About Us
Director India Operations
It has been an amazing journey since 1997 when I started with Les Elfes. Being witnessing to thousands of young Indian adults getting exposure to a very extraordinary environment is a treasured experience. The Les Elfes India Team believes in providing the best of all worlds for your child. In a safe environment, under the supervision of exemplary staff, your child will experience cutting-edge adventures & personality enhancing coaching led by experienced professionals. Campers are encouraged to develop their talents and experience independence in an international setting.
Our two-week sessions in spring and summer or the winter Weeks allow campers more time to explore & develop their new-found skills. My biggest reward has been seeing my participants feel proud of themselves and realize their strengths along with the desire to overcome their weaknesses both physical and intellectual. At the end of two weeks, their heightened sense of confidence is my bonus for the year. It provides me immense satisfaction to see the global citizen that emerges from a Les Elfes experience I have enjoyed every day of my work and aspire that every young Indian is able to participate at Les Elfes before he/ she graduates from school and steps into the world with a better sense of preparedness.
Bibi Rani Nangia
Director India
Les Elfes International Camp
ABOUT US
Les Elfes is a Swiss organization with over 30 years of working with children. With a client base spanning all the continents, we offer opportunities to young adults between the ages of 7 and 18 years, to discover and learn beyond formal education in an international environment.
From August to December we host winter, spring & summer camps offering adventure sports, leadership & skill development programs. Based in the picturesque location of Verbier Switzerland we work with over 5000 campers from over 50 campuses during the course of the year for the various programs offered at out three locations in the Valais Canton. All schedules offered at Les Elfes span over fourteen hours each day and includes adventure sports, personality development programs & skill development as important deliverable.
LES ELFES INDIA CHAPTER
Les Elfes was introduced to India in 1997. The keen interest in such programs and the paucity of available options ensured a full-fledged Indian Operation Les Elfes India, which is now functioning successfully in most parts of the country. We have tweaked the Les Elfes Program slightly to suit the Indian mindsets.
We have tried to address all issues to provide a sense of security and comfort to the Indian participant and the Indian parent by creating an extended family environment.
Since 1997 we have had the pleasure of hosting hundreds of young adults from pan India in our camps throughout the year age 8-18. Our offices are in New Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, Mumbai, Kolkata, Vadodara, Hyderabad & Goa
To get in touch with any of the offices please drop us a line at [email protected]
THE CAMPS
Les Elfes offers holistic personality development programs for ages 7-18 years from December to August these camps offer a range of activates guaranteed to positively impact personality & character building via Experiential learning. A Les Elfes Camp spans twelve to fourteen hours of experiential learnings each day and includes adventure sports, personality development programs & skill development as an important deliverable.
ADVENTURE SPORTS
The forte of Les Elfes program in Winter & Spring is the skiing camp at Verbier & Zermatt.
Whether skiing for the first time, or a seasoned enthusiast, our team of qualified instructors make sure there is a good level of progression and, above all, fun for everyone. Snowboarding, Mountain Biking, Para sailing & Alpine Hiking, Rock Climbing, Bridge Swinging Rope Course are some of the other Adventure sports that can be experienced.
LEADERSHIP & PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS VIA EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING
The experiential learning pedagogy employed in Les Elfes Leadership is focused on unlocking the innate potential of the young people we teach. Les Elfes Educational & Personal Development Programs are designed and Facilitated by graduates of Liverpool John Moores University ‘s Outdoor Education degree where they have studied under some of the UK’s foremost academics in the field Outdoor Leadership Training and Development. Together with the team of experienced and dedicated staff and the fabulous resources available in and around our alpine campuses, Les Elfes are able to offer some of the most exciting, contemporary and relevant leadership and personal development programs.
These programs are a continuous progressive series to enable them to address all dimensions of a child personality. These dynamic and interactive workshops will enable our students to develop a toolbox of teamwork skills which will help them to build mature lasting relationships with friends and colleagues, create imaginative and complex solutions to problems and focus on their emotional Intelligence using theories and practices from a range of academic scholars in the field of experiential learning
During the Spring Camps there are 28 hours of combined activities focused purely at leadership & personality enhancement. This combination of leadership development combined with adventure sports has enabled a program which will help your child discover and strengthen new facets of his/her personality year on year on their path towards college and adulthood.
Leadership Workshops at Les Elfes during Spring transcends the logistics of leading a group. The mere mechanics of organizing others and focus on our intentions & goals and how these affect our attitudes and our actions as leaders. Developing a firm concept for self-worth, fairness, equality, honesty, and positive role models is at the forefront of building leaders who can make the best decisions in new situations, who can also be adaptable and prepared for any eventuality and have the confidence in their own ability to lead others in unknown terrain
Six sessions of two hours each through the two week in the spring schedule The courses are dynamic, both content and topics change each year to suit the ever-changing needs of this age group.
Roadmap to Future- 13 years +
One of the most important skills that we can cultivate in our children is the capacity to make right choices in life. And this is a skill that can be introduced and enhanced very early in life. This program is aimed at helping young adults understand themselves better so that they can plan for their future careers. Career choices are not just based on the Academic performance but interests, aptitude and personality. This 6-session program will hand hold them through taking a pause to know themselves, prioritize their goals and perform with the help of cultivating the right habits.
Art, Creative Writing and Theatre- 7-12 Years
This program is designed to spark the creativity in each participant. They are exposed to different mediums such as craft, written compositions and theatre. The focus is to explore different spaces ,emotions and ideas through a wide spectrum of activities.
Bushcraft & First Aid- 13 years +
If you were stranded on a deserted island or had to spend a week in the wilderness, would you have the necessary tools to survive and even thrive? This course combines an Emergency 1st Aid course with a combination of survival techniques, shelter construction, navigating in the wild and most importantly teamwork and managing stressful situations. It helps the participant build skills such as adaptability, multi tasking, thinking on their feet and team work.
Internship (After having finished Grade 10+ or equivalent exams)
A growing facet of the Les Elfes camp our Internship courses are becoming more competitive and more sought-after each year. Our interns have an assigned staff mentor and defined responsibilities at the camp. During the day they join their groups to participate in activities but in the evenings, when they wear their Les Elfes uniform they become a part of the Les Elfes Team to take on responsibilities. They assist the mentors in the evening activities.
Each applicant for the internship program must complete an application form and an interview to achieve one of the places on the program. Interns will receive a letter of reference which is a huge value add in college applications.
Our courses aim to equip our students to develop a deeper understanding of themselves.
Mountain Biking (14 Years+)
Enjoy the exhilaration of gripping the handlebars of a mountain bike and learn how to charge down dirt paths, up steep hills and around challenging obstacles. This technical programme focuses on developing a range of mountain bike techniques on varied terrain. It is an intensive programme for our eldest students with each session building on the difficulty and intensity of the last to develop a confident and well-rounded technique. The course content will include: An introduction to fundamental bike skills, understanding equipment & safety, developing a dynamic body position for riding & leading others in the mountains.
Navigation & Orienteering- 7-12 years
Catch them young and see them grow! That’s the motto of this program. Inculcating LIFESKILLS is the central theme. For our campers we have an exciting opportunity to learn new skills using the natural environment surrounding our camp. Students learn much more than just map reading and compass skills! They learn about the detailing & pacing. They have the chance to learn to become self-reliant and yet responsible members of a team and have confidence in challenging situations
Young Toastmasters – 7-12 years
Developing the Art of Communication one to one and communication one to many. Participant learns to over come nervousness while addressing a large audience. They learn to organize their content in a systematic and logical manner. They not only learn to speak but also develop the art of listening. Through many attempts they learn to participate in, and lead group discussions or meetings. They also offer advice to help others improve their speaking and leadership skills.
LES CLUBS
Skill Development Workshops: For spring 2020 campers will have the chance to choose their own evening activities from a range of interactive and engaging 4-part clubs. These are:
Junior Apprentice_7-12 years
An extremely stimulating modified version of apprentice to suit the younger participants. This entrepreneurial challenge for our younger ones makes them work as part of a team to develop a product, identify their USPs, develop an advertisement and deliver a pitch, with a pricing structure to outsell it against their competitors. Thinking out of the box and team building are great takeaways of this club.
Elf MasterChef– 7-12 years
Get a little messy and learn a few delicious and easy to make recipes. Participants learn to make dishes from scratch. Adding to the experience is information on nutrition and ingredients. They also learn how to make variations of the same dish to add a little application thinking. Fun factor & food always make this club a big success
Getting Crafty- 7-12 years
For those who have creative juices flowing, we give them the perfect opportunity to get crafty. This club is all about learning interesting new craft ideas and making stuff that can be used later by the participants. A great way to hone aesthetic talents.
Dragons Den_13 + years
An entrepreneurial challenge for our older campers who work as part of a design team to develop a product, conduct market research, identify their USPs, create and deliver an advertising pitch, along with a pricing structure, to compete for a place in the market for their product. A great foundational experience for those wanting to go the business world for a career.
The Voice- 13 years+
Writing is often seen as a solitary art; however, this program encourages collaborative spaces. The Workshop also opens the participants to the vistas of the true spirit of creativity. As a finale, participants collaborate and produce a session journal with interviews & witty articles about co-participants. This Journal is then presented to the whole camp on the day of the Talent show.
Click & Capture 13 Years +
Learn how to get the most from your camera to take stunning pictures. Our photography and videography club not only include perspective photography, stop motion and illusions but beyond that it’s about bringing out individual ingenuity. At the end of the program all the creativity has to be showcased by creating a storyline of their own with the newly learned techniques. This is a highlight at the talent show at the end of the session
OPTIONALS
Paragliding_ all ages. A tandem paraglide with experts in the business and fly along the gorgeous Alps.. While the participants have a set of control gear, the pilot navigates and in charge of the flight at all moments.
Watch Making _all age
Getting a close perspective of the renowned swiss precision art of watch making is a once a life time opportunity
This unique experience will allow students to discover the thrill of witnessing the insides of a mechanical watch tick. Students receive Certificate of “LITTLE WATCH MAKERS”
Tennis/Squash Lessons with Professional Instructor (All Ages)
LEARNINGS FROM A LES ELFES PROGRAM
Experiences at Les Elfes are structures to open the heart and mind and show how magical life can be.
Les Elfes Camp ensures active participation, in a very broad choice of exciting activities with high degree of learning in a fun way & in a very international environment. All this is achieved along with a guarantee of maximum safety through our caring & experienced staff. Campers always return home with great experiences, fantastic memories and lifelong friendships.
Focus during a Les Elfes camp is comprehensive and covers every aspect of a child’s development. These include –
- Personal
- Social
- Physical &
- Intellectual
Through the varied invigorating experiences in its camps & based on true bonding Les Elfes aspires to promote “Cross Culturalism” and inspires the participants to become “Global citizens”. At Les Elfes, we foster Personal Growth, Encourage Responsibility, Leadership, Self-Reliance and most importantly the opportunity to discover Sense of Self.
INTERNATIONAL EXPOSURE
At Les Elfes we have students from all over the world. Within this international community we feel it is beneficial to recognize the traditions of each other. It not only gives students the opportunity to celebrate their nation or beliefs, but allows them to bring a little piece of home into the camp. Students from other parts of the world also learn and hopefully appreciate the cultures of others. The fabrics of society are made up of many different cultures, and here at Les Elfes we constantly strive to recognize them all, and if it means cooking some traditional dishes, or decorating the chalets accordingly, then we are more than happy to encourage students to do so and help them along the way. At most times there is a mix of over 50 different nationalities present at Les Elfes. It’s a pleasure hear from many campers about the lifelong friendships made and international networks built for their future.
TAKE AWAYS FROM THE LES ELFES PROGRAMS
- Finding an extra edge and discovering strengths through adventure sports and activities
- Self-Assessment through peer group interaction
- Leadership attributes
The key concerns at Les Elfes are: Safety, Security & Supervision. We maintain supervision of 1 adult to 5 participants at the camp. Security is never negotiated. Safety is the top priority. As a result, the parents can relax while their children are at Les Elfes
- Risk assessments are designed for each activity and are signed by all our monitors and head instructors during daily morning briefings and daily evening briefings.
- We have 3 up-to-date medical clinics in Verbier
- All campuses have access to a regional hospital and two University hospitals
- They are a mere 40 minutes and 75 minutes away respectively or just 10 minutes by helicopter.
- All participants are closely monitored at all times.
- Staff strength is 1 adult to 5 campers.
- 24-hour supervision
Intense safety measures, controls and close supervision and safe measure lead to 100% safety & security. Les Elfes owns and operates properties in Verbier, Crans Montana and La Toumaz. This helps us in making the environment 100% safe.
In 1987, it welcomed 500 students, and now we are delighted to welcome over 5000 campers from over 50 nations every year as well as around 200 International schools that take part in one of the numerous programs offered by Les Elfes.
CHAPERONED SESSIONS ESPECIALLY FROM INDIA
Keeping cultural sensitivities in mind India is the only country from where we have introduced the concept of chaperoned programs. Every Year we have session lead by senior Les Elfes Team members in Winters, Spring and Summer, all structured during the Indian School Holidays. Our experienced Les Elfes Team Members travel from India to the campsite, stay with them for the entire durations of their stay and return with them.
These chaperones are introduced to every parent prior to leaving. All are senior and respected members of our Les Elfes India team. They are like guardians, friends, companions and a via media between children and parents and children and local staff They are also available on the phone for the parents to speak with for any issue at any time.
INDIAN FOOD
Though we encourage the children to savour the local food and enjoy the international delicacies provided by the Les Elfes chefs, we also have an Indian Chef right from April to mid-July at the campsite. Hence we are able to cater to most Indian diets including vegetarian and Jain. The dietary information provided by the parents is closely followed. Hot cooked meals are available at all meal times