Course for Youth Aged 13–16 — “BECOME A CAMP COUNSELOR — LEVEL 1”

 

Organizers: Time to Surf and Happy Classes in cooperation with IZUM Youth Club
Number of participants: 10–12 youths

 

Who is this course for?

For young people aged 13–16 who:

• want to try themselves in the role of a camp counselor;

• are interested in sports and creativity, pedagogy, psychology, and participating in camps;

• want to gain their first real work experience in city and outdoor camps.

 

What happens during the course?

Course duration: from January 22 to May 21

Dates:
22.01, 29.01, 05.02, 12.02, 19.02, 26.02, 05.03, 12.03, 19.03, 26.03,
02.04, 09.04, 16.04, 23.04, 30.04, 07.05, 08.05, 15.05, 21.05

Each session: 4 academic hours, from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM

 

Main topics:

• basics of pedagogy and child psychology

• conflicts and group dynamics

• inclusion and diversity

• European values and participation in international projects

• fundamentals of youth work

• non-formal education methods and gamification

• games and group work: energizers and team games

• first aid (basic skills required for camps – 8 hours)

• basics of labor law and the financial side of camps: budgeting, responsibility, marketing

• camp counselor ethics: personal boundaries, safety, communication with children, parents, and the team, communication skills

 

Creative and engineering module (Happy Classes):

• creative tasks and projects

• elements of engineering thinking and simple “edutainment engineering”

• how to turn an idea into an activity or mini-project, and what active learning is

Sports module (Time to Surf):

• sports activities

• snowboarding, surfing, hiking (adapted to age and season)

• how to support children in sports programs as a camp counselor and feel confident

Practice and support

• Participants are assigned a study buddy — practicing camp counselors for learning and mutual support

• Opportunity to practice in real Happy Classes and Time to Surf camps (city and outdoor camps)

• Learning to run games, activities, and mini-lessons with children under the guidance of experienced instructors

 

Course instructors

Main experts:

• Darja Djaštšenko (IZUM) — pedagogue and camp expert with 25 years of experience, founder of IZUM Youth Club, youth work specialist, facilitator of local and international projects

• Jelena Gusseva (IZUM) — experienced coach and youth worker, scouting leader, organizer of children’s and youth programs with 30 years of experience

• Nadežda Kleptsova (Happy Classes) — creative and engineering module, city and educational camps; founder of Happy Classes and Pingu’s English Viimsi, founder of Energy Estonia Youth Club, camp organizer with 7 years of experience

• Andrei Petrov (Time to Surf) — sports module: snowboarding and surfing, water and slope safety, games and training, sports ethics; 8 years of camp experience, 20 years as a coach

All trainers personally run camps and projects and know how to enter youth work in an engaging way and how to use this experience in other career paths.

 

Format, schedule, and fee

Course start: January 22, 2026
End: May 21, 2026
Format: in-person learning, 4 academic hours per session (4:00–7:00 PM)

Participation fee:

• January: €69

• February, March, and April: €120 per month

• May: €95

 

Group size: up to 10–12 participants, ages 13–16

 

After successfully completing the course, each participant will have the opportunity to work during the 2026 season as a camp counselor assistant (paid or volunteer work; additional information: Nadežda Kleptsova, +372 5559 2043).

 

Course registration:
https://forms.gle/HCtW2rDj9QyNZCrx5