Welcome to La Semana
Started in 1981, La Semana Family Culture Camp is a day-camp for children with ties to Latin American countries, primarily through adoption. Typically held in late July, camp is held near Minneapolis, Minnesota area. La Semana is a week-long, volunteer-run, celebration of Latin American culture and adoption for children in grades K-12 and is sponsored by Parents of Latin American Children (PLAC), whose mission is o enhance knowledge and pride in the cultural heritage of our adopted Latin American children. We rely on a parent/guardian/grandparent of all kindergarten through Sr. Teen campers to volunteer in some capacity to make camp work. Volunteer information can be found here .
Camp kicks off with a flag ceremony honoring all the countries that our children have ties to and family dinner. Campers will each receive their camp t-shirt and have a chance to meet the other campers in their group and group leader. During the week of camp, a Latin American country has been chosen for the focus of the week, campers are exposed to Spanish, attend age-appropriate adoption panel discussions, create cultural crafts, learn traditional Latin American dances, enjoy delicious Latin American food, participate in a service project and challenge themselves with activities such as rock climbing, archery and team building games. The week ends with a fiesta for the entire family. We are always welcoming new families!
We’re still looking for volunteers!
La Semana is volunteer-led and volunteer-driven. The camp provides a unique experience for kids because of the time, energy and passion that dozens of volunteers (most of them parents of campers) provide.
La Semana campers need your help. There are still many key volunteer positions open for 2018. Volunteers are entitled to reduced camp fees for their children and, for some positions, early registration.
Learn more about the volunteer positions available here.
La Semana is a day-camp for children with ties to Latin American countries, primarily through adoption. Started in 1981, La Semana was first held at the Science Museum of Minnesota. La Semana has grown from attendance in the double digits into a camp welcoming about 300 children with heritage from and ties to a variety of Latin American countries. They travel from their homes in different states and beyond for a week of fun, friendship, and culture with other families created through adoption. Crafts, dance class, food, fun, friendship, and Fiesta make La Semana a week to remember and look forward to each year.
There are also special events on different days. La Semana kicks off with a flag ceremony. La Semana shirts, hoodies, and other merchandise will be available through the camp’s store.
La Semana culminates with a ¡Fiesta! where all the campers show off the dances they’ve learned during camp.
Registration is open to children who will enter Kindergarten in the Fall following camp to young adults who just graduated from high school (the Spring before camp). We rely on a parent/guardian/grandparent of all kindergarten through Sr. Teen campers to volunteer in some capacity.
Volunteer Philosophy
La Semana has been successful due to the volunteer efforts of the families of children attending the camp. All camp programs are planned and executed by the families involved.
We need volunteers to run camp. Consequently camp fees are based on the amount of volunteer help provided, with the exception of the Ayudante program. When registering your child(ren) for camp, you will be asked to volunteer. More information on positions is on the Job Descriptions page. Please carefully consider the time your family is able to volunteer . There are limited precamp and part time positions available. Job sharing is also available for a limited number of positions.
We are ALL volunteers. Camp coordinators count on volunteers who will be able to fulfill their assigned responsibilities. Therefore, failure to fulfill a volunteer commitment will result in paying the fee of the level at which you volunteered, including no volunteer discount.
Please be aware of this when scheduling job-related activities or other appointments during camp week. The campers are counting on you.
Do You Need to Renew Your Background Check?
Please click here for more information.
Please note that a background check is required every 3 years for all volunteers, staff, and participants over the age of 18.