5 Reasons Why Every Child Should Go To Summer Camp: #3 – Take Safe Risks and Create Challenge

Teens thrive on risk. Thanks to recent findings* about the unique attributes of the teen brain, we now understand the reason for the “mortality bump” for 17-year-old boys. They do stupid, daring things not because they aren’t aware of the dangers, but because—to them—the reward of leaping from a rocky cliff or speeding along a curvy mountain road seems to far outweigh the risk. But what does this have to do with summer camp?

The answer lies in the third of our 5 reasons why EVERY child should go to summer camp:

REASON #3: Take Safe Risks and Create Challenge

A teen at camp has the opportunity to take many safe, controlled risks. Climbing to new heights on a rock wall or ropes course, jumping the wake of a boat on a wake board, or reaching the peak of a 10,000-foot summit are all healthy risks teens take at camp. Plus, being in a controlled camp environment frees teens from exposure to health risks like alcohol and drug use. Risk aversion can give rise to undesirable behavior later in life (Read our blog: ‘Perhaps the Safest Place to Make Mistakes…And Learn From Them‘).

Though the long-term consequences of risk avoidance are still not fully understood, it does seem that the ability for children to make their own decisions in free play encompasses the ability to take risks, to experiment with cause and effect (consequence). Important in this is the freedom to make mistakes and learn from them, to learn how to negotiate fear and adversity. There are lots of ways that this can be achieved, but getting kids outdoors and leaving them to their own devices is integral to the summer camp program. And the forgiving, nurturing environments created by close-knit ‘uni-cultures’ at camp are, perhaps the safest places to make mistakes…and learn from them.

Then there are the benefits of a solid, positive camp program that challenges teenagers to go outside their comfort zones, under an umbrella of support, guidance, and safety. Camp programming that challenges teens or offers ways to take true responsibility, such as in a counselor-in- training (CIT) or leader-in-training (LIT) program, are tremendous antidotes to what has been called ‘the frivolous, media-controlled world of teen culture’ (Epstein, 2014). And camp programs that give teens an opportunity to give back by performing a service for others can be equally as powerful.

Adolescence now lasts longer than ever, and the adolescent brain is surprisingly malleable. These new discoveries make this time of life crucial in determining a person’s ultimate success and happiness.

Laurence Steinberg, PhD

A strong, positive camp culture is the true ‘medicine’ for the adolescent brain: meaningful, authentic connection with caring adults; an opportunity to take healthy risks and master new skills ; and the chance to develop one’s emerging sense of self.

References:

*Age of Opportunity: Lessons from the New Science of Adolescence (Laurence Steinberg)

Sunshine Parenting, January 23, 2015

The Power of the Camp Experience

We are convinced that kids need camp. Today, like never before, teens and pre-teens are under tremendous pressure. Self-doubt, peer pressure, and a host of other harmful influences nag at kids every day. Even kids who enjoy a strong support structure face hurdles. Camp provides opportunities for children and young adults to pull away and catch their breath – catch a vision for the bigger picture of their lives and cultivate critical skills. Friends and adult role models who exert positive peer pressure can make all the difference in a child’s life. Such friendships forged through shared experience and the compressed time at camp, can last a lifetime and provide a connection that helps young people navigate the challenges of life.

According to researchers, kids spend on average 3.5 minutes in meaningful conversation with their parents each week. At camp, caring adults, counselors and mentors come alongside campers, helping them think through decisions and experiences in a way that will prepare them for their future, a future that is often reimagined because of the challenges and successes the camp experience brings. Many campers point back to their experiences at camp, or a positive role model they met at camp as one who helped shape the direction of their lives.

Campers explore nature, participate in new adventures and test their limits by problem solving, engaging in teamwork, citizenship and independent activity in a safe and healthy environment surrounded by caring and supporting adult role models. This combination of elements and opportunities has a changing influence upon the kids we serve – it is the power of the camp experience.

the-power-of-camp

References:

http://kff.org/other/poll-finding/report-generation-m2-media-in-the-lives

http://www.ccca.org

http://www.csun.edu/science/health/docs/tv&health.html

Summer 2016: A Journey Unimagined

Summer 2016 was a time of opportunity, challenge and growth for 96 young people who set out on journeys that would take them to Arizona, Colorado, Minnesota and Maine. Journeys previously unimagined. But those individual journeys would not be bound by location or distance, instead they would be defined by achievement and ambition.

On these journeys the campers encountered nature, exploration, responsibility, citizenship, teamwork, friendship, independence and problem solving. They have the mental room to consider some of the most important issues of life. This break from the craziness of their regular routine allowed these campers to think about their future, to evaluate unhealthy patterns and engage in meaningful relationships, all of which shaped their next steps.

Because of you, 96 campers became better people. They will grow into contributing adults. They will impact and influence others in a more positive way. They will be better community members and better leaders. Because of you, the world will be different.

You made the difference to each of these young people this summer.

5 Reasons Why Every Child Should Go To Summer Camp: #2 – To Develop Character

Employers want it in their employees, employees want it in their bosses. We all want it in our kids. What is it? It’s called character. So what is it and why is it important?

Character is the glue that bonds solid and meaningful relationships”

-Tony Dungy

In an ever-changing, fast paced world we are often faced with the need to build strong relationships, make new (and often quick) decisions; move past current challenges by sticking at a problem and finding the appropriate solution; and be responsible for our own actions and successes.

These character attributes can be developed, and our campers and their parents tell us that they are…at camp!

Much like the Emotional Intelligence skills in the first of our series of blogs about “Why Every Child Should Go to Summer Camp“, Psychologists have been studying character skills for a long time, and the business world has started to pay attention to their findings, and is beginning to care more about an employee’s character.

A profound gap exists between the knowledge and skills most students learn in school and the knowledge and skills they need for success in their communities and workplaces.

– Partnership for 21^st Century Skills

In the first of our blog series we asked “What is so special about people who have been to summer camp?”

One of the answer lies in the second of our 5 reasons why EVERY child should go to summer camp:

REASON #2: To Develop Character

Character is important for success as it’s what makes us authentic. It makes us, us. Being self aware about character is what will make you stand out in a good way. Your good character is the most important asset you have. Your true character is revealed when no one else is looking.

Children develop important character skills at camp, including independence, responsibility, decision-making, and resilience. They grow considerably in an environment away from their parents where they are forced to live on their own and find their own resources – we know because our campers and their parents told us so!

References:

Sunshine Parenting, January 23, 2015

5 Reasons Why Every Child Should Go To Summer Camp: #1 To Improve Interpersonal Skills

In an interpersonal world we are often faced with issues involving communication, empathy, understanding, self-awareness—or more precisely, a skill set associated with emotional intelligence (EQ). It just so happens that emotional competencies also translate extremely well to the professional world. And the best part? These skills can be learned.

Psychologists have been studying emotional intelligence for a long time, and the business world has started to pay attention to their findings, and is beginning to care about an employee’s EQ.

One study followed the hiring of sales agents for L’Oreal on the basis of certain emotional competencies. These agents outsold other salespeople by $91,370 for a net revenue increase of $2,558,360. If that weren’t enough, the high EQ employees had 63% less turnover during the first year than those selected in the typical manner.

In a separate study, a national insurance company found that sales agents who were weak in emotional competencies such as self-confidence, initiative, and empathy sold policies with an average premium of $54,000. Not bad, right? Well, compared to agents who scored high in a majority of emotional competencies, they sold policies worth an average of $114,000.

In a third international study of 515 senior executives, emotional intelligence was a better predictor of success than either relevant previous experience or high IQ.

Q So what can a business owner do to boost emotional intelligence?

A Look at candidates who have been to summer camp!

“Why, what is so special about people who have been to summer camp?” you might ask…

The answer lies in the first of our 5 reasons why EVERY child should go to summer camp:

REASON #1: To Improve Interpersonal Skills & Form Close Friendships

Interacting effectively with other people is one of the most important skills children learn at camp. How do we know? Because 85% of our campers and 89% of their parents told us so!

In the unplugged, noncompetitive camp culture, teens build up their “emotional intelligence” (EQ), their face-to-face communication and relationship skills. Why are these interpersonal skills so important? Because 21^st-century employers need people who can communicate, collaborate, and cooperate with others.

Why Every Child Should Go To Summer Camp (1)

References:

Steve Cooper – Forbes Magazine, March, 2013.

Sunshine Parenting, January 23, 2015

Going to a Residential Camp As A Kid Might Prepare You Better for College

Here’s a more fun way to prepare for college than studying: Go to overnight camp.

Summer camp may not help you ace your college calculus class, but experts say being away from home when you’re younger can help you ease into campus life.

“While we don’t track students who have participated in an overnight camp experience, I can comfortably speculate that those who have are more apt to apply the tools they learned there in resolving roommate conflicts, problem-solving in small groups, and learning to live with people from different backgrounds,” Kenyon College vice president for student affairs Meredith Harper Bonham told NBC News.

While some students struggle when they leave home for the first time, veterans of overnight camp arrive on campus armed with some important lessons in communal living.

“Many of our students have never had to share a room, or even a bathroom, with a sibling,” Bonham said, adding that some students have grown up in “highly segregated areas with respect to race, ethnicity and socioeconomic class.”

Overnight camp forces the type of constant interaction, negotiation and direct communication that students will face in the communal, diverse environment of a residential college,” she added.

Benjamin Eidelberg, 22, felt his camp experience came in handy when he got his undergraduate degree. He spent summers at Camp Cobbossee in Monmouth, Maine, starting at age 10.

“Camp was a great way to prepare me for college and leaving home,” Eidelberg, who got his Bachelor’s from the University of Maryland and is now getting a Master’s there, told NBC News. “On top of forging friendships for a lifetime, camp taught me how to be away from my parents, interact with complete strangers, and become independent.”

He drew parallels between the first day of college, when he didn’t know anyone, and the first day of camp, where the only campers he knew were his brother and two family friends.

“Like in college, I was forced to meet and socialize with strangers and ultimately develop my group of friends,” he said.

Eidelberg also found camp fertile ground for developing confidence and a new perspective.

“Camp served as an escape from life at home, whether it was school or just Pikesville [Maryland] in general,” he said. “It was a place, similar to college, that was fresh and where others did not have strong predispositions, at least prior to my first couple of summers.”

Kenyon College’s Bonham said she sees the benefits of summer camp for her own children too: whether it’s sharing care packages with their bunkmates or getting out of their comfort zones and trying new activities.

“While I like to think they learned all of these qualities as toddlers, receiving the additional reinforcement as pre-teens and teenagers can only help as they develop into humane, socially conscious adults,” she said.

Though summer camp experiences don’t often make it onto college applications, college admissions counselor Sara Harberson of Admissions Revolution believes they could still serve applicants well.

“The memories and lessons students have from summer camp will imbue them with a genuineness and adaptability which may come through in unpredictable ways in their essays, letters of recommendation, and interviews,” Harberson said. “Most importantly, their approach to the college process and their choices about how to spend their remaining summers are usually quite thoughtful, because they have a taste of what it means to be happy with their surroundings. That might make going to camp as a younger child priceless in the end.”

by ALLISON SLATER TATE – published at nbcnews.com

Most of life’s greatest lessons are learned outside the classroom walls

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Camp is one of the most enjoyable ways for kids to spend the summer. But is it only about enjoyment, or can summer camp be a place where some of life’s great lessons can be learned?

A quality summer camp has the ability to teach skills for life, including resilience, critical thinking, social & emotional intelligence, creativity, and leadership. These are the specific skills that young people will need to succeed in the 21st century, and have been identified by companies & other major institutions as necessary attributes for future success.

Summer camp creates the opportunity for children to discover lifelong lessons and improve their self-confidence and independence; to build trust and create challenges that foster the development of skills, strategy and teamwork; as well as the chance to teach and guide other children, building leadership skills in planning, communicating, goal setting, time management, negotiating and counseling.

These skills of leadership can be acquired through practice. Leadership is neither inbred nor intuitive. Our associate camps put campers through practiced exercises where leadership is required, encouraging and supporting them in continual improvement. We believe in the power of the outdoor experience because it’s fun, physically challenging, and rewarding. These carefully selected leadership programs use a small-team approach where everyone gets the attention they need and the opportunity to engage and improve. They apply a systemic approach to leadership development, encouraging repeated exposure and practice.

Our associate camps are faithful to their long traditions, but they are also skilled youth development organizations who understand that today’s young people are living in an increasingly complex world. The summer camp experience is not simply about provide a fun experience for children during the summer months. We align high quality summer camps that are creating intentional and engaging programs that impact the course of the child’s future.

To lean more about the specific leadership programs at some of our associate camps click on the links below:

Camp Kawanhee for Boys

Camp Thunderbird

Cheley Colorado Camps

Colvig Silver Camps

Sanborn Western Camps

Perhaps the Safest Place to Make Mistakes…and Learn From Them

Risk aversion can give rise to undesirable behavior later in life. The University of Sydney’s Playground Project states that a consequence of risk aversion is that children can lack physical and emotional challenges, giving rise to undesirable behavior such as bullying.

Though the long-term consequences of risk avoidance are still not fully understood, it does seem that the ability for children to make their own decisions in free play encompasses the ability to take risks, to experiment with cause and effect (consequence). Important in this is the freedom to make mistakes and learn from them, to learn how to negotiate fear and adversity. And let’s face it, if life isn’t easy as a kid, it sure ain’t easy as an adult. But at what cost? There are pressures abound to NOT take risks, to NOT fail, and so by extension there is perhaps an unseen pressure to avoid the type of free play that may expose our children to risk and failure.

If we remove risk (and consequence) from our children’s lives, we could well be setting them up for failure. Tim McGill writes in his book No Fear: Growing Up in a Risk Averse Society that parents and governments should “embrace a philosophy of resilience: an affirmation of the value of children’s ability to recover and learn from adverse outcomes, whether these are accidents and injuries, failure, conflict, abuse, neglect, or even tragedy.”

There are lots of ways that this can be achieved, but getting kids outdoors and leaving them to their own devices is integral to the summer camp program. And the forgiving, nurturing environments created by close-knit ‘uni-cultures’ at camp are, perhaps the safest places to make mistakes…and learn from them.

Making the Argument: Camp Creates Advantage

Over the last five years a growing tidal wave of research makes it clear that there are a certain set of skills that predict for long-term success in life — and those are the skills being taught at summer camp. Academic performance may help students get into a competitive college, but it is grit, tenacity, optimism, and self-control that will get them through to graduation. Most camp directors already know and understand this, but as an industry we can do a better job of making this argument. We must show parents that camp is uniquely positioned to build exactly the skills their children will need to thrive not only in college, but in their careers as well.

For example, did you know that Princeton’s Dean of Admissions has recommended that high schoolers return to their summer camps to be senior leaders and counselors (Rapelye, 2012) instead of other academic or resume-building opportunities? I didn’t know that until I started researching this article. You’d better believe that every prospective parent I meet for the rest of the year is going to hear about it though.

Did you know that in April of 2014, CNBC ran an item titled “Summer Camp May Improve College Admission Odds”? That link has now been posted to our website as evidence for prospective parents.

Have you ever spoken with a parent about the Partnership for 21st Century Skills? This organization has published reports that describe the critical skills major American employers desperately want from new graduates entering the workforce. The skills these employers have identified are exactly the skills that are built every year at summer camp: communication, collaboration, creativity, and leadership.

These are the kinds of statements that turn heads and cause parents’ eyes to light up. Parents may like the idea of sending their child to camp to be outdoors, make friends, and be more confident, but they feel compelled to send their child to camp when they believe it creates an advantage and sets their child up for success.

That camp creates advantage for kids is a winning argument that camp directors must learn to make. It is a winning argument not only because it’s true, but because it snaps parents from a cautious approach to an eager approach to finding the right camp for their child. It will help directors fill their own individual camps and benefit the industry as a whole if we broadly communicate that camps really do create advantage for kids.

ACA’s 20/20 Vision is a bold and ambitious plan for strengthening our industry and for benefiting millions of children. Let’s help make it a reality by learning to make a compelling argument from the ground up: “Camp creates advantage for kids.”

Reference
Rapelye, J. (2012, Sept. 28). Part 5: Answers from Princeton’s dean of admission. The Choice, New York Times.
ACA Camping Magazine: The Argument We Must Learn To Make: Camp Creates Advantage (Erec Hills)

Spring Board Retreat – Focus on Impact

Over the weekend of April 24-26 the JACF Trustees and management met for their spring retreat among the beautiful surroundings of The Nature Place, part of the Sanborn Western Camps property in Florissant, CO. High on the agenda was discussion about measuring the outcomes of the summer camp experience and the long-term impact they can have upon the JACF camper, their family and community.

Throughout the year lots of activity takes place to deliver the Foundation’s programs and services, both in the JACF office and among its dedicated volunteers and partners. Much of that activity centers around WHAT we do, and HOW we do it. All of that activity is vitally important as we strive toward funding and supporting each of our campers and their families, and reaching our goal of bringing an unparalleled summer camp experience within their reach. But that goal is only part of the story, and the camp experience is only a means to a greater end. When we focus on WHY we intervene and support in this way we are able to tell a compelling story of impact.

Over the last five years a growing tidal wave of research makes it clear that there are a certain set of skills that predict for long-term success in life — and those are the skills being taught at summer camp. And so the camp experience is a platform for shaping our campers and preparing them for long-term success. (read more)

The trustees were privileged to hear JACF camper Skye H share her reflections about what her 3 summers at Sanborn Western Camps have meant to her, and how excited she is as she prepares for summer number 4. Skye spoke about how she has grown from a shy young girl into a confident and mature individual, and attributes the leadership skills that have since brought her new opportunities to her time at camp. As she shared her dreams about attending the Airforce Academy it became clear that in front of us was an amazing young woman who, in part due to the time spent at summer camp, was opening doors to her future that may not otherwise have been available to her. Skye was bringing to life our conversations about impact, and how empowering that was!

As we continue to work toward removing barriers to this outcome-laden, impactful summer camp experience, we see one more underserved young person gifted an opportunity to achieve their full potential.