ensuring that children acquire as many Slovenian words and knowledge as possible through classes and extracurricular activities. In addition to the organisers and teachers, a large number of assistants were engaged for extracurricular activities who took care of the participants and the implementation of the school programme. And the programme was really rich and meaningful. It ranged from sports days, art evenings, social evenings, creative workshops, through the screening of a Slovenian film ("Pot v raj"), a theater performance ("Zdrava pamet"), to musical evenings (the group Gugutka) and performances by Slovenian students from Argentina - RAST52. They got to know Ljubljana and its sights, from the old city centre, through the University, the National Gallery, the City Museum to the Zoo and the climb to Šmarna Gora. A visit to the shopping center (City Park) was also included. Of course, swimming in the Atlantis pools, as well as the Snovik thermal baths, was a must.
And then there was the weekend. The weekend was reserved for exploring Slovenia, from Gorenjska to Primorska. They visited Velenje and Bled (went to a mine, swam in the lakes), Mount Uskovnica, Postojna Cave, Sečovlje Saltworks (Portorož), visited Piran, where they were lucky enough to see dolphins up close, and also swam in Fiesa, of course.
And that's certainly not all. The most important thing is the time spent between all those activities and events, to include: socializing with peers from all over the world, living in a community separated from parents and close surroundings, making new acquaintances and friendships, some crushes but also falling in love, mostly everything that makes the school a special and unforgettable experience for a lifetime and makes you more mature, and that's the most important thing for teenagers, isn't it?
Organising such a project requires a lot of knowledge, will, effort and work from a large number of project participants, and therefore all praise for the more than successful implementation goes to the entire team of the Centre for the Slovenian Language, and of course, we should highlight the efforts of their associates: Damjana Kern Andoljšek and Mihaela Knez.
The students that had the opportunity to experience all of the above from the Triglav Association were Nikša Perušić, Marija and Miloš Budiša and Katja Lunić.
SLOVENIAN SOMEWHAT DIFFERENT - MURSKA SOBOTA
This year, Slovenian Emigrants' Association from Ljubljana organised the Slovenian Somewhat Different from 7 to 13 July at the Centre for School and Extracurricular Activities in Murska Sobota. This is certainly one of the most interesting activities intended for children of Slovenian origin living outside Slovenia, primarily for children aged 9 to 14, which this year also met the expectations of all students and parents. Students were introduced to the Slovenian language not only through language classes, but also through particularly inspiring activities in art classes. This year, through a series of workshops, they dealt with analogue photography and gained unique experiences. Working in groups, they also developed social empathy and communication skills, which is an increasingly challenging challenge in today's world.
Of course, an excursion around Prekmurje was inevitable, where they had the opportunity to get to know the Mura River by going down its waters in rafting boats. They visited a European stork village, and in Velika Polana they stayed at Sobol's household, which operates as a tourist visitor centre in that part of our beautiful homeland. In the household, the children had the opportunity to get acquainted with the indigenous old variety of corn, which is characterised by a particularly elastic and long feather dusters, from which various useful and decorative items are made, as a recognisable product of this region. And not only that, they themselves tried their hands at making decorative products from corn feather dusters, which they kept as a memory of this trip. In Lendava, they climbed the Vinarium observation post, the highest point of this region, from which there is a wonderful view of the entire Prekmurje.
They filled the little free time with walks around Murska Sobota, sports activities and culinary workshops. All in all, a fulfilling and meaningful activity, full of socialising with over thirty participants from various parts of Europe and the world.
The last day, at the final presentation, parents and companions were able to familiarise themselves with the activities by having the participants introduce themselves with a short presentation, as well as an exhibition of the works created at the art workshops.
Slovenian language teachers were Lea Lehner and Katarina Rebič, and fine art teacher was Nina Pivk.
The following students from our Association had the opportunity to take home unforgettable experiences from this year's Slovenian Somewhat Different: Nina and Maja Grbić, Milica Marjanović and Nastja Lunić.
Mladen Lunić
