Thanks to everyone that donated. Your donation is deeply appreciated by both the staff and the students that will participate.

ABC Camp 2012 Application

You can apply for ABC Camp 2012 here: ONLINE APPLICATION FORM

Don't miss your chance to participate in the most amazing camp in the wOrLd!!!

Introducing the ABC Camp 2012 Staff...

Shannon Anderson

Hieverybody! My name is Shannon, and I'm from Nashville, Tennessee. Inmy free time I love rock climbing, drawing, and playing football. I'msuper excited to be a part of the ABC team this year!

MariettaAvanesian

Hello!I'm Marietta, east girl who is aways open to new peopleand acquaintance, I'm happy to present you my knowledge and smile. I would like to share with you all my interests and hobbies.

KatherineAxelsen

Helloworld! My name is Katherine Axelsen and I'm a TEFL Peace CorpsVolunteer for the greatest school in Ukraine (Specialized School#1 in Romny if you didn't know). My favorite food is spicy spicyIndian Curry. I love hot chocolate in Winter and ice cream in Summer.I graduated from the beautiful University of Michigan in 2011 where Istudied English Language & Literature and Comparative Religion. Ihope to earn a Masters Degree in Human Rights when I return to theUSA in 2014. I am an English nerd and a Newspaper enthusiast.

Lee Ballard

LeeBallard is 26, but since his birthday always comes in July, heexpects to be 27 by the time ABC rolls around. If you need to findhim, check the middle of the capital city of one of the oblastsstarting with "P." If he's not there, check in fine Middle Eastern restaurants or nearby coffee shops. Lee's favorite linguistics moment is when Noam Chomsky came up with the sentence "colorless green ideas sleep furiously."

Sam Choi

Myname is Sam Choi. I am from the state of Delaware and currently livein Shevchenkove in the Kharkivska Oblast. In my free time I like toread classical literature, play American football, listen to and playmusic. My favorite two books are The Brothers Karamazov and The Countof Monte Cristo. I love to experiment with cooking and my favoritedish in the whole world is pho (Vietnamese noodle soup). I also lovevareneky and solyanka. I like to play the drums and the guitar. Myfavorite singer is Corinne Bailey Rae and my favorite music group isBob Marley and the Wailers. The largest influence on my life is JesusChrist.

Alison Cumbow

Myname is Alison and I teach English to the best kids on the planet inKharkovskaya oblast! I'm originally from Florida and I went to schoolto study journalism in Kansas. My hobbies are traveling, swimming,being in the sun and trying to read in Russian. (Team Jacob!!!) Ilove Ukraine -- especially in the summer. Being at camp with the mostinspiring Ukrainian youth has been the most important and rewardingtime of my service as a Peace Corps Volunteer. I'm really excited tobe back at ABC this year, and I can't wait to see all of you!

OksanaDemchenko

I'ma 21-year old linguistics/journalism student from Mykolaiv currentlyrepresenting Ukraine at the University of Mississippi. I've beeninvolved in social projects since high school and I love working withpeople. I organized charitable rock festivals, was theeditor-in-chief of a youth newspaper and enjoyed every single minuteof cooperating with students from all over the planet. Also can'tlive without hitchhiking, snowboarding and active sports. Lookingforward to share my experience in ABC Camp 2012!

DannyFreeman

Myname is Danny Freeman. I live in the town of Izium and I work atschool number 4. I am from Nashville, Tennessee and I worked as anart teacher there. I enjoy playing guitar and drawing and painting aswell as making sculptures. I play in a rock and roll group here inIzium and we are working on a musical play for our school. My wifeShannon and I have lived in Ukraine and we love this wonderfulcountry.

NathanHendricks

Nathancomes from the great state of Georgia. He studied linguistics inuniversity and loves learning new languages. His favourite things inthe world are trampolines, soup, and thunderstorms (in that order).This is Nathan's second year at ABC Camp, and he stays up late everynight thinking about how awesome camp is going to be.

Pete Isaac

My name is Pete Isaac andI grew up in Rhode Island in the states, but now I live inZaporozhye. I spent eight years as a lifeguard on beaches in RhodeIsland and Florida while earning a degree in Integrated Science andTechnology as well as a Masters in Higher Education Administration. Ihave lived in Ukraine for just over a year and am looking forward tothe next one as well. I can't wait to meet you all!

JuliaKhomych

Myname is Julia. Currently studying in "Ostroh Academy", inthe department of International relations. A fan of classicliterature, art and theatre. I've spent a part of my childhood livingin Dublin, Ireland. I'm eager to do new things and excited to meeteveryone at camp!!!

Margarita Kirakosian

Myname is Margarita Kirakosian. I am nineteen and was born inDnipropetrovsk. I am athird-year student in Dnipropetrovsk National Oles Honchar Universityand my major is journalism. Musicis my greatest hobby. I play piano and sing. My musicpreferences are very different, startingfrom classic and jazz and ending up with alternative rock. Also I canteach everybody folklore Ukrainiansongs. When I have free time I like to read and cross-stitch.

Masha Lutsik

I'mMasha. I love sun, cats, blues, lemons, Tim Burton's films, colorfulpants and ABCamp. I hate boredom, Physics (which is the same to me),little spoilt children and bad-mannered people. Adore everything thatbrings peace to the world, can't stand anything that destroys it.

Anya Romanova

StuffI want you 2 know about me: ginger for now, curly, sweet (but with nohalo=)) and humble^^. I like books, coffee & giving hugs. I amsure I'll find a way with YOU. Btw, I'm 23. Nice to meet u guys!!

Anya Telesh

Myname is Anna Telesh. I am from Mykolaiv. I enjoy travelling,climbing, diving, riding and a lot of another fun things. And for me the most important things in my life are to always try to be open to new places, new interesting things, meet new people and open newhorizons of my life.

Ira Tomenko

In this picture you can see the person who is sure that her mission isto help people. Irina is passionate about travelling and meeting newpeople. She can teach you salsa and French so take advantage!!

ABCis a great part of my life and I can't wait to have fun and do crazystuff together.

Nitai Vinitzky

Hi!My name is Nitai. I am from San Francisco, California and I likeplaying all sorts of games and taking photos. I was at ABC lastsummer and it was a blast! I can't wait to see all your smiling facesat camp again this summer!

The ABC Camp staff is hard at work to make things happen on our end. But the camp won't happen without funding. So please consider donating.

For stateside followers of our blog, tax season is here and the buzz words are 100% TAX DEDUCTIBLE!

Donate Now

Then share the link with your friends, family, and anyone else willing to donate.

Don't you miss ABC Camp?

Are you counting down the days until July?

We have something for you...

2 Days of ABC Camp

When: Monday, March 26 and Tuesday, March 27, 2012 from 10AM to 6PM

Where: Kharkiv School #6

Cost: 35 Grvyen

Come and participate in fun activities and learn something new. Speak in English. Make new friends.

To sign up, email abccampukraine@gmail.com and include the following information:

1. Name & Last Name

2. Age

3. School

4. Phone Number

5. Do you need a place to sleep?

6. Which of the following activities would you like to participate in?:

- Fun with English

- Arts & Crafts (Origami & bracelet making)

- Dance

- Chinese for beginners

- Music mania

Introducing...

Ira Rybochka & Karina Kozlova

We've interviewed the directors for a sneak peek at ABC Camp 2012.

What was your favorite part of ABC Camp in the past?

Ira: It was funny to watch campers being humiliated. It's always unexpected because humiliation is always different and it's interesting to see campers reaction to this. =)

Karina: Challenges!!! For me it was very good to see how campers were becoming a team! + Morning Camp Mail. It was great to see happy campers' faces when they heard that a letter was devoted to them. ;)

Of course ABC Camp has had a big impact on your life, as you are now a director. In what way do you think it has changed you the most?

Ira: It has changed my life completely in different aspects, but I guess it changed me the most as a person. I became a self-confident and sensible person. It helped me realize that I can be a leader and create many useful things on my own. It helped me realize that I can be that person who will also encourage other people to change some things in our society for the better.

Karina: I feel that ABC Camp helped me to express myself and is still doing it. ABC reveals a lot of skills such as organization or communication skills. I think everyone who took part in ABC Camp at least once feels the same, and I hope even more :) And we will try to do everything possible to keep this camp spirit!

What is something new you are working on with ABC Camp 2012?

Ira: Well,every year we are changing old things and creating new things in ABC Camp. This year won't be an exception. We'll definitely have new classes, new games and challenges and of course many surprises for our lovely campers. But you'll see it yourself during the camp. We won't reveal all the secrets now, but what I can say is that much fun, new impressions and useful skills and knowledge are guaranteed.

Karina: Of course, this is a secret. Don't provoke me to tell you ABC's secrets!=)) I can only tell you that ABC 2012 is changing it's location (it will not be at Gym #6 next year)

What part of ABC Camp made you laugh the hardest?

Ira: There were many funny moments during the camp, I won't even remember all of them, but I really enjoyed the mail time every morning, that was hilarious, funny and at the same time silly. But those moments kept everyone energized the whole day and of course, I will never forget our Talent show. Last year there were so many skits, that I couldn't stop laughing. I must say, parodies on staff were a hit and with our talented campers acting it out, it was a blessing watching it.

Karina: It's very hard to answer this question for me because every part of ABCamp was very funny! Every single day in camp was very special and made me laugh! :)

Ukraine has many summer camps. In your opinion, what makes ABC Camp so unique?

Ira: ABC Camp is based on leadership and projects. There every camper can find himself and feel free to express himself as a personality, which is very often really difficult especially for shy people. But without any doubt I can say that it is the atmosphere in ABC Camp that makes it unique. It might sound silly, but to tell you the truth, people in ABC Camp are the most energized and friendly people I've ever met in my life. When I myself was a camper in 2009, I met there people who I'm great friends with now. Moments in ABC Camp are the best parts of my memories. And it's the atmosphere that helps campers to overcome their shyness and become true leaders.

Karina: Every year ABCamp has approximately 100 of the best people in the whole world! As for me it is the people who are doing this camp and people who are participating in it that are making this camp unique.

What is a moment from ABC Camp that you will never forget?

Ira: I'll never forget the last day of camp. It's always the most amazing and at the same time the most sad day during the whole camp. The last day was significant for me because of all the events: the final debates, the Talent show, and of course the final party. These moments are precious! It was so great to see all of dearest campers perform and show what they have learnt during the camp and have fun of course, because this is also one of the most important parts of the camps for the campers. I was very proud of them and I enjoyed spending time with all of them this day. I believe they did too because they became closer to each other by the end of the camp. They became one friendly team.

Karina: I will never forget moments when we had dress-up days at camp and we had to go to lunch wearing, for example, in a hippie or a Halloween dress! It was very funny to see people's reaction when they saw "real hippies" or "real monsters"! :)

Here is a compilation of memories from our wonderful ABC Weekend Camp in Shevchenkove. Enjoy!

ABC Weekend Camp 2011 will take place in Shevchenkove in just a few days. Here is a chance for you to get acquainted with our Awesome, Brilliant, and Cheerful staff members. In no particular order, meet...

VadymKiyashko

hasspent about a year at the Rocky Mountains in the beautiful state ofColorado as a FLEX student. originally he comes from Kupiansk.nowadays he studies CAD(computer aided design). he loves beinginvolved in any sort of music and doing all the crazy things thereare. this weekend's gonna be LEGEN (wait for it) DARY!!

Right side

LeeBallard

Leeis from North Carolina. He plays violin and guitar. Lee also likes tolearn languages and talk to people. He can't wait to meet you!

ZheniaKal'nyk

Heyy'all, awesome guys! My name is Zhenia. I originally come fromPoltava and I study Applied Liguistics at Karazin Kharkiv NationalUniversity. I really enjoy travelling, meeting new people and do somefun stuff! C'mon, cheer up, be positive all the time and fill thisworld with the brightest sunshine of your smile! Hakuna Matata andPeace be upon you! :)

ShannonAnderson

Myname is Shannon, and I am from Nashville, Tennessee in the U.S.My favourite things to do in Ukraine are playing football and solvingpuzzles, but my favourite things to do in Tennessee are rock climbingand tight-rope walking! I have one degree in English and another inInternational Relations. I look forward to meeting you!

DannyFreeman

Myname is Danny Freeman. I am from Nashville, Tennessee the birthplaceof country music. Right now, I live in Izium, Ukraine and I havelived here for one year. In the USA I was an art teacher. I studiedart at Middle Tennessee State University. My hobbies are drawing,metal sculpting, playing guitar and learning Russian. I have a lovelywife, Shannon and I am the second oldest volunteer in Kharkov Oblast.

IraRybochka

"Myname is Ira. I'm a student at Kharkiv National Karazin Universitywhere I study foreign languages. Learning languages is also my hobby,I know English, German and a little bit of Spanish so far and want tolearn at least two more languages. I enjoy spending time with myfriends and watching American soap operas. In the future I dream tobecome an interpreter and travel around the world."

JingLi

Jing is from SanFrancisco, California. She has lived in 6 different states and shestudied Industrial and Systems Engineering at university. She lovesswimming, dancing, traveling, taking photos, baking, reorganizing therefrigerator and yoga.

BrooksHarrison

Myname is Brooks Harrison. I am from Savannah, Georgia on the SoutheastCoast of the United States. Before coming to Ukraine Iworked as a history teacher in a secondary school. Currently I workin Kovsharovka and Cenkovo. I really enjoy reading, music,and playing sports and if I could have any job I would be acrime writer or herpatologist. My other hobbies includeSCUBA diving, fishing, and building models. Living inUkraine has been great for me because I have met so many interestingpeople and participated in some fantastic activities.

KyleBorley

Iam from Green Bay, Wisconsin. For my bachelors degree I studiedMiddle Eastern history. For my Masters degree I studied KoreanCold War history. My hobbies are traveling, reading, sports,and movies.

NatashaFateeva

I'm a student of Kharkiv National Pedagogical University. WhatI like: ballroom dancing, Finland, Finnish language, active lifestyle, babanas, crazy people. But what I like most is ABC Campfor it's craziness, creativity and awesome people!!

SamChoi

Iwas born in New York and grew up in Delaware. Currently, I am livingand working in Shevchenkove, Kharkivska Oblast in Ukraine. My hobbiesinclude reading, American football, and listening to and playingmusic. When I was a child, I wanted to be an astronaut, then apastor, then an engineer, and now I'd like to be a teacher. Matthew22:37-39 sums up my life philosophy (you can look it up yourself).

Are you ready for the next exciting ABC event?! Well, wait no further!

To sign up, send an email to abccampukraine@gmail.com with the following information:- Name and Last Name- School and Town Name- What form you are in

We will take a maximum of 50 campers. The last day to sign up is Thursday, the 8th of December.

Each camper must be responsible for his/her own transportation to and from Shevchenkove. If you are coming from out of town we can find you a place to stay but space is limited. Please include in the email if you will need a place to stay overnight.

Just in case you were longing for some old memories:

Hey everyone! We're in the news! Check it out:

http://www.city.kharkov.ua/uk/news/u-gimnaziyi-6-vidkrilasya-litnya-angliyska-shkola-8795.html

and here:

http://otb.com.ua/programs/inform-analit/новини/vilnyj-jak-ptah-v-anhlijskij-movi.html

Here's the compilation video from a camp activity called "Videoquest." Enjoy.

Here are some photos from Sunday's project, planned by the PBC team and carried out with the help of 50 or so volunteers from ABC Camp.

Here are some photos from our camp so far this year! Thanks to Diana Ofy, Boris and Vitali for their contributions!Campers playing people to people

water fights!

Our wonderful director, SAM!

Unity

Flower challenge

Our wonderful directors, Sam and Ira

Happy Counselors!

Green team: Shootskapoopies

Purple team: Purple Penguins

Red team: Flying tomatoes!

Yellow team: Banana Family

Pink Team: Hot pink sausages!

Orange team: Fun-ta

Blue team: Blood brothers

Hey ABC Campers, Family and Friends!

It's midnight. July 22nd. And we've just finished up Day 4 of ABC Camp. Right now we're all together in our staff apartment finishing up for the night. Some of us are talking to family. Others are laughing together remembering things that happened today. Others still are putting last minute touches on our lesson plans for tomorrow.

Now that the chaos of getting camp started has died down a bit, we're ready to start sharing our experience with you! Stay tuned as we keep you updated on what we're doing and how we're doing it!

Did you hear the good news? We were on Ukrainian TV!

Check out these great video shots of our campers and staff.

I know, right? We have the BEST, most ENTHUSIASTIC, TALENTED, CREATIVE, WONDERFUL campers in the WHOLE world!

Much ABC love,

Your ABC Staff

Polar bear: yay! maybe they'll go off to camp!Here's the moment we've all been waiting for. Please click on the link below to complete the ONLINE version:

ABC CAMP 2011 ONLINE APPLICATION

The PAPER version will be available here tomorrow (please complete the online version if you can)

On April 16th and 17th ABC Camp staff came together to reminisce about the amazing memories of 2010 and to prepare for the upcoming 2011 camp! Fun games and exciting challenges gave us a chance to get to know one another and to bond! Classes were discussed and lesson preparations have begun!

There are many new things in store for the upcoming summer and we cannot wait to share these surprises with our amazing campers!

If only the summer would come sooner!

Much ABC Camp Love!!

The ABC Camp Staff

We've got funding all wrapped up thanks to you!

Attention, attention ABCamp Friends and Family:

It's true, we always did think of April 13th as a not-so-bad, pretty decent kind of day. It had it's fair share of successes and notable moments (the first ever elephant sighting in the United States, founding of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NY, the re-introduction of the two-dollar bill...) but none can compare to April 13th, 2011.

Today is a a day of celebration because we've just found out that our budget for 2011 has been fully-funded! This means that there's just about nothing that can stop us from having the most amazing, creative and positive summer yet!

To all of our supporters, our silent babushkas, our book buyers and our sideline cheerleaders - this success is yours! We couldn't have done any of it without your emails, phone calls, Facebook posts, tweets and other sincere methods of funds-solicitation.

And, hey, be sure to keep coming back for updates! We'll continue to share details and information about ABCamp 2011. We can't wait to share our camp stories and experiences with you!

ACTION > BRINGS > CHANGE 2011

Much ABC love,

ABCamp Staff

Every day I wake up grateful for the quarter degree of warmth gained overnight. Though the temperature is a bit slow to respond (apocalypse realized – it snowed in Ukraine last week!), these days are ticking away quick like wildfire. While I’m rooting for Spring and Summer to sweep in, I’m forever walking around with a bee in my bonnet and a nervous pit in my gut because, well, we’ve still got funds to raise if we want to make this camp a reality!

Here’s the thing: If we don’t raise all of the $5,778 needed to fund ABCamp – we won’t receive any funds at all! And then we’re left in just about the worst place we could be – with no summer plans and a broken promise.

Luckily, there is a season: TAX SEASON! As the Turbo Tax-chaos comes to a close and before you’re brain powers down to the prospect of money entirely, don’t forget that any donation you make to help support ABCamp is 100% tax-deductible.

To the many of you who have already generously donated consider this a friendly reminder to mark down your donation on your tax forms! Please also consider this an enormous THANK YOU ~ you've no idea how grateful we are for your help!!

We’ve been working so hard these past few months to help put together funds necessary for our camp and we’re more than halfway there. We have a beautiful website/blog that has reached nearly 2,000 views. It’s clear, the word about ABCamp 2011 is out – now all we’ve got to do is make good on our promise to get funding.

You can make a donation here:

https://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=donate.contribute.projDetail&projdesc=343-206

ABC2011: ACTION >>> BRINGS >>>> CHANGE

With every good wish,

Samantha Kyrkostas, ABC Camp Director 2011

Check out 1 typical minute from ABC Camp 2010 in Kharkov, Ukraine.

Please say hello to our new and returning staff for ABC Camp 2011!Adrianne KleinI'm Adrianne, a southern California girl by birth, a midwesterner at heart, and an adopted Crimean! I teach English in Simferopol, Crimea, which I love, and I'm thrilled to be returning to ABC Camp this year. I look forward to spending time with all our wonderful campers and counselors in the beautiful city of Kharkiv.

Alison CumbowHi! I'm Alison, and I am a 23-year-old Florida native. I graduated from the University of Kansas in journalism and Spanish. I live in Kharkov, and I absolutely love it -- I adore my students and teaching. I tell really corny jokes, talk way too much, and I love meeting new people! I am looking forward to ABC Camp so much! I've heard it's a Peace Corps service-changing experience, and I can't wait to be part of it. See you all soon! :-)

Ira Rybochka"Hello, my name is Ira. I'm a student of V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University! I study at the department of foreign languages and learn English and German! I also started learning Spanish and I have to say, I really like this language! In the future I want to become an interpreter, learn as many languages as I can and have an opportunity to travel a lot! Looking forward to the camp this summer, because that is the most exciting experience,which a person can get! Stay positive!"

Ira Tomenka I am not that serious as I may look like on the picture. I love crazy people who make others smile and feel happy. I am fond of learning languages and playing the piano. My dream is to go to Madrid one day!

Karina KozlovaMy name is Karina. I was born in Kharkiv, I've been living here since I was born. I think Kharkiv is the most beautiful I've ever seen! I like travelling with my friends, I like laughing with my friends, I like spending summer nights with my friends, I love my friends! I've got 2 dogs which I saved from living outside 3 years ago. They are the best dogs and the best friends in the world for me! I love summer and bright sunshine, because I've met so many people with sunny smiles in ABC Camp last summer!

Lee BallardLee Ballard was born in New Jersey but grew up in Durham, North Carolina. He started playing the violin when he was seven and has continued in music ever since, also learning the guitar, piano, and drums. Lee is also interested in languages and speaks German, Spanish, and Russian. Before Peace Corps, Lee earned BA in Music from Davidson College, an MA in Linguistics from the University of Florida, and spent two years living in Germany, one as a Fulbright fellow.

Masha Drobotun1. I've studied 5 foreign languages. I'm a poliglot:))2. I have a perfect sense of rythm!3. I seldom have nightmares4. I like marshmallows5. I enjoy sneezing :)

Megan Trout My name is Megan Trout and I come from Faribault, Minnesota. I graduated from Northwestern University outside Chicago, Illinois where I studied Spanish and International Studies. I love to travel and have been to 29 countries in my life - including recently traveling to Turkey, Egypt and Russia. I live in Velyka Lepetykha in the Khersonskaya Oblast and teach English to 5th-10th graders. I am currently learning how to play the bandura and I love living in Ukraine!

Natasha FateevaI'm a student of Kharkiv National Pedagogical University What I like: ballroom dancing, Finland, Finnish language, active life style, babanas, crazy people. But what I like most is ABC Camp for it's craziness, creativity and awesome people!!

Nathan HendricksNathan Hendricks hails from Atlanta, Georgia, and yes, he has an adorable southern accent. He graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in linguistics, which is the study of a bunch of dead languages. He has only used this degree once in his life, while watching an episode of True Blood. Nathan is the middle of five children. When asked what his younger brother should be named, he replied, “Sebastian Alexander.” When asked about his younger sister, he said, “Woodenhead.”

Nicole PorterHello! My name is Nicole Porter, and I’m currently a Peace Corps Volunteer living in the Donetskaya oblast. I joined the Peace Corps for many reasons, but none are as dominant as my desire to connect with people in meaningful ways. Prior to Peace Corps, I obtained a master’s degree in library and information science and was employed at a local ecological organization that I love. I was also working and volunteering at my local library, watershed group, and an outdoor education project. Other claims on my time include dj-ing an eclectic music show at our county public radio station, hiking and kayaking, gardening, knitting, and (shock) reading.

Nitai VinitzkyI was born and raised in woods of Northern California. I have a strong passion for the outdoors, and enjoy spending a lot of time in the woods back home. My hobbies include, playing soccer, snowboarding, rock climbing, and surfing. I am a big kid, I love playing and learning new games. Furthermore, as a photojournalism major, I am constantly looking to find cool new things to photograph, and love going exploring in new places in order to find the best picture. I cannot wait for this summer to begin-- and of course to be part of ABC Camp. See you at camp!

Oksana DemchenkoSo, about me.The first thing that people like to joke about is that I've tried every possible hair color within 3 years. I like travelling very much and having met the New Year on Goverla, fell in love with western Ukraine... As for social activities, I'm a chief editor of a students' newspaper in Nikolaev and a director of charitable rock festivals. I like snowboarding, hand-made, play guitar and so on and so forth:)

Pat SmithHi everyone! My name is Pat Smith. I'm originally from Stillwater, Minnesota, U.S. of A. I've been working in Stakhanov, Lugansk Oblast, Ukraine for the past year. I was fortunate enough to work at ABC Camp last year and it was definitely one of the highlights of the summer for me. ABC Camp really brings out the best in everyone. I met so many great campers and staff and had a great time working with and learning from all of them. I can't wait to see what new adventures this year brings!

Sam ChoiThe single most important and influential thing in my life is Jesus Christ. I laugh like no other. I love music, literature, and sports. I like to have good philosophical conversations but I also find silence to be a virtue.

Samantha KyrkostasSamantha K. wakes up every morning dreaming about ABC Camp. Originally from New York, she now has more friends in Ukraine than she does back home. (So much for the Empire State!) Her favorite day of the week is Thursday and she thinks that 17 of anything is a lot. On her dream vacation, she would like to hike the GR20 in Corsica and then catch a ferry to Inishmore to bike around and sit at the edge of the sea. She likes whipping things up and writing things down. She’s also counting down the days ‘til ABC2011 and can’t wait to see you there!

Sara WengerSara W. is from Ohio and currently lives in Odeska Oblast. She enjoys hanging out with the babas; gossiping about the village, feeding her chickens, and embroidering. Sara looks forward to seeing everyone from last year and organizing the most dynamic lessons ABC has seen yet.

Tiago ForteTiago Forte was born in California to his great surprise, since he neither surfs, nor plays beach volleyball, nor is cool. As a child Tiago loved to garden, play soccer, and bake tasty desserts, skills which he has fortunately not carried over to the present as they would interfere with his current passion for looking at funny animal pictures on the internet. Today, he enjoys “liking” his own Facebook updates, developing new facial expressions, and watching others struggle to write about themselves in the third person, which presents him no difficulties since he always refers to himself this way. Most impressively, Tiago is an exceedingly humble man whose notorious generosity is surpassed only by his legendary commitment to world peace.Vadim KiyashkoMy name is Vadim. I am a hardcore Techie who studies Engineering and CAD at Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute. As a FLEX (American exchange program) alumni, I sometimes find myself torn between two cultures, Ukrainian and American. I like to jam out and make guacamole.

Whitney FarmerI am from Hot Springs, Virginia. I graduated from the University of Virginia in 2009 with a bachelor's degree in English and History. Currently, I teach English as a Foreign Language in the city of Kharkov in Kharkov Gymnasium #82. In my free time, I like cooking, reading, and reading craft blogs. I like to play sports and I love to be surrounded by energetic and inspired people.

Kaity Hauter

My name is Kaity, I am from Virginia and I currently live in the Khersonska oblast. As you can see from my big smile I REALLY LOVE camp. Outside of loving camp I spend my free time as an English teacher and enjoying Ukrainian candies. I also have developed a fondness for borsch.

Yevheniy Kal'nyk

Hey! I'm Yevheniy and I come from Poltava. I currently study Applied Linguistics at V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University. I really enjoy traveling to different places, meeting new people, journalism, chocolate chip cookies and Funky Chicken! I like my day being busy and sometimes easy =)

ABCamp will be something really crazy and positive that will charge everyone with a powerful energy to make some improvements to this here world :)

I'm really looking forward to this best-in-the-Universe summer in ABC!

Gena Steitsuk

Was born in Odessa and was given the name "GENA" (that's not abbreviation so don't try to decode it), then lived in Niko-city (Nikolaev) now study in Kyiv institute for translators and interpreters (KITI). Now I'm on the 4th course trying to get bachelor's degree. There are many thing I really like. I like new acquaintances and meeting new people, acting the fool, playing guitar,cooking, massage, listening to music; I love good jokes and banters and people with good sence of humour.

So camp, stand still ready! This summer we'll rock this camp together.

Anya Telesh

Hello everybody! My name is Anya, I'm a student of Black Sea State Univercity named by Petro Mohyla, which situated in my native town - Mykolajiv. Style of my life it`s very active life. I couldn`t image my life without public activities, without travelling, without different project`s and of cours without my friends. I was in staff team last year and ones of the most bright moments of last summer happened with me here. I miss about positive, friendly, funny, crazy and lovely atmosphere of ABCamp, so I decided to take part in his camp again! :)

cover of the bookThis is the story of my adventures working and traveling in South America - from the slums of Rio de Janeiro to the Caribbean Coast of Colombia - and what those experiences taught me about life, love, and the Orange Curtain: the bubble that surrounds Orange County, CA and makes life there so different from anywhere else.

In the spirit of the Peace Corps, 100% of the proceeds from the sale of this book (after production and shipping costs) will go to fund ABC Camp, a youth summer camp in Ukraine that teaches leadership, creativity, and civic skills. It is a project that I have seen deeply influence many Ukrainians to become leaders, and that is why I really believe in it.

We need a total of $5,778 for the camp to take place, and so far only $1,218 has been raised. With each purchase of the book for $15.95 (using promo code NEWBLURB), $12 is donated to our funds, so please take this opportunity to help us out.

1. You can see a preview and purchase the professionally published book by clicking on the link below:

http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/1981268

2. You may also, of course, donate apart from purchasing the book by clicking the link below:

https://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=donate.contribute.projDetail&projdesc=343-206

3. If you are interested in electronic versions of the book (in PDF, Kindle, and HTML formats), which cost $12 and contribute 100% of the purchase price to the camp (and are tax-deductible), please follow instructions below:

https://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=10150110097059696

4. Please "Like" the Facebook Page at the link below:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Beyond-the-Orange-Curtain/150813051622395

5. I have also pasted the Prologue below just to get you started ;)

Sincerely,

Tiago

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"Prologue" from Beyond the Orange Curtain by Tiago Forte

The man threatening me was tall and lanky, yet strong. He was mulato, like nearly everyone in the neighborhood. I could smell the alcohol on his breath, mixed with the body odor coming from his clothes.

He wore black combat boots with laces crisscrossed almost to the knee. Tucked into his boots were military-style cargo pants in a camouflage pattern of green and grey patches. On his upper body a dirty black tank top peeked out from under a black commando-style vest with many pockets, mostly empty, flattened by the ammunition belt draped diagonally across his chest.

The man was telling me about his childhood. About his parents who died before he knew them. About sleeping in the street. About pain and destruction and death. I didn’t understand most of what he said, shouting as he did in a garbled, stuttering rant, in the slang-infused Portuguese of someone who had probably never seen the inside of a classroom. But his intentions were clear: He wanted me to know that he had suffered, and that he was going to make me suffer.

I found out later on that the man’s name was, fittingly, Chucky. I had seen him many times before, regularly patrolling the street where I lived. He’d never given me any trouble, or even so much as made eye contact. So I mostly ignored him, thinking of Chucky as just part of the scenery, a permanent fixture on my daily walk to school.

At the moment, however, he was hard to ignore, holding a five-foot-long semiautomatic rifle to my head, his finger on the trigger. I told him — and I could feel my voice shaking — that I worked for a non-profit organization that helped residents of the community, that I lived on that very street, and that I wasn’t an undercover policeman or a journalist, as he insisted I was, his eyes flicking from side to side, unable to fix on anything for more than a second. But as I listened to his incoherent rambling I realized that my message wasn’t getting through. Everything I said only made him angrier, his words pouring out in a stream of threats, expletives, and warnings: Você é um mentiroso. You’re a liar; Ta achando o que? What are you thinking?; Agora vai se foder. Now you’re fucked.

That was when he took me away, and it was at that moment I started remembering all the reasons I had been told to never, ever, let that happen. I recalled stories of torture and disappearances never solved, and how a few weeks before a friend and I had stumbled upon the patch of jungle at the top of the hill where bodies were dumped after unceremonious executions.

These weren’t rumors or urban legends; my own eyes bore witness.

I also remembered the punishment reserved for the most serious offenders — usually informers and spies — the so-called microondas (microwave), in which tires are piled around the victim up to the neck, soaked in gasoline, and set ablaze. The human torch that resulted could be seen for miles around, a sinister beacon demonstrating just how far the overlords of Rio’s favelas were willing to go to maintain their control over the community, and through it the drug trade. The microondas was meant to serve as a warning to everyone who saw it. To this end, it was usually performed at night in the most visible location in the city – the top of the hill on which the favela, or slum, is built.

It was this last thought that stuck in my mind as Chucky turned and led me uphill, the muzzle of his rifle now pressed firmly against my back.

Read on at: http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/1981268

Check out our new camp poster! Feel free to download, print, discuss, post, email, like, send it anywhere it might be useful. There is a link at the bottom of this post to download a high-resolution PDF for printing.

Here is some basic info about the camp from the poster:

What: an English-language summer camp

Why: to develop the next generation of Ukrainian leaders (and have fun!)

When: July 18-28

Where: Gymnasium #6, Kharkov

Who: Ukrainian young people ages 14-21 / American and Ukrainian staff members

How much: 400 hryvnia

How do I apply: download an application at this blog (coming soon)

Questions: email us at abccampukraine@gmail.com

High-resolution PDF for printing:

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/40012/ABC2011/abc2011HRposter.pdf

Thanks everybody for building the hype for ABC 2011. I wanted to let you know that the staff is truly excited about what this year has to offer. As for me, I’m trying my best to develop new ideas. I wanted to let everyone know that we’re taking the best parts of ABC and adding to them, thinking up new team-challenges and lessons. Currently, I’m looking at opportunities to include American Studies, Art, Conflict Resolution, Film, Creative Writing, Human Rights, International Relations, Music, Marketing, and other topics into our studies. For now, they’re just ideas but we’ve got a lot to look forward to!

Sara W.

A little nostalgia from last year's camp to get us all in the mood ;p

Hello visitors!

Welcome to the brand spankin' new Official ABC Camp Blog! Here we will post important information, applications, contact info, as well as pictures, video, and newsletters from past camps.

We invite you to look through the blog and hope you find it interesting. Feel free to make comments!

Much love,

ABC Camp Staff