An Unforgettable Summer: World Camp 2025

This summer, the Lycée Français de Chicago campus came alive with color, creativity, and culture as we welcomed over 500 young learners from over 100 schools to World Camp 2025 — our annual language immersion summer camp that turns global learning into a hands-on, unforgettable adventure.

Campers dove into immersive experiences in Arabic, French, German, Italian and Mandarin, led by passionate educators and native speakers. But this year’s World Camp had a special twist — the theme was “Artists of Today's World.” Each language group explored the cultures behind their target languages through the lens of visual arts, music, and performance. From studying Arabic calligraphy to recreating German sculptures, campers learned that language is not just spoken — it’s painted, sung, danced, and felt.

Whether it was a Mandarin pop performance, a colorful German folk dance, or a French art showcase, World Camp 2025 was a true celebration of global connection and youthful creativity.

"Festival Day is when you really see the kids' devotion and hard work pay off," said Amandine Robinson, Outreach Programs Coordinator, about the special end-of-camp showcase.  "They share stories and art, and it's a happy celebration of how much they've grown and the friendships they've made."

This year, we were thrilled to welcome seven scholarship students from Chicago Public Schools selected for their love of languages, an initiative made possible through a new partnership with the Swiss Benevolent Society, which has been supporting individuals and families for over 150 years.

"Welcoming these wonderful students was a summer highlight that enriched our whole community," said Jacques Fournier, Director of Auxiliary Programs. “We are especially proud that in our ten years on this beautiful Ravenswood campus, our camp's growth has increasingly come from nearby schools. This is a sign we are becoming a true part of the neighborhood's educational fabric."

Thank you to our LFC*extra personnel, teachers, maintenance crew and security, as well as our partners at the German International School of Chicago, ChinaFriends, and SIEF for making this summer so meaningful. We can’t wait to see how our campers carry their global stories forward into the school year and beyond.

À bientôt! 再见! Auf Wiedersehen! Arrivederci! إلى اللقاء!