Perdiqua

This year's theme for Grest is called Perdiqua, a summer encouraging kids to explore and welcome what is new and unknown. Perdiqua means "this way" and the symbol that accompanies this phrase is that of three children in an air balloon: one holding a telescope, one looking at a map, and one pointing off into the distance. Through this program, children are encouraged to remain dreamers and to explore that which might be strange or unexpected.

The four main subjects of Perdiqua are: dreamers, foreigners, travelers and guests. Each day Grest begins with one of the subjects and brings up a certain aspect to reflect upon. This subject is often reflected upon in mass or in the activities that the campers participate in throughout the day. One day for example, when they were talking about foreigners, they had students act out skits representing what they knew about various countries from around the world. Another day when the focus was on dreams, they had the children write one of their dreams on a post-it note and gathered all the dreams together in one place for everyone to see. 

The idea having such a theme in Grest is to keep campers looking beyond themselves and the daily activities. These discussions and subjects encourage reflection, however brief, on the world that exists beyond the camp. The subjects not only expose the campers to new material but aim to inspire them in self-exploration.