Chinmaya Mission’s Vedic heritage youth camps

BY A STAFF WRITER

, IL-Chinmaya Mission Chicago, a school of Vedantic studies founded by the devotees of H.H. Pujya Swami Chinmayananda, is dedicated to educating Indian children, adults and families as a whole, fostering self-development through right understanding of religious principles and practice of value-based living through Upanishads, Bhagawad Geeta, Ramayan, Mahabharat and the Puranas.

The Mission will hold its 32nd annual Vedic Heritage Youth Camps during June 16-22 in Grayslake, IL and July 14-20 in Willowbrook, IL.

The day camp is for children entering grades KG through 12 and will be daily from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. The camp is a wonderful and unique offering to inculcate positive values and develop a love for Hindu culture and philosophy while having fun and making friends.

The camp will offer an opportunity for youngsters to realize their true potential and give them time to look within and discover some amazing things about themselves–all under the guidance of Chinmaya Mission Acharyas. About 320 children attend these yearly camps from all over the US and Canada.

A typical day includes children spending the morning learning Sanskrit prayers/songs and yoga in a fun and interactive style.

The morning sessions are devoted to classroom instruction, while afternoons are more relaxed with traditional fun games and sports, age appropriate arts and crafts and preparation for the cultural program based on the camp theme to be presented to all parents on the concluding day of the camp.

There will be a fun dair on Saturday afternoon, a comprehensive program tailored to each age group (classes divided based on grade), delicious and nutritious meals and snacks throughout the day, one-hour pre camp and post camp child care is provided free of charge.

Besides carpool arrangements, host families are ready to accommodate out-of-town children above the age of 10.

A physician is on site each day of camp, Cultural program presented by the campers on the last day, Designated Puja day- children will learn why and how to perform puja?

Registerations can be done online at https://www.mychinmaya.org/ycamp/ for Yamunotri, Grayslake, from June 16 to June 22, 2014 or https://www.mychinmaya.org/camp/ for Badri, Willowbrook from July 14 to July 20.

Each camp is offered for a nominal donation of $200.00 per child, $375.00 for 2 siblings and $450 for 3 or more siblings. Book, arts and crafts materials, lunch, snacks and one hour before and one hour after camp child supervision are provided free. For children attending both camps, 50% of the donation for the second camp is waived.

Out-of-town children aged ten and over will receive free accommodation and transportation to and from the camp.