With the closing ceremony attended by CHF Director Zdeslav Milas, M.Sc., in Novi Vinodolski, this year’s 33rd Little School of Croatian Language and Culture was successfully brought to a close, which took place this year from July 20 to 31, 2026, in the Red Cross Zagreb Resort, bringing together 71 participants aged 9 to 14 from 16 European and overseas countries (Canada, Saudi Arabia, United States of America, Austria, Chile, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Germany, Poland, Ireland, Netherlands, Hungary, Luxembourg, Sweden, Norway, United Arab Emirates).
Attendees participated in various creative workshops (language, drama, journalism, film, puppetry, art, stop animation workshop, Croatian folklore workshop), sports and entertainment programs, and various leisure activities.
This year’s main theme was family. Therefore, at the final event held on July 30, with all their efforts, talents and knowledge they acquired during the Little School, they showed what family means to them through song, dance, acting, film, art and journalistic works.
The event, which was held on the terrace of the Resort in Novi Vinodolski, with numerous parents and relatives of the participants, was attended by CHF Director Zdeslav Milas with his wife, Mirjana Vatavuk on behalf of the Ministry of Demography and Immigration, Vesna Tica on behalf of the Red Cross Zagreb City Association and Renata Garbajs, head of the CHF Rijeka Branch, along with Rijeka writer Diana Rosandić Živković, head of the commission of the “Zlatna ribica” competition, and Eszter Tamaskó, Hungarian language instructor at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Rijeka.
Drama groups performed Dolazak (Arrival) and Rođendan (Birthday), and puppeteers performed Vuk i sedam kozlića (The Wolf and the Seven Little Goats). As many as three film workshops presented themselves with films Sjećaš li se Male škole? (Do you remember the Little School?), Pomfrit (French Fries) and Mala škola, velika obitelj (Little School, Big Family), while the Little School animators prepared the animated film Domozov. The crochet workshop prepared a fashion show of handbags made during the School; at the end of the event, participants in the Croatian folklore workshop sang and danced the choreography Sve ptičice zapjevale (All the Birds Sang).
In the resort courtyard, creations from the art workshops on the topic of family were exhibited, made using various techniques, along with the newspaper “Spomenak” in print edition.
On the eve of the event, Director Milas presented certificates to the first prize winners of the “Zlatna ribica” competition, Ana Bögöti and Emilia Kohuth from Gradišće, Hungary, for whom participation in the Little School was the prize.
This year’s Little School leaves behind days filled with emotions, laughter, new friendships and moments that everyone will remember for a long time. A big thank you to Red Cross Zagreb and its Children’s Resort in Novi Vinodolski and all the leaders who enriched the program of the Little School with their knowledge, creativity and dedication.
As a reminder, the Little School of Croatian Language and Culture is a unique program in the Republic of Croatia that has been held continuously since 1993, bringing together over two thousand children from 45 countries to date. The Croatian Heritage Foundation is its organizer, creator and implementer, which implies continuous monitoring of the interests of children and young people of Croatian descent, modern educational approaches and the design of content that will bring the Croatian language and culture closer to them in a creative, interesting and relatable way. That is why this year’s Little School program includes new content, such as comics, crocheting, animation, making stick puppets, workshops dedicated to “fjaka”, pub quizzes, board games, origami, and jewelry making, which successfully connect learning, creativity, and fun.
The continuous interest of the youngest, the diversity of the program, the success of the final products and the extremely positive reactions of the participants and their parents are the best indicators of the value, recognition and lasting need for this traditional program of the Croatian Heritage Foundation.
Goodbye until the Little School in 2027.
Text: Lada Kanajet Šimić; Photo: CHF 
