World-Class Classic Program for Teens at the Lake Geneva Campus in Switzerland

Course Description: World-Class Classic Program for Teens at the Lake Geneva Campus in Switzerland

🎓 Course Overview

This three-week generalist summer camp brings together children and young teenagers aged 8–15 from around 50 countries at a historic lakeside boarding campus in Rolle, on the shores of Lake Geneva. Each camper chooses one morning academy to specialise in for the whole camp, then picks five afternoon activities from around 30 options, with evening entertainment and weekend outings completing a full residential programme. Up to 300 campers attend each session.

📚 Academic Content

Mornings are devoted to the chosen academy, taught in two 75-minute periods each day (with two further academy periods on Saturday mornings). Academies are grouped by age:

Open to All Ages (8–15)

• English or French: language classes averaging 12 students, grouped by a placement test taken on arrival. Not suitable for native speakers.

• Multisports: a wide range of individual and team sports (maximum 35 campers).

• Theatre & Set Design (August only): acting and performance, or set design and props (maximum 24; requires English at around CEFR B1).

• Visual Arts: developing art skills with new machinery, techniques and media (maximum 20).

Ages 8–12

• Experimental Scientists: the basics of natural science through experiments and projects (maximum 12).

• Life Skills Academy: emotion management, self-confidence and respectful interaction, through games, workshops and wilderness adventures (maximum 20).

Ages 11–15

• Entrepreneurship (11–12 and 13–15): identifying problems, designing solutions and working in teams, using a start-up framework based on a university design-accelerator programme (maximum 25).

• Leadership (11–12 and 13–15): self-defence, public speaking, non-verbal communication, physical expression and dance, critical thinking and outdoor expeditions (maximum 30; requires English at around CEFR B1).

• Tech & Robotics (11–15): robotics, LEGO League, 3D CAD design, VR/AR and the responsible use of generative AI (maximum 20).

Ages 13–15

• Culinary Arts (July only): healthy eating, recipe creation and chef skills (maximum 12).

• Digital Creativity: photo, video and drone footage, digital illustration and the basics of 3D animation using Photoshop, Premiere Pro, After Effects, Procreate and Blender (maximum 12).

📍 Campus & Location

The camp is held on the school's main campus in Rolle, about 30 km from Geneva, on 30 hectares of landscaped grounds between Geneva and Lausanne. The original château dates back to the 14th century, and the campus has around 15 boarding buildings, 53 classrooms, an arts and learning centre with a cooking lab, visual arts and photography rooms and dance, theatre and music studios, a 900-seat concert hall and a theatre.

Sports facilities include two gymnasia, fitness, martial-arts and dance rooms, 12 tennis courts, two padel courts, synthetic football and rugby pitches, beach-volleyball and beach-football courts, two outdoor pools and an indoor pool, and access to a nearby 18-hole golf course with driving range. The school also has a private equestrian centre with 30 horses and a private nautical centre on Lake Geneva with dinghies, motorboats and a 38-foot yacht, as well as a pedagogical farm, a greenhouse and two infirmaries.

🏫 Accommodation & Meals

Campers sleep in recently built or renovated double rooms, each with an en-suite bathroom; single and triple rooms are not available. Each camper has a mini-safe, and bedding and towels are provided. Rooms are not air-conditioned, but fans are available during heatwaves. Roommate requests are honoured only when both campers are the same age and gender and both families make the same request; otherwise roommates are matched across two different nationalities or cultures.

Meals are internationally inspired, served buffet-style and prepared by the camp's own chefs. Each camper has an assigned table shared with teachers, and attendance at all meals is compulsory. Pork dishes are labelled and vegetarian options are offered; allergies must be declared in the health questionnaire. Kosher, halal and vegan meals are not available. Staff collect, wash, iron and return campers' laundry during camp.

🚌 Excursions & Activities

Each afternoon campers follow the five activities they have chosen from around 30 options: archery, badminton, basketball, beach volleyball, ceramics (July), cooking, creative arts, digital photography, fitness training, football, golf (practice only), indoor climbing, modern dance (August), nautical sports (sailing and stand-up paddling), padel, pool activities, robotics, rugby (July), School of Magic (July), self-defence, singing, street dance, table tennis, tennis, theatre art and design (August), wakeboarding, wake-surfing and water-skiing, web design and yoga. A small-group horse-riding outing to the school's riding stables leaves after lunch and returns before dinner.

Evenings bring inter-team competitions, discos, barbecues, movie nights, karaoke, students-versus-teachers contests, s'mores and a Swiss-themed dinner. At weekends, after Saturday morning academy sessions, campers enjoy activities on and off campus such as karting, laser tag, a jump park and water sports at the nautical centre. Juniors (under 13) and Seniors have different bedtimes, buildings and weekend activities.

⏰ A Day in the Life

Weekdays follow a set pattern: breakfast, two 75-minute morning academy periods, lunch, the chosen afternoon activities, dinner and an evening programme. Saturday mornings include two academy periods, followed by weekend outings; on the welcome day, arrival and registration run from 09:00 to 16:00.

2027 Dates & Fees 📅

This is a residential camp of three weeks. Fees are quoted in Swiss francs (CHF).

• Monday 5 July – Friday 23 July 2027 — Length: 3 weeks — Residential: CHF 13,500

• Tuesday 27 July – Saturday 14 August 2027 — Length: 3 weeks — Residential: CHF 13,500

Some academies run in one session only: Culinary Arts in July, and Theatre & Set Design in August.

Payment: fees are invoiced in Swiss francs and include a non-refundable, non-transferable deposit of CHF 1,000 per child per session. Payment is by bank transfer or American Express only. Under the most recently published financial conditions (summer 2026), the deposit is due on receipt of the invoice for offers made between November and February, with the balance due within 30 days; offers made after 1 March must be paid in full on receipt. Cancellations before 1 May receive a 70% refund of camp fees (excluding the deposit); after 1 May no camp fees are refunded. A suggested pocket-money amount is added to the invoice, and any unspent balance is returned on departure. Enrolment for summer 2027 opens in November 2026.

✔️ What's Included

Full board and accommodation in an en-suite double room, bed linen and towels, a full laundry service (excluding dry cleaning), the morning academy, afternoon activities, coaching and materials, evening activities, excursions and weekend activities, emergency accident and illness travel insurance (with conditions), personal liability insurance, local residence taxes, and escorted transfers to and from Geneva Airport on the official arrival and departure days within set timeframes.

Not included: cancellation insurance (recommended), flights and travel to Geneva, airline unaccompanied-minor service, visa and passport costs, excess baggage and pocket money. Transport to or from Zürich Airport or train stations is not provided.

🛡️ Safety & Welfare

The programmes are led by professional educators who teach at the school during the academic year. Teachers live on the same floors as the campers and are responsible for their wellbeing and safety: they wake them in the morning, supervise getting ready and sit with them at mealtimes. The teacher-to-camper ratio is 1:4. Boys and girls sleep in separate buildings (the youngest children may share a building with a separate floor for each sex).

Healthcare professionals are on campus 24 hours a day to give first aid and treat minor ailments, working with local doctors when needed. A health questionnaire must be completed before camp; the nurse keeps and administers all prescribed medication and self-medication is not allowed. Phones may be used in rooms only at set times (before breakfast, after lunch and before dinner) and are handed to the duty teacher each night; tablets, laptops, video games, internet-connected smartwatches and connected glasses are not allowed. Parents may not enter the residential buildings, and visits are only permitted at weekends (from Saturday until Sunday before dinner) by parents or an approved guardian.

💡 Who This Programme Is For

This camp suits 8–15-year-olds who want a varied, international summer with a clear focus, whether that is improving English or French, building robots, learning to lead or exploring the arts. With a choice of eleven academies and around 30 afternoon activities on a large lakeside campus, it works well for both first-time and returning campers who enjoy a structured, busy programme alongside friends from around the world.

Institut Le Rosey — Google Maps ↗

Chateau du, Le Rosey, 1180 Rolle, Switzerland Google Maps ↗