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.
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
