Welcome back to your roots! Enjoy the company and heritage of fellow Lithuanian - Americans for one week in pleasant southern Michigan.

“It gives you a feeling of being in Lithuania right here in America”, said one camper. Here is a relaxing camp that will help you to learn language skills and the culture of that distant, beautiful country. Lithuanians who have grown distant from their ancestral culture will be able to acquaint themselves with the characteristics that make that country unique. Folk dancing and singing are options that will not only reinforce language skills, but also build memories and friendships that could last a life-time.

Camp Dainava is located on 226 acres in the rolling hills of southeast Michigan. It resembles and is named after a picturesque region in southern Lithuania . The small lake and wooded hills that greet each visitor let you know that Lithuanians are close to nature. The mist rising from the lake, as people enjoy their early morning exercises, brings to life some of the Lithuanian literature and history that is touched upon each afternoon.

The Facilities

The camp facilities consist of dormitories and rooms with adjacent showers, a central dining hall, and a winterized main building with conference rooms, kitchen and a laundry room. The main building with its large hall is a focal point of activity. It is used for chapel services, choir practice, folk dancing and evening programs.

The grounds include basketball and tennis courts, picnic tables, an open air pavilion and swimming beach. So bring your bathing suit or trunks if you like swimming and sunbathing, fishing gear for fishing or hiking shoes for trails through the fields and forest.

Camp Dainava is regulated by the State of Michigan, has a nurse in attendance, and is clean and healthful.

The Language Course

The course, operating under the auspices of the Educational Council of the Lithuanian American Community of the USA, Inc., is specially timed to coincide with the annual one-week Lithuanian teachers’ seminars. Three levels of Lithuanian are offered: beginner, intermediate and advanced. All age groups are welcome and there are no prerequisites. You will be able to choose the level with which you are most comfortable. Our approach is student-centered and we try our best to meet individual needs and interests. We will provide you with some language structure and a great deal of audio - lingual practice. Abundant help will be available to all students.

In addition to classroom study, you will have an opportunity to interact with Lithuanian - speaking campers. You will be invited to attend or take part in activities such as singing, folk dancing, church services, talent show, and other evening programs.  If you have any Lithuanian materials (textbooks, dictionaries, etc.), bring them with you. If you have some letters from Lithuania that you have difficulty reading or translating, bring them too. We will help you read them. We will even help you write some.

The Food

The cuisine is mostly Lithuanian - American and it is very good. The meals are served family style. The menu includes a variety of choices to appeal to different tastes and age groups. The meals consist of a hearty breakfast, lunch, an afternoon snack and supper. Certain dishes may even rekindle nostalgic memories.

For those families that have children, there is a Lithuanian oriented, supervised children’s program in operation during certain hours of the day. These sessions help the children to have fun learning some Lithuanian while freeing the parents to attend classes and take part in the other activities.

What To Bring With You

It is rather difficult to give a list that would suit everyone. But the basics are: bed sheets, pillowcase, blanket, clothes (including jacket and sweater), bath robe, shower clogs, toiletries and towels. Also bring a notebook, pencils and your Lithuanian textbook, if you have one.

Other items that are nice to have are: camera, flashlight, coffee mug, fan, tape recorder, tapes and batteries, if you wish to record some songs or lessons.

We hope that we have provided answers to most of your questions. If you would like more information, please write to Mr. Vytautas Jonaitis, 1546 Quarry N W, Grand Rapids, MI 49504; E - mail: vjonaitis@juno.com or call (616) 458 - 6378.

With best wishes. Su geriausiais linkėjimais.

VJ & EK