Ghent (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Ghent has launched its first-ever paid block camp, marking a new step in youth programming and urban engagement for children during the summer holidays.
Five days of assistance, food, and entertainment will be provided to second-year secondary school students. Although Tine Hoof (Thomas More), a researcher, thinks it’s a good endeavor, she also encourages schools to keep emphasizing easily accessible and reasonably priced support.
The camp’s objective is to give students and their families a week of structure and support. Among other things, the counselors offer social activities and meals, including lunch and dinner. This is meant to assist students in getting started and make sure they are aware of what they need to complete for the remainder of the semester.
“The idea already existed in Wallonia,”
explains initiator Yelena Busschots.
“My husband once attended a block camp there, and it worked incredibly well. He carried it over into the rest of his studies.”
Three week-long camps, each lasting from 8:00 AM to 9:30 PM, are offered by the Ghent organization in Belgium. There are nine students signed up for the first week. There can be no more than 20 participants.
A study coach who oversees internships at HOGENT and has worked with different student support centers (CLBs) will be on hand during the camp. Each student develops a plan on their own.
“We work with them to determine objectives, but also to assess their feasibility.”
“We’re also working on students’ focus,” says Busschots. “For example, it’s really not easy to study with a phone or laptop on your desk.”
According to Busschots, while cell phones and laptops aren’t explicitly banned, she believes it’s more helpful to convince young people of the harms of online distraction.
“Today, for example, we’ve invited an external speaker who will hopefully give them a wake-up call with some statistics and examples.”
There’s also attention for sports.
“It’s important to get enough exercise; students already have to sit in a chair enough. We want to motivate them not to scroll through their phones during their breaks, because that doesn’t relieve their mind.”
One of the participants is Jules, who was looking for support.
“During the coronavirus period, I couldn’t learn how to rehearse large volumes, so this camp offers me the right framework.”
Marie also chose the camp; she believes it can boost her motivation.
“They take care of everything for us, so you get the time and space to just focus on studying.”
And the starting price of 395 euros per week?
“That’s certainly a lot, but I’m lucky my parents pay for it,” says another participant. “I also understand that it’s a lot if you have to pay it yourself.”
The organization itself considers the price justified.
“We offer them a lot in return. They have a quiet location in the center of Ghent, free food, and coaches are always present.”
Busschots also emphasizes that students receive a discount if they attend the camp for longer than a week.
“We are also willing to talk to scholarship students who want to attend our camp. We can then see if we can accommodate them in some way.”
Researcher Tine Hoof (Thomas More) finds the cost relatively high, although she also believes it offers many essential conditions for an efficient study period.
“The camp seems to emphasize structure, tranquility, and social control, and of course, there’s little to criticize about that.”
“You can also create those conditions by, for example, studying together in a library or by installing apps that help you maintain your focus.”
According to Hoof, it is important that educational institutions avoid affluent students who receive better support than students with fewer financial resources.
“There are already many educational institutions doing a good job,”
she emphasizes.
“But it’s important that they continue to explore how they can improve their study support and offer it affordably.”
What makes this paid block camp in Ghent a first-ever experience?
The paid block camp in Ghent is a first-ever experience because it is the region’s inaugural structured, fee-based bird migration camp that offers participants direct, immersive opportunities to observe and engage with bird migration phenomena under expert guidance.
Unlike informal birdwatching trips or events, this camp combines education, hands-on fieldwork, and accommodation in a dedicated setting during peak migration periods, making it a unique, organized birding experience in Ghent.
A planned schedule focusing on migratory species counts, species identification, and ecological education.
