Mathecamp — maths learning summer camp in Flattach, Austria

The maths camp runs twenty learning units per camp week, taught in German in small groups for half of the day. Teaching formats are varied and the group size is deliberately small so that the tutor can work with each participant on the material that is actually causing difficulty. Participants are asked to bring their own school books, which lets the tutors follow the syllabus the child works from at school rather than a generic programme. The camp positions the week as a way of consolidating maths in the holidays and starting the new school year well prepared, with the second half of each day given over to sport so that the learning stays in manageable blocks.

The camp fee covers accommodation at the Actionhotel on full board, the half-day learning programme, the half-day sports and activity programme, all transfers from the hotel, the evening entertainment programme and supervision around the clock. Arrival is arranged separately: parents can bring their child directly to the camp, or the camp can organise train travel with tickets and reserved seats and collect participants at the station by shuttle bus. Families who book their own train journey can use the shuttle bus from Mallnitz station, and an individual taxi transfer can be arranged on request. The arrival service and travel and cancellation insurance are not part of the camp fee.

Participants stay at the Actionhotel in Flattach, a club hotel for young people in the Mölltal valley. Rooms are functional and shared, and are allocated on site by the animation team, with girls and boys accommodated separately; room requests can be given when booking. Bed linen is provided by the hotel and one towel per participant is placed in the room, so extra towels for daily use and for swimming should be packed. Alongside the rooms the hotel has a club theatre, club rooms, a fitness room, a whirlpool and a disco. A strict ban on smoking and alcohol applies throughout.

Full board is included for the whole stay. The day starts with a breakfast buffet, a snack lunch is served in the middle of the day and the evening brings a three-course dinner. The hotel kitchen prepares vegetarian dishes for participants who need them, and such requests should be given at the time of booking. Pocket money is used only for extras such as entrance fees on excursions, souvenirs, additional drinks and ice cream; the camp team can look after it and returns any unspent amount with a written statement at the end of the stay.

Sport takes up the second half of the day. The programme draws on soap football, the Mohalk walk, Expedition Robinson, mountain bike tours, soccer cage, crate stacking, the Glockenwand climb, Viking chess, team-building tasks, volleyball, trekking and swimming in the outdoor pool. The evening programme matches the activity camp and includes a disco, a campfire, a film night, a night expedition and shows. Programme content may be changed because of poor weather, low participant numbers or unforeseen circumstances.

The camp is based at the Actionhotel, a club hotel for young people with functional rooms, a breakfast buffet and dining areas, a club theatre and club rooms, a fitness room, a whirlpool and a disco. The hotel sits in the Mölltal valley in Carinthia, close to the Hohe Tauern national park, and serves as the base for the whole programme. All transfers from the hotel to the activity locations are included, so participants move between the hotel and the outdoor venues with the camp team.

The maths camp suits children and younger teenagers who need to catch up or consolidate in maths but do not want to spend the holidays at a desk. Mornings are teaching in small groups, afternoons and evenings are the same sports and entertainment programme as the activity camp. Supervision runs around the clock, the camp team handles room allocation and the daily routine, and a strict ban on smoking and alcohol applies. Phones are allowed and are only collected in if they disturb the night-time quiet period.