Displaying items by tag: summer camp benefits
Hey there! I've been the Camp Director at Swift Nature Camp for nearly three decades, and something I've always wondered about is why campers keep coming back each year. Sure, I've asked them, and I usually get the typical responses like "Mom made me" or "it's fun," but I'm still curious about the deeper reasons. Lately, I've been on a mission to chat with adults who attended Swift Nature Camp or other camps to understand how they feel now about their camp experiences and what drew them back each year to a summer camp in Wisconsin. Here's a list of some of the answers I've gathered!
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Freedom and Independence: It might have been the first time away from home for an extended period. This newfound independence can be thrilling and memorable.
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Bonding and Friendships: Camp often creates an environment where strong bonds are formed. The shared experiences, activities, and communal living often lead to lifelong friendships.
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Adventure and Activities: Camps are filled with various activities—sports, arts and crafts, hiking, campfires, etc. These experiences often are New and can be adventurous, exhilarating, and often unique to camp life.
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Nature and Disconnecting: Being in nature without the distractions of technology can be refreshing. It forces campers to appreciate the outdoors and disconnect from the digital world, creating lasting memories of simplicity and natural beauty.
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Nostalgia: Memories of summer camp as a kid. These moments of being carefree, fun times, and reminiscing often evoke a strong sense of nostalgia and happiness.
- It's truly remarkable how these adult responses echo the same sentiments I heard from them as kids. The consistency in how activities and nature have remained unchanged is incredible. But what's even more remarkable is that the feelings the kids had while at camp, those emotions, enthusiasm, and joy, they're still very much alive in these adults today. It's this enduring connection that solidifies for me why I'm so passionate about being involved in childrens summer camp.
- If you would like to learn more, please reach out
Jeff Lorenz
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Recently, we came accross the below article in the Washington Post. We found it extremely informative because it highlights the what and the why parents send their children to overnight summer camp. Something we have been wondering for years, because doing so as a parent is counter intuitive. You send your children into the woods to live with a bunch of folks they do not know while your children are directly supervised by college students, it makes no sense. Yet, after one summer parents get it. They see the benefits, children mature and gain independent in ways that can only happen away from home. If you are new to summer camp or a returning parent please read and think how camp this summer, camp will have a positive effect your child.
I send my kids to sleep-away camp to give them a competitive advantage in life
By Laura Clydesdale
May 9, 2016
“Do you even like your children?” the woman I had just met asked me.
The audacity of the question took my breath away. I had been chatting with her, explaining that my kids go to sleep-away camp for two months every year.
I quickly realized two things at once: She was obnoxious, and she actually didn’t care if I missed my kids during the summer. She was talking about something else.
I didn’t have to tell her the reason I “send them away” for most of the summer is because I like them. They adore camp, and it’s actually harder on me than it is on them. I often tell people that the first year they were both gone, it felt like I had lost an arm. I wandered around the house from room to room experiencing phantom limb pain.
Now, instead of being offended, I got excited.
I was going to be able to tell her something that my husband and I rarely get to explain: We do it because we truly think it will help our kids be successful in life. With under-employment and a stagnating labor market looming in their future, an all-around, sleep-away summer camp is one of the best competitive advantages we can give our children.
Huh?
Surely, college admissions officers aren’t going to be impressed with killer friendship bracelets or knowing all the words to the never-ending camp song “Charlie on the M.T.A.” Who cares if they can pitch a tent or build a fire?
Indeed, every summer my kids “miss out” on the specialized, résumé-building summers that their peers have. Their friends go to one-sport summer camps and take summer school to skip ahead in math. Older peers go to SAT/ACT prep classes. One kid worked in his dad’s business as an intern, while another enrolled in a summer program that helped him write all his college essays.
Many (this woman included) would say that I’m doing my children a serious disservice by choosing a quaint and out-of-date ideal instead. There are online “Ivy League Coaches” that might say we are making a terrible mistake.
We don’t think this is a mistake at all. It might not be something to put on the college application (unless my child eventually becomes a counselor), but that isn’t the goal for us.
Our goal is bigger.
We are consciously opting out of the things-to-put-on-the-college-application arms race, and instead betting on three huge benefits of summer camp, which we believe will give them a true competitive advantage — in life:
1. Building creativity.
2. Developing broadly as a human being.
3. Not-living-in-my-basement-as-an-adult independence.
MIT’s Erik Brynjolfsson says, in his book “The Second Machine Age,” that we have reached a pivotal moment where technology is replacing skills and people at an accelerated pace. He argues that creativity and innovation are becoming competitive advantages in the race against artificial intelligence, because creativity is something a machine has a hard time replicating.
The problem is that creativity seems so intangible.
Steve Jobs once said, “Creativity is just connecting things.” He believed that people invent when they connect the dots between the experiences they’ve had. To do this, he argued that we need to have more experiences and spend more time thinking about those experiences.
Indeed. According to Adam Grant’s book “Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World,” researchers at Michigan State University found that to receive the Nobel Prize, you need deep study in your field and those broad experiences Jobs was talking about. They studied the winning scientists from 1901 through 2005 and compared them with typical scientists living at the same time. Grant writes that the Nobel Prize winners were:
* Two times more likely to play an instrument, compose or conduct.
* Seven times more likely to draw, paint or sculpt.
* Seven-and-a-half times more likely to do woodwork or be a mechanic, electrician or glassblower.
* Twelve times more likely to write poetry, plays, novels or short stories.
* And 22 times more likely to be an amateur actor, dancer or magician.
You read that right. Magician.
It’s not just that this kind of original thinker actively seeks out creative pursuits. These original experiences provide a new way of looking at the world, which helped the prize-winners think differently in their day jobs.
The beauty of summer camp is that not only do kids get to do all sorts of crazy new things, they also get to do it in nature, which lends its own creative boost.
Most importantly, my kids have such intensely packed schedules full of sports, music, art classes, community service and technological stimulation throughout the school year that it makes finding these all-important quiet mental spaces more difficult.
Summers provide a much-needed opportunity for my children to unplug, achieve focus and develop those creative thought processes and connections.
Okay, okay. Creativity might be a compelling tool to beat out that neighbor girl applying to the same college, but what about this “developing broadly as a human being” stuff?
I didn’t come up with that phrase. Harvard did.
William Fitzsimmons, dean of admissions at Harvard, Marilyn McGrath, director of admissions at Harvard and Charles Ducey, with Harvard’s graduate school of education, penned a compelling letter to parents. It practically begs and pleads with them to reevaluate the summer extracurriculars race and to “bring summer back,” with an “old-fashioned summer job” perhaps, or simply time to “gather strength for the school year ahead.”
Fitzsimmons writes, “What can be negative is when people lose sight of the fact that it’s important to develop broadly as a human being, as opposed to being an achievement machine. In the end, people will do much better reflecting, perhaps through some down time, in the summer.”
In terms of “developing broadly as a human being,” summer camp can provide an impressive list of life skills.
Studies over the past decade have shown outdoor programs stimulate the development of interpersonal competencies, enhance leadership skills and have positive effects on adolescents’ sense of empowerment, self-control, independence, self-understanding, assertiveness, decision-making skills, self-esteem, leadership, academics, personality and interpersonal relations.
Now for the cherry on top: Independence.
Michael Thompson, the author of “Homesick and Happy,” has written, “… there are things that, as a parent, you cannot do for your children, as much as you might wish to. You cannot make them happy (if you try too hard they become whiners); you cannot give them self-esteem and confidence (those come from their own accomplishments); you cannot pick friends for them and micro-manage their social lives, and finally you cannot give them independence. The only way children can grow into independence is to have their parents open the door and let them walk out. That’s what makes camp such a life-changing experience for children.”
So, yes, Ms. Tiger Mom, I am letting my children walk out the door and make useless lanyards for two months.
They might not have anything “constructive” to place on their college application, but they will reflect, unwind, think and laugh. They will explore, perform skits they wrote themselves and make those endless friendship bracelets to tie onto the wrists of lifelong friends.
The result will be that when they come back through our door, we’re pretty sure that, in addition to having gobs of creativity and independence, they’ll be more comfortable with who they are as people.
And just maybe they’ll even bring back a few magic tricks.
Laura Clydesdale lives in Berkeley, Calif., with her husband and children. She blogs at lauraclydesdale.com. Follow her on Twitter @l_clydesdale.
As a summer camp director for over 25 years families often ask why camp has such a positive impact on kids. I usually answer with "Camp Magic". Yet researcher have been researching what children need during their summer of no school and magically Overnight Summer Camp meets all of the requirements. Below is their article published on the Society of Behavioral Medicine.
Lazy Days of Summer: How to keep children active all year long
Dori Pekmezi, PhD; University of Alabama at Birmingham
Linda Trinh, PhD; University of Toronto
Diane Ehlers, PhD; University of Nebraska Medical Center
Jennette Moreno, PhD; Baylor College of Medicine
It is known that children are less active over summer break. A recent study among children 6 to 9 years of age showed that physical activity dropped by 53% during the summer months. Moreover, time spent in sedentary activities (e.g., screen time) increases. According to the national survey data, children watch more television (+18+ minutes/day) over summer break than during the school year.
There are many possible reasons for these seasonal differences in physical activity. School days typically involve regular physical activity sessions (e.g., recess, PE class) and limited screen time, which may have a protective effect on children’s health behaviors. The structured days hypothesis suggests that disruptions in such routines are responsible for lower physical activity levels over the summer. However, parents also play a role. Past research found that third and fourth grade parents restricted screen time during the school year to encourage homework completion and then relaxed these rules once school was out of session.
Declines in physical activity over the summer can have adverse effects on children’s health (e.g., weight gain). Numerous studies have shown that body mass index increases more in the summer than in other seasons. Excess weight gain can lead to obesity and poorer metabolic, cardiovascular, respiratory, and mental health for children. Overweight/obese, low income, Black, and Hispanic children are at increased risk for summer surges in body mass index. Thus, physical activity in the summer months is critical for children’s health.
What the Experts Say
Dr. Jennette Moreno from Baylor College of Medicine is an SBM member and content expert with the following advice.
What tips do you have for parents to keep kids active during summer?
Tip 1: Infuse structure into your child’s summer. During the school year, children have to get up and get going, but this may not be the case during the summer. Set up a routine that gets them moving. This may involve going to summer camp, taking walks, going to swim lessons, or just having a standing playdate with friends. Also going to bed at a similar time during the summer as during the school year will help your child to be rested and active the next day.
Tip 2: Be prepared for the weather. Heat, humidity, and inclement weather are common barriers to outdoor physical activity. Take advantage of mornings before it really heats up. Water activities can help beat the heat, but also have indoor physical activity options ready to go, like online yoga and PE videos geared towards kids. My kids love dance parties, playing twister, turning board games into active play by running after the dice and adding jumping jacks in between turns. On bad weather days, check out local climbing gyms, indoor playgrounds, or bowling alleys.
Tip 3: Place limits on screen time. If given the choice, many kids will pick screen time over going outside to play. However, if screen time is limited, they may find something more active to do. One idea is to set your devices to not be accessible during school hours (even during summer) and only allow a pre-specified number of hours of screen time. This is how my kids got into designing obstacle courses outside.
Tip 4: Find a buddy. Kids are more likely to be active when other kids are around. Scheduling playdates, getting involved in a local kids group like scouts or a sports team are great ways to help kids maintain social relationships and encourage active play during summer.
How can schools/communities help kids stay active over the summer?
What about public health practitioners and policy makers-how can they help?
Teachers often ask children to read, journal, and practice math facts during summer. I would love to see schools design physical activity curriculars for kids to do at home during summer and keep the playgrounds open and accessible. Other important ways to help promote physical activity among children during summer is to make sure all families have access to high-quality affordable childcare during summer. As well as encouraging walkable neighborhoods in which children regardless of socioeconomic status have access to safe parks, playgrounds, splash pads, and public swimming pools within walking distance of their homes.
Social media is a platform which allows users to share all kinds of information easily. Some choose to update people on their families, other upload pictures of their vacations. However, these platforms also allow us to voice our opinions, write stuff that may be false, and can easily become a way for people to spread anger and sadness. We often complain that social media has created this new environment that we live in today, one where people are cold and less kind, where the hustle and bustle of life have us forgetting to say things like, “Thank you.” Social media does not force us to do anything, it simply provides an opportunity for us to communicate, much like books or television. Ultimately, we are the things that spread these messages, we are the ones that decide what to share, and we are responsible for all the damage done by social media.
As many have discussed the impacts of social media on society, there have been many studies performed on the actual impacts it has. Dr. Sara Kornath teaches as a professor of philanthropy, having a degree in social psychology. As such, she has explored societies decline in empathy, and looked at factors such as social media, and she has found an interesting correlation.
“There's a lot of research, including our own that finds a correlation between narcissism and social media usage, but I don't necessarily think that means that social media use causes increased narcissism. The studies that have tracked people over time find if anything, it's the other way around, that narcissistic people are just attracted to use social media because...
It can be used to fit their aims, which is to get a lot of attention. I did present that work, it's still unpublished, but finding that empathy is correlated with less social media use. Since then, a mini meta-analysis came out with five different studies examining that link between empathy and social media. Interestingly, it actually found that there's a small positive correlation. More empathetic people are using social media on average, a little bit more.”
Dr. Kornath has shown that the issues with social media are not due to the existence of these platforms themselves, but it is the human component which has allowed these platforms to become what we believe as the biggest problem in our society. How can we fix this problem?
In the camp world, we are no strangers to these empathetic practices, in fact, we would like to consider it the norm. Day camps, overnight camps, all seem to have these lessons at the forefront of their teaching, with what little teaching they do. Good counselors lead by example, they are kind and courteous to each and every person they interact with. From this, the campers then learn the appropriate behavior from a role model, making them want to have similar behavior to that of the counselor. They begin to greet people more, they begin using their manners more, they just generally become more empathetic. One could say that kindness builds kindness, which has long-term positive impacts. How can we measure these changes? Often, campers do not want to leave camp. While some may believe that it is because they will miss all of the fun things of camp, the usual reason campers never want to leave is because of their friendships. The bonds they forge at camp are so incredibly strong, transcending time and the space between us, and that is likely to do with the empathetic practices of camp. Why would anyone want to leave a summer paradise where everyone is kind all of the time? Some adults are lucky enough to be a part of camp life, and they often feel the same things that campers do. A place that is unlike college or work, where every single person you see is kind every day of the week. Why can our society at large put this into practice themselves?
Before camp every summer, our staff sits down and reads a poem called “If Only the World Were More Like Camp.” The message of the poem is that camp creates an atmosphere of love and empathy, and that if the world were more like it, our lives would be much better off. Maybe, social media just needs a little bit more camp energy, where we talk lovingly to one another, of excitement for new adventures of your friends, or maybe the simple “Happy Birthday” to an old friend you have not seen in a while. We have to relearn and reteach ourselves and our society how to be kind by being kind first. If kindness truly does build kindness, who better to start building that kindness than ourselves? Make the world more like camp, care about the people that are important to you, and treat those you do not know with respect and a smile. The best cure to a bad day is making someone smile, so instead of spreading anger, spread love. Show your children, your peers, anyone, the positive impacts of empathy and kindness. If kindness can build kindness, then hate can surely build hate. Decide what you would rather build, a world full of impersonal narcissists, or one full of joy and love. Be the change you wish to see, become kinder, and the world around you will follow.
Sources:
Speaking of Psychology: The Decline of Empathy and the Rise of Narcissism. Dec. 2019, www.apa.org/research/action/speaking-of-psychology/empathy-narcissism.
It is summer 2020 and most Moms don’t usually plan summer camps the week of June 1st. No most parents are actively searching for Open Summer Camps in January and February, Today, many parents are frantically searching for overnight summer camp. With Minnesota, Wisconsin and Illinois severly limiting summer camps for kids it is very difficult creating a dilemma about what to do.
Sure you can look on line and do more of the same with a virtual camp and this is just a way for camps to make lemonade out of lemons while helping parent provide some programing for thier child over the summer months. Having a program that is safe is important and online is one way to do that.
Other camps have gone the route of sending boxes each week to famillies and then the camper will open the box and have a virtual camp session so the child will get some instruction and then do the activities in the box.
Yet to Director Jeff Lorenz of Swift Nature Camp says "In 25 years as a camp Director I have never seen such a situation with parents starting so late to look for camp. COVID-19 has had a terrible effect on childhood and summer camp. So this summer camp in Wisconsin is OPEN"
At Swift Nature Camp in Wi, We are thinking out of the box. Everything we’ve known and done for the past 25 years is out the window, it is time to start over. Our goal is to offer the same activities. But we have to look at how we do that even safely with COVID.
Parents will need that reassurance to feel comfortable sending their kids to an in-person camp or activity. First, we we looked for safety protocols and gudlines from the state, county and the CDC even the American Camp Association has new guidlines. things we explored: What are the screening options? How are they checking temperatures? How are they identifying if kids are becoming sick at camp? Those things are more important to me than what the actual camp is about. We believe our families want clarity upfront about our camps COVID plans. we want to make sure parents feel comfortable putting their kids in an environment around other people and at the same time reavizing COVID could happen at summer camp, so that is another plan.
One thing we know about COVID is children fair much better than adults and they tend to spread it less, that is a bonus. Also we are changing our schedules to do even more outside because UV, Heat & Humidity seem to have a negative effect on the virus. Camp can definitely be able to practice social distancing and keep the kids active and outdoors. Masks will be a big part and washing our hands, not touching our face and sanitation areas around camp. Sleepaway summer camps have a very unique opportunity to create a virus free environment. We will be creating a SAFE BUBBLE where we know what comes in and what goes out. We have total control of our environment.
Yes, Swift Nature Camp is going to be different in the summer of 2020. However, having an open summer camp is so important for children personal growth and development. Overnight summer camps have always provided an important part of a Childs life but after the months of being at home, now more than ever children and parents need Open Summer Camps in the Midwest.
As the owner of Swift Nature Camp for over 25 year we have seen many changes in why parents send thier children to Overnight Summer Camp. Prior to cell phones and tablets parents were excited that children would be able to live with other kids in a fun and supportive way, while being out in nature away from city life. While the parents often got to travel or participate in other fun things for themselves. But around 2008 or so, parents begun to look at summer camps as a way to get children off their electronic devices. Parents often tell us that it is the "removal of cell phones that makes SNC Special". They especially enjoy that a technology break encourages children to be more active and not as sedentary plus they will make face to face connections. These skills are important for children to learn at a young age so they do not get addicted to technology like the rest of us. No doubt technology is a very important part of our lives these days but we as parents need to harness that power to make it an advantage rather than a demon.
Here are a few ideas that will help us.
1-Use a Video Tutorial for a Family Activity- This day and age we all use "how to videos" to do projects. I have repaired a car with my son after watching a video together. You could use the same to bake a cake or make a pizza as a family activity? This will make the activity more fun and you will be teaching your children you don't know everything and how to use your resources. .
2-Become a Director- Some evening when the family is all together rather than everyone going to their own devise shoot a movie together. Together come up with a skit or idea where kids could play their favorite characters and the older kids together even parents should get involved. Years from today the family will look back at these videos and it will bring a smile to their everyones face. Be sure not to get to crazy on perfection have fun with it and let the mistakes enter in, it will only be more fun in the future.
3-Change your communication- Texts are impersonal and often unclear to children. I much prefer the app MarcoPolo as a way to communicate. It provides Face to face interactions is very important, especially for your growing kids. It can affect the level of their confidence and the way they interact with other people rather than the abbreviated language of texts. Remember, seeing you and hearing your voice builds a stronger connection than a instant message regardless how sweet you make it.
4-Family Organizer Apps- Cozi Family Organizer has a wide range of really useful functions that you could use a family, such as managing family tasks lists, sending reminders of important family schedules and personal events and even make games out of chores. Why is this important Today children want to know in advance and do not like surprises, so it helps with anxiety. It also helps them become responsible for daily routines and one thing we have learned at Swift Nature Camp, kids do best with structure and routines.
Finally, I believe a wonderful thing all parents need to do is role model how to be independent of their device. Set a day or even a time each day, that everyone will put down their tablets and be together as family. Because after all, that is one of the main reason parents send their children to overnight camp - to put down their device be less dependent on technology and more dependent on relationships.
As a camp director in the camping industry for nearly 1/2 of my life I constantly ask my self what are the positive benefits we provide to children. Oh sure, we play out side and are away from technology and that is all good but thier must be more. At Swift Nature Camp we focus on nature and science studies so I have always believed that when children come together with a common interest like animals they build greater bonds. Kinda like a sports team for those kids who are not sportsy. A few years back I had the pleasure to meet Niambi and hear about the specail work she was doing at her summer camp. It was at that point that it became clear that all camps help build acceptance of others and a closeness between cultures. Below is a recent article she wrote concerning the impact summer camp can have on all of society.
Fear Interrupted: Reframing Cross-Cultural Narratives at Camp
Several years ago, when I directed my camp program specifically for African- American teen girls (Camp Butterfly), there were many memorable moments.
But one in particular has been etched in the recesses of my mind since the day it occurred. The event happened during one of our summer sessions; it involved a young 13-year-old girl named “Lea.”
During the day, Lea got along with all the other girls, was outgoing, and seemed pretty typical on the surface. But every night she would wreak havoc in the cabin. She picked fights with the other girls, was disrespectful to her counselors, and refused to go to bed. At first glance, it appeared that she suffered from some nocturnal Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde syndrome. As we gained her trust, we were able to uncover the truth. Lea was afraid to go to sleep because nighttime had proven to be the most unsafe time for her. She had been in a foster home where her bed was positioned right next to the bedroom door. This made it easy for her older foster brother to silently enter the room at night, undetected by her sleeping younger sister. He would kneel by the side of her bed and sexually violate her. We learned that this had been a nightly ritual for almost three months when she was 11 years old until she and her sister were reassigned to a different foster home due to other circumstances. She had never shared the truth of her horrific past and wasn’t even consciously aware of its effects on her nighttime behavior. At camp, her assigned bed was close to a door. She complied during the day but was terrified at night. She picked arguments with the other girls to keep the lights on.
Fortunately, she had a close-knit group of girls and counselors in her cabin. Lea was finally able to share the stories of her past, and, as a group, they focused not on her behavior but on what was driving it. Because she was in a cabin (and camp) with other girls who looked like her, her nightly terror and verbal assaults on the other girls and staff were not deemed to be racially motivated. But I have to be honest, I often wonder if she had been in a cabin where she was the only black girl, would her behavior have been associated with the color of her skin?
I have consulted with camps which, in their efforts to become more diverse, recruit black youth and counselors, dispersing them among different groups within the campus to diversify the camp experience. When incidents or misunderstandings occur, it is effortless to hit our internal default buttons and view them through a black-and-white lens. For many white youths (and counselors), camp may be the first time they have been in a social/ work setting with blacks and vice versa. If Lea had been in a cabin with primarily white girls, and potentially the only person of color, I can only imagine the stories that might have been created around the incident. Given past societal experiences, Lea might have been sent home for being a “disruptive black girl” if she didn’t have staff available with whom she felt safe to explore the truth and who could see beyond the color of her skin. Her loud, aggressive behavior at night could have been deemed “typical” in the minds of counselors and campers who had no prior social connections with black people outside of camp. The unconscious lens of prejudice and implicit bias could have become a considerable barrier to complete acceptance, empathy, and compassion for Lea.
With all the injustice and racially motivated discord that continues to happen in the world, every story we hear, witness, participate in, or create, we shape through our own pain and projection — or through our real power and sense of possibility. Camp creates a beautiful refuge from the distractions of the outside world and has the potential to reconnect us with our inner worlds through nature. The challenge is we bring our stories with us. We carry them in our hands, in our minds, in our feet, and in our hearts. Like tiny fibers, each coded piece of data is like a letter; together they form words and sentences about who we are. Those sentences are then strung together to form paragraphs and then whole stories of who we are — or more accurately — who we think we are (and who we think others are as a result). Sometimes those stories play over and over in our heads like song lyrics. And I suppose, when we feel safe, we speak our stories out loud so that we can sort them all out — and then be open to really hearing others’ stories.
How can we short-circuit our thoughts and bypass the stories we carry about others that are based on fears and often lead to generalizations about entire cultural groups?
- Make sure your social circles outside of camp include people from diverse cultures and backgrounds. We are less likely to see the behavior and actions of one individual as a representation of an entire group if we have formed meaningful relationships with people from a variety of ethnic and cultural groups outside of camp. Without those meaningful relationships, it is easy to unconsciously fall prey to seeing them through the lens of stereotypical assumptions rather than their true personalities.
- Be intentional. Racism is real. We have all been affected by its influence. It is embedded in our psyches, whether we are conscious of it or not. Color is the first thing we see, and some never get past it in creating meaningful relationships. However, we can’t act as if those cultural markers don’t exist. We must see color and then intentionally cultivate relationships that move beyond it. When we do, we can collectively experience aspects of our humanity that extend far beyond our ethnic groupings and can bind us together heart and soul. When we see each other only through the lens of our external colors and cultural representations, we miss out on opportunities for more in-depth understanding, compassion, and empathy for one another.
- Invest in diversity, equity, and heart-centered inclusion work — both at camp and beyond. Racism poses a continual assault on our senses. It is designed to divide us, and we all carry unconscious bias, blind spots, and pain triggers. It is our job to heal those ancestral footprints that are deep inside of us. We can’t transform what we are unwilling to see and feel. So we must look honestly at our biases and prejudices. They can be invisible walls that prevent our campers and counselors from showing their authentic selves. Or they can become bridges that encourage their authentic selves to be on full display.
- Be vulnerable and brave. If you find yourself in a situation where a counselor or camper is from a different culture or ethnicity than you and their default setting is stuck on some painful memory, trauma, sadness, or fear — causing destructive behavior — what do you do? Use your camp wisdom. Don’t allow their current attitude to become a culturally stereotyping story in your mind. Face it with compassion. See the humanity in the individual. Whether you are able to figure out what is causing the underlying pain or not, listen, empathize, and perhaps offer a different perspective. You likely will build bridges, create smiles, and lift spirits. In my experience, each time I open my heart and soul to someone who doesn’t mimic my perspective, my heart expands.
Lea doesn’t represent every black girl’s experience in our society. Unfortunately, sexual assault is something experienced by many young people across cultures. It doesn’t by any means define the person, but it is part of far too many of their stories. When their behavior isn’t perfect, it is easy to view others through the lens of our implicit biases. When we become aware of our own stories and triggers, we can interrupt the patterns of separation and fear. As we bind ourselves together heart to heart, we create an opportunity to reframe the stories we tell ourselves about different cultural groups. We then see and experience our humanity together.
It is when we can disrupt our patterns of thinking and disassemble the stories within us that camp actualizes the collective vision of many: to be a safe place to enrich the lives of children and adults. But we can’t get there if we are too afraid to tell each other the truth and see each person as an individual with a rich culture, and not a representative of their entire cultural group.
Camp has an opportunity to assist the world in writing a new narrative. The only way for us to truly break down our cultural barriers is for us to be in relationship with each other — even when doing so is complicated.
Cultural aha moments at camp often live beyond the summer. While the shine of overcoming fear and bias experienced at camp may be tested when a camper or counselor is back in the real world, they will remember their camp stories — where they felt loved, accepted, and respected. Those stories of your compassion will feed the flames of change. When people from different cultures interact, we can always learn something valuable. We see that we are connected, that our fates are bound together. We are all part of one tribe. The Human Tribe. Together, let’s interrupt the fear and create some new stories across cultural lines.
Sleepaway summer camp is filled with fun! Yet as parents we are always looking for a way not to waste a summer...Residential summer camp has this to offer and much more.
- 1) Kids gain independence
Going to camp offers kids needed time away from family and regular friend groups. These experiences give them the space to gain independence. - 2) Kids develop essential relationship skills
Unlike school where academic outcomes drive most of their daily activities, camp focuses in on social development, making friends, dealing with conflict and compromise. - 3) Kids learn to appreciate differences
Building and maintaining relationships requires the ability to understand and appreciate differences among people. Camps provide a space where kids can interact with people from different backgrounds and cultures. - 4) Kids connect with nature
Overnight camps provide a safe space for kids to be outside and explore the natural world, free of a screen. - 5) Kids get to be kids
Want to learn more give me a call 630-654-8036
Lonnie Lorenz
Swift Nature Camp
Director since 1996
