Displaying items by tag: why summer camp
Many Parents, who have their children on medication are concerned about sending their children to summer camp. This is understandable and here is a top ten list composed by camp advocate Dr. Christopher Thurber.
1. Have your son or daughter stay on any medications they take during the school year. If it’s helpful at home or school, it will be helpful at camp.
2. Don’t make major medication changes just prior to camp. The transition to camp is............
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1. Have your son or daughter stay on any medications they take during the school year. If it’s helpful at home or school, it will be helpful at camp.
2. Don’t make major medication changes just prior to camp. The transition to camp is............
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Top Ten Medication Management Tips at Camp
By Dr. Christopher Thurber
1. Have your son or daughter stay on any medications they take during the school year. If it’s helpful at home or school, it will be helpful at camp.
2. Don’t make major medication changes just prior to camp. The transition to camp is enough of an adjustment without further complications from medication discontinuance or prescription switches. Make any adjustments a few months before opening day.
3. Discuss dosing and the camp’s daily schedule with your child’s prescribing physician to ensure smooth administration of all medications. The timing of doses at home or school may have to be adjusted at camp because of how the camp’s daily schedule works.
4. Clearly label everything with your child’s name. Prescription bottles are already labeled, but be sure inhalers, nebulizers, Advair discs, and everything elseyour child brings to camp is clearly labeled with his or her name.
5. Openly discuss any medication your child takes with him or her. A surprising number of children don’t understand why they take certain medications and/or why their dosing schedule is designed the way it’s designed. Campers’ adherence to prescription directions will be much better—and any shame will be greatly reduced—if the prescriber and parents have had honest discussions with the child about the medication’s purpose and dosing.
6. Share your child’s medication history with the camp’s health care providers, both on the camp’s health form and in person. Each detail about a child’s assessment, diagnosis, and treatment that parents provide to the camp’s health care providers puts those professionals in a better position to care for that child. Leaving the camp nurse or doctor in the dark about some medical or psychological condition greatly compromises the quality of care they can provide. Trust that the information you provide will be treated confidentially.
7. Meet the camp nurses and doctors on opening day. It’s nice to put a face with a name in case you need to be in contact during the session.
8. Meet your child’s cabin leader on opening day. Share helpful information with him or her about your child and his treatment. (or, if your child travels to camp on a bus, be sure to write a personal letter to the cabin leader about your child and his or her treatment.)
9. Provide the camp with all your contact information (cell, home, work, vacation home, etc.)
10. Relax…camp will take good care of your child.
Dr. Thurber also offered ACA attendees a terrific medication resource he created with the help of his colleague, Joshua Gear, M.D.: “Psychotropic Medication Rapid Reference: A Guide for Camping Professionals.” The Guide is a list of the most common psychotropic medications prescribed to campers along with their generic names, information about what conditions they are intended to treat, common side effects, and (perhaps most importantly) what your health staff should do if a camper on one of these medications misses a dose for some reason. I encourage you and your health staff to visit Dr. Thurber’s excellent website,www.campspirit.com to request a copy of the Guide.
1. Have your son or daughter stay on any medications they take during the school year. If it’s helpful at home or school, it will be helpful at camp.
2. Don’t make major medication changes just prior to camp. The transition to camp is enough of an adjustment without further complications from medication discontinuance or prescription switches. Make any adjustments a few months before opening day.
3. Discuss dosing and the camp’s daily schedule with your child’s prescribing physician to ensure smooth administration of all medications. The timing of doses at home or school may have to be adjusted at camp because of how the camp’s daily schedule works.
4. Clearly label everything with your child’s name. Prescription bottles are already labeled, but be sure inhalers, nebulizers, Advair discs, and everything elseyour child brings to camp is clearly labeled with his or her name.
5. Openly discuss any medication your child takes with him or her. A surprising number of children don’t understand why they take certain medications and/or why their dosing schedule is designed the way it’s designed. Campers’ adherence to prescription directions will be much better—and any shame will be greatly reduced—if the prescriber and parents have had honest discussions with the child about the medication’s purpose and dosing.
6. Share your child’s medication history with the camp’s health care providers, both on the camp’s health form and in person. Each detail about a child’s assessment, diagnosis, and treatment that parents provide to the camp’s health care providers puts those professionals in a better position to care for that child. Leaving the camp nurse or doctor in the dark about some medical or psychological condition greatly compromises the quality of care they can provide. Trust that the information you provide will be treated confidentially.
7. Meet the camp nurses and doctors on opening day. It’s nice to put a face with a name in case you need to be in contact during the session.
8. Meet your child’s cabin leader on opening day. Share helpful information with him or her about your child and his treatment. (or, if your child travels to camp on a bus, be sure to write a personal letter to the cabin leader about your child and his or her treatment.)
9. Provide the camp with all your contact information (cell, home, work, vacation home, etc.)
10. Relax…camp will take good care of your child.
Dr. Thurber also offered ACA attendees a terrific medication resource he created with the help of his colleague, Joshua Gear, M.D.: “Psychotropic Medication Rapid Reference: A Guide for Camping Professionals.” The Guide is a list of the most common psychotropic medications prescribed to campers along with their generic names, information about what conditions they are intended to treat, common side effects, and (perhaps most importantly) what your health staff should do if a camper on one of these medications misses a dose for some reason. I encourage you and your health staff to visit Dr. Thurber’s excellent website,www.campspirit.com to request a copy of the Guide.
Summer camp can be a bridge to the world over which a child can carry the seeds of attributes already planted at home and in school. The right summer camp can be the ideal first step away from home and family, because a good summer camp is still a safe environment for learning independence. Summer camp is a place for fun and the joy and passion of growth free from the stress of modern fascination for achievement. Camp is a respite from the technology that can rule a child’s life and distract from human attributes rather than being a tool to implement them. A camper can discover and develop attributes like these over the course of every summer and have a great deal of fun doing so.........
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Affirmation: Sometimes one simple word of affirmation can change an entire life. Recognition from outside can turn into recognition from the inside. also known as confidence.
Art: Everyone who wants to create… can. The world just needs more people who want to, and a child who is free from the pressure of competitive achievement is free to be creative.
Challenge: Encourage a child to dream big dreams. In turn, they will accomplish more than they thought possible… and probably even more than you thought possible.
Compassion/Justice: Life isn’t fair. It never will be – there are just too many variables. But when a wrong has been committed or a playing field can be leveled, we want our children to be active in helping to level it.
Contentment: The need for more material things can be contagious. Therefore, one of the greatest gifts we can give children is a genuinely content appreciation for with what they have… leaving them to find out who they are.
Curiosity: Children need a safe place outside the home to ask questions about who, what, where, how, why, and why not. “Stop asking so many questions” are words that need never be heard.
Determination: One of the greatest determining factors of success is the exercise of will. Children flourish when they are given independent opportunities to learn how to find the source of determination within themselves and exercise that determination.
Discipline: Discipline is really a form of concentration learned from the ground up, in arenas that include appropriate behaviors, how to get along with others, how to get results, and how to achieve dreams. Properly encouraged, self discipline can come to be developed into an self sustaining habit.
Encouragement: Words are powerful. They can create or they can destroy. The simple words that a counselor or mentor might choose to speak can offer encouragement and create positive thoughts for a child to build from.
Finding Beauty: Beauty surrounds us. A natural environment can inspire our children find beauty in everything they see and in everyone they meet there.
Generosity: The experience of generosity is a great way for a child to learn it. Generosity is a consistent quality of heart regardless of whether the medium that reflects it is time, energy or material things.
Honesty/Integrity: Children who learn the value and importance of honesty at a young age have a far greater opportunity to become honest adults. And honest adults who deal truthfully with others tend to feel better about themselves, enjoy their lives more, and sleep better at night.
Hope: Hope means knowing that things will get better and improve and believing it. Hope is the source of strength, endurance, and resolve. And in the desperately difficult times of life, it calls us to press onward.
Imagination: If we’ve learned anything in recent years, it’s that life is changing faster and faster with every passing day. The world of tomorrow will look nothing like the world today. And the people with imagination are the ones not just living it, they are creating it.
Intentionality: This word means the habit of pausing to find the intent behind each of the ongoing choices that comprise our lives. It is the moment of reflection toward one’s own source: slow down, consider who you are, your environment, where you are going and how to get there.
Lifelong Learning: A passion for learning is different from just studying to earn a grade or please teachers. It begins in the home and school but can be splendidly expanded at summer camp. A camper has fun being safely exposed, asking questions, analyzing the answers that expose more and having more fun doing it all again. In other words, learn to love learning itself.
Meals Together: Meals together provide an unparalleled opportunity for relationships to grow, the likes of which can not be found anywhere else.
Nature: Children who learn to appreciate the world around them take care of the world around them.
Opportunity: Kids need opportunities to experience new things so they can find out what they enjoy and what they are good at.
Optimism: Pessimists don’t change the world. Optimists do.
Pride: Celebrate the little things in life. After all, it is the little accomplishments in life that become the big accomplishments. Pride in the process is as important as pride in the results.
Room to make mistakes: Kids are kids. That’s what makes them so much fun… and so desperately in need of our patience. We need to give them room to experiment, explore, and make mistakes early, when consequences are so much less severe.
Self-Esteem: People who learn to value themselves are more likely to have self-confidence, self-esteem, and self-worth. As a result, they are more likely to become adults who respect their own values and stick to them… even when no one else does.
Sense of Humor: We need to provoke laughter with children and laugh with them everyday… for our sake and theirs.
Spirituality: Faith elevates our view of the universe, our world, and our lives. We would be wise to instill into our kids that they are more than just flesh and blood taking up space. They are also made of mind, heart, soul, and will. And decisions in their life should be based on more than just what everyone else with flesh and blood is doing.
Stability: A stable environment becomes the foundation on which children build the rest of their lives. Just as they need to know their place in the family, children need an opportunity to learn how to make their place amongst their peers. Children benefit from having a safe place to learn how stability is made and maintained outside the home.
Time: Time is the only real currency.Children can learn to believe to respect the value of time long before they come to realize how quickly it can pass.
Undivided Attention: There is no substitute for undivided attention, whether it comes from a parent, a teacher, a mentor, or a camp counselor.
Uniqueness: What makes us different is what makes us special. Uniqueness should not be hidden. It should be proudly displayed for the world to see, appreciate, and enjoy.
A Welcoming Place: To know that you are always welcome in a place is among the sweetest and most life-giving assurances in the world.
Along with lifelong friendships, the recognition and development of these attributes is the lasting gift of a child’s experience at summer camp. A summer at camp is the most fun possible way a child gets to experience what it is to be human.
Summer camp is usually thought of in terms of all the traditional activities and facilities that come to our mind, and those elements are indeed part of what makes the experience memorable. But the true essence of the experience of summer camp is human connection. The attributes in this article are qualities that are rediscovered and expanded by interaction with counselors, staff and other campers in a natural setting. The best summer camps are carefully staffed and creatively programmed by directors with this concept in mind. As one director put it, “Our hope is to give the world better people one camper at a time.”
Summer Camps Make Kids Resilient
I recently spoke to 300 camp directors about how to make children more resilient to life stress. Summer camps, we discovered, are perfect places to help children optimize their psychosocial development.
After all, summer camps are places where children get the experiences they need to bolster their range of coping strategies. There are the simple challenges of learning how to build a fire, going on a hike, or conquering........
After all, summer camps are places where children get the experiences they need to bolster their range of coping strategies. There are the simple challenges of learning how to build a fire, going on a hike, or conquering........
Pasted Graphic 1Michael Ungar, Ph.D. is a Marriage and Family Therapist and the Lead Investigator for the Resilience Research Centre at Dalhousie University. His research on children, adolescents and families includes partners on six continents in more than a dozen countries. He is also the author of ten books including his latest, The Social Worker: A Novel. His non-fiction works for parents include: The We Generation: Raising Socially Responsible Kids and Too Safe for their Own Good: How Risk and Responsibility Help Teens Thrive.
a high ropes course. There are the much more complex challenges of getting along with a new group of peers, learning how to ask for help from others, or taking manageable amount of risks without a parent following after you.
The best camping experiences offer these opportunities for manageable amounts of risk and responsibility, what I term "the risk takers advantage" (see my book Too Safe for Their Own Good for more examples). The worst camps pander to children as if they are entitled little creatures whose parents are paying big sums of money. Children at camp can't be treated like customers if they are going to get anything out of the experience. They need to be treated like students whose caregivers, the counselors, know what the kids need to grow.
Camps that pull this off and make kids, especially teens, put away the makeup, stash the iPods, get a little dirty and even a little frustrated while having fun and making new friends, are the kinds of camps that offer children the best of what they need. Looking at those experiences from the vantage point of my research on resilience, I know that camps help our children develop great coping strategies when they provide seven things all children need:
1) New relationships, not just with peers, but with trusted adults other than their parents. Just think about how useful a skill like that is: being able to negotiate on your own with an adult for what you need.
2) A powerful identity that makes the child feel confident in front of others. Your child may not be the best on the ropes course, the fastest swimmer, or the next teen idol when he sings, but chances are that a good camp counselor is going to help your child find something to be proud of that he can do well.
3) Camps help children feel in control of their lives, and those experiences of self-efficacy can travel home as easily as a special art project or the pine cone they carry in their backpack. Children who experience themselves as competent will be better problem-solvers in new situations long after their laundry is cleaned and the smell of the campfire forgotten.
4) Camps make sure that all children are treated fairly. The wonderful thing about camps is that every child starts without the baggage they carry from school. They may be a geek or the child with dyslexia. At camp they will both find opportunities to just be kids who are valued for who they are. No camps tolerate bullying (and if they do, you should withdraw your child immediately).
5) At camp kids get what they need to develop physically. Ideally, fresh air, exercise, a balance between routine and unstructured time, and all the good food their bodies need. Not that smores (marshmallows, chocolate and graham cracker treats) don't have a place at the campfire, but a good camp is also about helping children find healthy lifestyles.
6) Perhaps best of all, camps offer kids a chance to feel like they belong. All those goofy chants and team songs, the sense of common purpose and attachment to the identity that camps promote go a long way to offering children a sense of being rooted.
7) And finally, camps can offer children a better sense of their culture. It might be skit night, or a special camp program that reflects the values of the community that sponsors the camp, or maybe it's just a chance for children to understand themselves a bit more as they learn about others. Camps give kids both cultural roots and the chance to understand others who have cultures very different than their own.
That's an impressive list of factors that good camping experiences provide our children. Whether it is a subsidized day camp in a city or a luxurious residential facility up in the mountains, camps can give our kids a spicy combination of experiences that prepare them well for life. Add to that experience the chance for a child's parents to reinforce at home what the child nurtures at camp, and maybe, just maybe, we'll find in our communities and schools amazing kids who show the resilience to make good decisions throughout their lives.
a high ropes course. There are the much more complex challenges of getting along with a new group of peers, learning how to ask for help from others, or taking manageable amount of risks without a parent following after you.
The best camping experiences offer these opportunities for manageable amounts of risk and responsibility, what I term "the risk takers advantage" (see my book Too Safe for Their Own Good for more examples). The worst camps pander to children as if they are entitled little creatures whose parents are paying big sums of money. Children at camp can't be treated like customers if they are going to get anything out of the experience. They need to be treated like students whose caregivers, the counselors, know what the kids need to grow.
Camps that pull this off and make kids, especially teens, put away the makeup, stash the iPods, get a little dirty and even a little frustrated while having fun and making new friends, are the kinds of camps that offer children the best of what they need. Looking at those experiences from the vantage point of my research on resilience, I know that camps help our children develop great coping strategies when they provide seven things all children need:
1) New relationships, not just with peers, but with trusted adults other than their parents. Just think about how useful a skill like that is: being able to negotiate on your own with an adult for what you need.
2) A powerful identity that makes the child feel confident in front of others. Your child may not be the best on the ropes course, the fastest swimmer, or the next teen idol when he sings, but chances are that a good camp counselor is going to help your child find something to be proud of that he can do well.
3) Camps help children feel in control of their lives, and those experiences of self-efficacy can travel home as easily as a special art project or the pine cone they carry in their backpack. Children who experience themselves as competent will be better problem-solvers in new situations long after their laundry is cleaned and the smell of the campfire forgotten.
4) Camps make sure that all children are treated fairly. The wonderful thing about camps is that every child starts without the baggage they carry from school. They may be a geek or the child with dyslexia. At camp they will both find opportunities to just be kids who are valued for who they are. No camps tolerate bullying (and if they do, you should withdraw your child immediately).
5) At camp kids get what they need to develop physically. Ideally, fresh air, exercise, a balance between routine and unstructured time, and all the good food their bodies need. Not that smores (marshmallows, chocolate and graham cracker treats) don't have a place at the campfire, but a good camp is also about helping children find healthy lifestyles.
6) Perhaps best of all, camps offer kids a chance to feel like they belong. All those goofy chants and team songs, the sense of common purpose and attachment to the identity that camps promote go a long way to offering children a sense of being rooted.
7) And finally, camps can offer children a better sense of their culture. It might be skit night, or a special camp program that reflects the values of the community that sponsors the camp, or maybe it's just a chance for children to understand themselves a bit more as they learn about others. Camps give kids both cultural roots and the chance to understand others who have cultures very different than their own.
That's an impressive list of factors that good camping experiences provide our children. Whether it is a subsidized day camp in a city or a luxurious residential facility up in the mountains, camps can give our kids a spicy combination of experiences that prepare them well for life. Add to that experience the chance for a child's parents to reinforce at home what the child nurtures at camp, and maybe, just maybe, we'll find in our communities and schools amazing kids who show the resilience to make good decisions throughout their lives.
As camp Director along with my wife Lonnie at Swift Nature Camp we constantly are surprised by the wonderful world of summer camp. Each day we see the Benefits of camp and wonder how much better the “real world” would be if only everyone acted like they were at camp. Here are a few attributes that the rest of the world could adopt:
1. Respect.
Daily we see campers from all over the nation and the world come together with mutual respect and understanding for each other. You might not see this on the first day but after a few trip where it is a cabin group versus nature you realize that everyone in your cabin has you back and is going to watch out for you and respect what you stand for.
2. Equality.
Camp provides an equal playing field for all. Makes no difference if your dad is the Ambassador to Guatemala or if your parents run a restaurant. At camp all children are equal. This goes for staff as well. Counselors receive their power from the friendships they make not from the authority of a “counselor”.
3. Real Communication.
In this world of texting and highspeed internet summer camp provides an oasis where adverting and pop culture have no impact. Being away from the “outside world.” only brought people closer together. Conversation were more real, more open leading to the development of better friendships, even closer than some friendships back home. Amazingly, each summer I hear children say “It will be hard with out my smart phone”, yet at the end of camp I hear”it was freeing not having to answer every text and be on call 24/7”.
4. Activity.
In a day and age when working out for children is placing 50 text message, summer camp activities of running jumping, swimming and just playing are a wonderful thing. At our camp we mostly compete against ourselves making camp a place where kids stress free about WINNING. It’s kinda old school to think kids can play outside in a safe child friendly place. The interaction between age groups is amazing older helping younger and Gals being the adopted Moms for the youngest boys. It’s like having one big family that get together every summer.
5. Encouragment.
Camp is a place to build each other up. It is a place where children are taught how important their actions are. They learn that one cranky word can bring down the whole cabin. This encouragement takes campers and staff far beyond what they thought they could do. Camp provides the opportunity for people to realize its ok to make a mistake, we all do it. Regroup , apologize wait for forgiveness and move on. When we get encouragement from those around us we are open to reinvent ourselves and better see how we want to be seen in the “real world”.
Camp is not of this world it is like living in a dream where we are each challenged to stretch and grow and be better than when we first arrived camp. Each summer I have staff and campers tell us how they wish the world was more like a camp... Maybe we all just need to try a little more. One last thing, do not assume that all camps are the same. It is important you look for a camp that promotes the values discussed earlier. This can only be done by talking with the director. Read more about this special place Summer Camp. I want to learn more bout How To Find A Summer Camp go Summer Camp Advice and learn more
WASHINGTON, DC -/PRNewswire/
Today four of the nation's leaders and experts in bringing families and nature together, The Nature Conservancy, REI, Children and Nature Network, and ecoAmerica, announced the launch of Nature Rocks – an initiative created to inspire and empower parents across the country to take their families to play, explore and enjoy quality time in nature.
With summer fast approaching, parents are now focused on planning fun, family activities — determining the best activities to keep kids and parents busy and entertained during the summer months. Nature Rocks is an ideal solution to this need, as it has been designed to ensure that all families – regardless of budget, kids' ages or experience – can plan affordable and fun activities in nature that encourage family bonding ......
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With summer fast approaching, parents are now focused on planning fun, family activities — determining the best activities to keep kids and parents busy and entertained during the summer months. Nature Rocks is an ideal solution to this need, as it has been designed to ensure that all families – regardless of budget, kids' ages or experience – can plan affordable and fun activities in nature that encourage family bonding ......
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WASHINGTON, DC -/PRNewswire/
Today four of the nation's leaders and experts in bringing families and nature together, The Nature Conservancy, REI, Children and Nature Network, and ecoAmerica, announced the launch of Nature Rocks – an initiative created to inspire and empower parents across the country to take their families to play, explore and enjoy quality time in nature.
With summer fast approaching, parents are now focused on planning fun, family activities — determining the best activities to keep kids and parents busy and entertained during the summer months. Nature Rocks is an ideal solution to this need, as it has been designed to ensure that all families – regardless of budget, kids' ages or experience – can plan affordable and fun activities in nature that encourage family bonding and nurture happier, healthier and smarter children.
With summer fast approaching, parents are now focused on planning fun, family activities — determining the best activities to keep kids and parents busy and entertained during the summer months. Nature Rocks is an ideal solution to this need, as it has been designed to ensure that all families – regardless of budget, kids' ages or experience – can plan affordable and fun activities in nature that encourage family bonding and nurture happier, healthier and smarter children.
As part of its efforts to empower parents to take their kids outside, Nature Rocks introduces its 2009 Summer Nature Staycation Planning Guide. Available at Nature Rocks , this free Guide provides parents and caregivers with information and tools to enjoy no- or low-cost summer vacations in nature that are close to home.
"The benefits of nature for children are fundamental. We have seen tremendous growth in the movement to get children back outside, as parents realize these benefits for their children, and themselves, and spread the word," said Richard Louv, co-founder of The Children & Nature Network and author of the best-seller Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder. "And, as families look for lower cost vacation options, we hope they will discover that nature offers them a personal stimulus package – the joy and cost-effectiveness of summer getaways in nearby nature – saving money while improving the physical and emotional well-being of their children."
"Nature Rocks really speaks to our passion of getting families to recreate together outside," said Sally Jewell, president and CEO of Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI). "By combining efforts with the other organizations behind Nature Rocks, we're able to make a difference and improve the lifestyles of American families by making it easy and fun to get moving and get outdoors."
Whether seeking outdoor activities at local sites such as parks and campsites, or looking for new activities to keep out-of-school kids active in backyards and neighborhoods, the 2009 Summer Nature Staycation Planning Guide offers information and solutions for all families, including those new to spending time outdoors. Additionally, the Nature Rocks website has more than 100 activity recommendations, as well as user-friendly nature finder and social networking tools to assist families in implementing their own Nature Staycations this summer.
"The Nature Conservancy works around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters, and we are dedicated to supporting conservation work that will not only enrich the natural world, but also better our health and our lives," said M. Sanjayan, Lead Scientist at The Nature Conservancy. "Now, working on the Nature Rocks initiative, we're able to help the next generation better their health and reconnect with nature."
"As a working mom with two young children, I appreciate useful ideas that improve my and my family's lives," said Meighen Speiser, Vice President of Marketing for ecoAmerica. "Like all parents, I want what is best for my kids. We enjoy fun and relaxing quality time together. The Nature Rocks website offers loads of easy-to-use tools, tips and over 100 fun activities like nature art, weekend camping, hiking at a nearby park or an impromptu neighborhood nature scavenger hunt. The added bonus is that these activities are either inexpensive or free."
2009 Summer Nature Staycation Planning Guide
The 2009 Summer Nature Staycation Planning Guide provides parents with a useful tool to plan a range of close-to-home activities, complete with great starter ideas and suggestions for families to use during their summer holiday. The Guide has been developed to be helpful to all families across the country – regardless of where they live, their kids' ages, time available, or familiarity with nature, or if they want to do an activity outside or bring nature indoors.
For some parents they may wish to augment your local Nature with a Traditional Children's Summer Camp experience. Swift Nature Camp is a wonderful way to have children learn more about nature while getting away from all the societal trappings that young people feel defines who they are. To learn more visit Swift Nature Camp online Nature Summer Camps
Swift Nature Camp is a Minnesota Summer Camp for boys and girls ages 6-15. We blend traditional Overnight Summer Camp activities while increasing a child's appreciation for nature and the environment at this Science Summer Camp.
Anyone can read a book about ecology or see a film about wild animals. But, today's children are missing contact with the outside world. Children learn more rapidly through natural curiosity, experimentation and discovery, rather than a classroom lecture. That's just part of the benefits that nature and the outdoors impart onto kids. And much of this can be done with guided purposeful hands on play.
The Wisconsin No Child Left Inside Coalition is working to develop an Environmental Literacy Plan for Wisconsin that will address the environmental education needs of Wisconsin's
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The Wisconsin No Child Left Inside Coalition is working to develop an Environmental Literacy Plan for Wisconsin that will address the environmental education needs of Wisconsin's
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pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade schools and will pay special attention to creating more opportunities to get kids outside. The Plan will recommend a comprehensive strategy to ensure every child graduates with the environmental skills and knowledge needed to contribute to a sustainable future.
Many parents believe that children need to spend more time outside in nature. They are looking for summer programs to supplement these state goals. Environmental Summer Camps are just one way parent can do this.
Wisconsin has a strong environmental education foundation already established, with active schools, supporting organizations, and abundant opportunities to get outside in rural and urban settings. The Environmental Literacy Plan will build upon these strengths, and suggest priorities for present and future attention. It will lay out the next steps towards fulfilling on our State's commitment to ensure all people in Wisconsin are environmentally literate.
State Superintendent Evers has formally asked the Coalition to develop the Environmental Literacy Plan for Wisconsin. A Steering Committee meets each month to draft the Plan. The Wisconsin No Child Left Inside Coalition Steering Committee is made up of representatives from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, Wisconsin Center for Environmental Education, Wisconsin Environmental Education Board, Wisconsin Environmental Education Foundation, Wisconsin Association for Environmental Education, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Wisconsin Environmental Science Teachers Network, Milwaukee Public Schools, the Green Charter School Network, and the US EPA's Environmental Educationand Training Partnership. The broader Coalition is kept updated on progress, provides input and feedback to guide the plan development, and ultimately, willplay a key role in implementing and evaluating Wisconsin's Environmental Literacy Plan.
Wisconsin's Environmental Literacy Plan will be compliant with the pending national No Child Left Inside (NCLI) legislation. The No Child Left Inside Act requires States develop, implement, and evaluate a State Environmental Literacy Plan in order to be eligible to receive funding associated with the Act. Currently, the bill suggests an appropriation of $100 million to support the State Environmental Literacy Plans. You can learn more about the national NCLI Act and its various provisions and requirements here: www.cbf.org/Page.aspx?pid=948.
Much of the information was supplied by "EE IN WISCONSIN", A guide to Wisconsin's environmental education organizations, programs, materials, and professionals. For more information about Wisconsin's NCLI Coalition, contact Jesse Haney (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).
If you are looking for Summer Camp for your children, please see SummerCampAdvice.com a FREE reference. Selecting the right summer camp is so important so be sure to do your homework, it will pay off in the end.
Many parents believe that children need to spend more time outside in nature. They are looking for summer programs to supplement these state goals. Environmental Summer Camps are just one way parent can do this.
Wisconsin has a strong environmental education foundation already established, with active schools, supporting organizations, and abundant opportunities to get outside in rural and urban settings. The Environmental Literacy Plan will build upon these strengths, and suggest priorities for present and future attention. It will lay out the next steps towards fulfilling on our State's commitment to ensure all people in Wisconsin are environmentally literate.
State Superintendent Evers has formally asked the Coalition to develop the Environmental Literacy Plan for Wisconsin. A Steering Committee meets each month to draft the Plan. The Wisconsin No Child Left Inside Coalition Steering Committee is made up of representatives from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, Wisconsin Center for Environmental Education, Wisconsin Environmental Education Board, Wisconsin Environmental Education Foundation, Wisconsin Association for Environmental Education, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Wisconsin Environmental Science Teachers Network, Milwaukee Public Schools, the Green Charter School Network, and the US EPA's Environmental Educationand Training Partnership. The broader Coalition is kept updated on progress, provides input and feedback to guide the plan development, and ultimately, willplay a key role in implementing and evaluating Wisconsin's Environmental Literacy Plan.
Wisconsin's Environmental Literacy Plan will be compliant with the pending national No Child Left Inside (NCLI) legislation. The No Child Left Inside Act requires States develop, implement, and evaluate a State Environmental Literacy Plan in order to be eligible to receive funding associated with the Act. Currently, the bill suggests an appropriation of $100 million to support the State Environmental Literacy Plans. You can learn more about the national NCLI Act and its various provisions and requirements here: www.cbf.org/Page.aspx?pid=948.
Much of the information was supplied by "EE IN WISCONSIN", A guide to Wisconsin's environmental education organizations, programs, materials, and professionals. For more information about Wisconsin's NCLI Coalition, contact Jesse Haney (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).
If you are looking for Summer Camp for your children, please see SummerCampAdvice.com a FREE reference. Selecting the right summer camp is so important so be sure to do your homework, it will pay off in the end.
So you are thinking a bout summer amp for your child. GREAT!
Here are the top 10 questions to ask a summer camp director. This list was compiled by the American Camp Association.
Here are the top 10 questions to ask a summer camp director. This list was compiled by the American Camp Association.
1. What's the camp's philosophy?
Is it one you're comfortable with? Is it a good match for your child? Is competition or cooperation emphasized? If it's a camp run by a religious organization, what religious observances or practices are part of the program? If you're looking at a sports ...
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permalink=”http://www.swiftnaturecamp.com/blog”>
So you are thinking a bout summer amp for your child. GREAT!
Here are the top 10 questions to ask a summer camp director. This list was compiled by the American Camp Association.
Here are the top 10 questions to ask a summer camp director. This list was compiled by the American Camp Association.
1. What's the camp's philosophy?
Is it one you're comfortable with? Is it a good match for your child? Is competition or cooperation emphasized? If it's a camp run by a religious organization, what religious observances or practices are part of the program? If you're looking at a sports camp that touts an affiliation with a celebrity athlete, how much time--if any--will the sports star actually spend there?
2. How does the camp recruit, screen and train its staff?
Do counselors have criminal background checks? First aid training? Drug Testing?
3. What about return rates?
How many counselors are returning this year? The ACA says at most camps, 50 percent of the staff returns. If the number you're given is lower, ask why. How many campers return? Fifty percent is good, and more is better.
4. What's the ratio of counselors to campers?
ACA guidelines for overnight camps call for a 1:6 ratio for ages 7 and 8, 1:8 for ages 9-14; and 1:10 for ages 15-18. Day camp guidelines call for 1:8 for children ages 6-8; 1:10 for children ages 9-14; and 1:12 for ages 15-18.
5. How old are the counselors?
The ACA recommends that 80 percent of the staff be 18 or older and that all staffers be at least 16 and a minimum of two years older than the campers they supervise.
6. What medical staff work at the camp and what backup facilities are nearby?
The ACA recommends that an overnight camp have a licensed physician or registered nurse on the site every day, and that day camps should have direct phone access. If your child takes medication, has food allergies or a chronic medical condition, be sure you are comfortable that the camp will be able to handle your child's needs.
7. How does the camp handle conflicts and Discipline?
Find out what the camp's rules are and what breaches would result in a camper being sent home. You should be comfortable that the camp's practices are in line with your parenting practices.
8. What does a typical daily schedule look like?
This will help you decide if your child will be happy with the level of physical activity or the amount of time devoted to arts and crafts. Ask how much freedom a child has to choose activities.
9. Will the camp be transporting the children?
What vehicles are used and how often are they inspected? Who drives them and what training do drivers have?
10. Ask for references.
Finally and most important, get the names of parents with children the same age who have attended the camp.
To get even more information on how to create a super summer camp experience click Finding a Summer Camp
To get even more information on how to create a super summer camp experience click Finding a Summer Camp
5 Reasons to Watch a Summer Camp Video
Best Summer Camps.
| So you've decided you want your child to go to summer camp? Before getting camp information you should have a goal in mind. Make a list of things you feel you want your kid to gain from a summer camp experience. Make sure it's not just about activities. What about a camp's physical attributes, like cabins or tents? Is it a small, personal camp or a large camp with loads of campers? Once you have this information, you can create a check list to help compare camps and narrow down your search for the |
permalink=”http://www.swiftnaturecamp.com/blog”>
So you've decided you want your child to go to summer camp? Before getting camp information you should have a goal in mind. Make a list of things you feel you want your kid to gain from a summer camp experience. Make sure it's not just about activities. What about a camp's physical attributes, like cabins or tents? Is it a small, personal camp or a large camp with loads of campers? Once you have this information, you can create a check list to help compare camps and narrow down your search for the Best Summer Camps.
Narrow your search to four or five possibilities, and then call or e-mail each camp to ask for information. Perhaps more important than printed materials, camps will send you a promotional video. Remember, these DVDs are tools to help you find the right summer camp. But they are also tools for camps to SELL a place in their camp to you and your child. So keep that in mind when you view them.
Now it is time get to get your child involved. Sit down as a family and watch the videos. Let your child take the lead talking about what he or she saw, and tell you more about what he or she is looking for. You may need to do a little encouraging to get your new camper talking. Doing this persisitently will help you see what is important in a camp to your child. Prior to going to camp, please explain to your child that the videos are advertisements and that the reality may not always match what you see on the screen. It is good to stop for brief reality check now and then!
The DVD can tell you much more than what you see on the surface if you pay close attention for clues about the camp's philosophy and strengths. Also look for the following indicators:
-Does the video answer your questions about the camp? While there should be additional questions that you will want to ask the director, the video should give you a comprehensive overview.
-What does the video emphasize? Pay attention to what activities and facilities get the most time in the video.
-How old is the video? If there is no date, then estimate the age based on the campers' clothing and the background music. No matter how recent the video appears to be, you should ask the camp director what has changed or been added to the video program since its filming.
-What philosophies does the video suggest? Does the video seem to complement the philosophies expressed in the camp's printed materials?
-What level of sports are shown, in terms of skill and sophistication? If you're looking for a specialty sports camp, does the level of play look too advanced or too basic?
-What philosophical qualities does the video stress? Does the video seem to be consistent with and complement the philosophies expressed in the camp's printed materials?
-What is your and your child's general impression after watching? Sometimes a gut instinct may tell you the most.
DVDs are a great way to get a feel about each individual childrens summer camp, but it should not be the only factor in the important decision about a camp. Be sure to talk to the camp directors and talk to campers' parents.
If this is your first time looking for a summer camp please go to Summer Camp Advice a FREE online reference that helps parents figure out what Summer Camp is about
About the author: Lonnie lorenz has been the owner of Swift Nature Camp since 1996. She has created a is a Minnesota Outdoors Summer Camp for boys and girls ages 6-15. Our focus is to blend traditional summer camp activities with that of aAnimal Camp and Science Summer Camp
| 5 Reasons to Watch a Summer Camp Video |
Anyone can read a book about ecology or see a film about wild animals. But, today's children are missing contact with the outside world. Children learn more rapidly through natural curiosity, experimentation and discovery, rather than a classroom lecture. That's just part of the benefits that nature and the outdoors impart onto kids. And much of this can be done with guided purposeful hands on play.
The Wisconsin No Child Left Inside Coalition is working to develop an Environmental Literacy Plan for Wisconsin that will address the environmental education needs of Wisconsin's
permalink=”http://www.swiftnaturecamp.com/blog”>
The Wisconsin No Child Left Inside Coalition is working to develop an Environmental Literacy Plan for Wisconsin that will address the environmental education needs of Wisconsin's
permalink=”http://www.swiftnaturecamp.com/blog”>
pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade schools and will pay special attention to creating more opportunities to get kids outside. The Plan will recommend a comprehensive strategy to ensure every child graduates with the environmental skills and knowledge needed to contribute to a sustainable future.
Many parents believe that children need to spend more time outside in nature. They are looking for summer programs to supplement these state goals. Environmental Summer Camps are just one way parent can do this.
Wisconsin has a strong environmental education foundation already established, with active schools, supporting organizations, and abundant opportunities to get outside in rural and urban settings. The Environmental Literacy Plan will build upon these strengths, and suggest priorities for present and future attention. It will lay out the next steps towards fulfilling on our State's commitment to ensure all people in Wisconsin are environmentally literate.
State Superintendent Evers has formally asked the Coalition to develop the Environmental Literacy Plan for Wisconsin. A Steering Committee meets each month to draft the Plan. The Wisconsin No Child Left Inside Coalition Steering Committee is made up of representatives from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, Wisconsin Center for Environmental Education, Wisconsin Environmental Education Board, Wisconsin Environmental Education Foundation, Wisconsin Association for Environmental Education, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Wisconsin Environmental Science Teachers Network, Milwaukee Public Schools, the Green Charter School Network, and the US EPA's Environmental Educationand Training Partnership. The broader Coalition is kept updated on progress, provides input and feedback to guide the plan development, and ultimately, willplay a key role in implementing and evaluating Wisconsin's Environmental Literacy Plan.
Wisconsin's Environmental Literacy Plan will be compliant with the pending national No Child Left Inside (NCLI) legislation. The No Child Left Inside Act requires States develop, implement, and evaluate a State Environmental Literacy Plan in order to be eligible to receive funding associated with the Act. Currently, the bill suggests an appropriation of $100 million to support the State Environmental Literacy Plans. You can learn more about the national NCLI Act and its various provisions and requirements here: www.cbf.org/Page.aspx?pid=948.
Much of the information was supplied by "EE IN WISCONSIN", A guide to Wisconsin's environmental education organizations, programs, materials, and professionals. For more information about Wisconsin's NCLI Coalition, contact Jesse Haney (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).
If you are looking for Summer Camp for your children, please see SummerCampAdvice.com a FREE reference. Selecting the right summer camp is so important so be sure to do your homework, it will pay off in the end.
Many parents believe that children need to spend more time outside in nature. They are looking for summer programs to supplement these state goals. Environmental Summer Camps are just one way parent can do this.
Wisconsin has a strong environmental education foundation already established, with active schools, supporting organizations, and abundant opportunities to get outside in rural and urban settings. The Environmental Literacy Plan will build upon these strengths, and suggest priorities for present and future attention. It will lay out the next steps towards fulfilling on our State's commitment to ensure all people in Wisconsin are environmentally literate.
State Superintendent Evers has formally asked the Coalition to develop the Environmental Literacy Plan for Wisconsin. A Steering Committee meets each month to draft the Plan. The Wisconsin No Child Left Inside Coalition Steering Committee is made up of representatives from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, Wisconsin Center for Environmental Education, Wisconsin Environmental Education Board, Wisconsin Environmental Education Foundation, Wisconsin Association for Environmental Education, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Wisconsin Environmental Science Teachers Network, Milwaukee Public Schools, the Green Charter School Network, and the US EPA's Environmental Educationand Training Partnership. The broader Coalition is kept updated on progress, provides input and feedback to guide the plan development, and ultimately, willplay a key role in implementing and evaluating Wisconsin's Environmental Literacy Plan.
Wisconsin's Environmental Literacy Plan will be compliant with the pending national No Child Left Inside (NCLI) legislation. The No Child Left Inside Act requires States develop, implement, and evaluate a State Environmental Literacy Plan in order to be eligible to receive funding associated with the Act. Currently, the bill suggests an appropriation of $100 million to support the State Environmental Literacy Plans. You can learn more about the national NCLI Act and its various provisions and requirements here: www.cbf.org/Page.aspx?pid=948.
Much of the information was supplied by "EE IN WISCONSIN", A guide to Wisconsin's environmental education organizations, programs, materials, and professionals. For more information about Wisconsin's NCLI Coalition, contact Jesse Haney (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).
If you are looking for Summer Camp for your children, please see SummerCampAdvice.com a FREE reference. Selecting the right summer camp is so important so be sure to do your homework, it will pay off in the end.
Many Parents, who have their children on medication are concerned about sending their children to summer camp. This is understandable and here is a top ten list composed by camp advocate Dr. Christopher Thurber.
1. Have your son or daughter stay on any medications they take during the school year. If it’s helpful at home or school, it will be helpful at camp.
2. Don’t make major medication changes just prior to camp. The transition to camp is............
permalink=”http://www.swiftnaturecamp.com/blog”>
1. Have your son or daughter stay on any medications they take during the school year. If it’s helpful at home or school, it will be helpful at camp.
2. Don’t make major medication changes just prior to camp. The transition to camp is............
permalink=”http://www.swiftnaturecamp.com/blog”>
Top Ten Medication Management Tips at Camp
By Dr. Christopher Thurber
1. Have your son or daughter stay on any medications they take during the school year. If it’s helpful at home or school, it will be helpful at camp.
2. Don’t make major medication changes just prior to camp. The transition to camp is enough of an adjustment without further complications from medication discontinuance or prescription switches. Make any adjustments a few months before opening day.
3. Discuss dosing and the camp’s daily schedule with your child’s prescribing physician to ensure smooth administration of all medications. The timing of doses at home or school may have to be adjusted at camp because of how the camp’s daily schedule works.
4. Clearly label everything with your child’s name. Prescription bottles are already labeled, but be sure inhalers, nebulizers, Advair discs, and everything elseyour child brings to camp is clearly labeled with his or her name.
5. Openly discuss any medication your child takes with him or her. A surprising number of children don’t understand why they take certain medications and/or why their dosing schedule is designed the way it’s designed. Campers’ adherence to prescription directions will be much better—and any shame will be greatly reduced—if the prescriber and parents have had honest discussions with the child about the medication’s purpose and dosing.
6. Share your child’s medication history with the camp’s health care providers, both on the camp’s health form and in person. Each detail about a child’s assessment, diagnosis, and treatment that parents provide to the camp’s health care providers puts those professionals in a better position to care for that child. Leaving the camp nurse or doctor in the dark about some medical or psychological condition greatly compromises the quality of care they can provide. Trust that the information you provide will be treated confidentially.
7. Meet the camp nurses and doctors on opening day. It’s nice to put a face with a name in case you need to be in contact during the session.
8. Meet your child’s cabin leader on opening day. Share helpful information with him or her about your child and his treatment. (or, if your child travels to camp on a bus, be sure to write a personal letter to the cabin leader about your child and his or her treatment.)
9. Provide the camp with all your contact information (cell, home, work, vacation home, etc.)
10. Relax…camp will take good care of your child.
Dr. Thurber also offered ACA attendees a terrific medication resource he created with the help of his colleague, Joshua Gear, M.D.: “Psychotropic Medication Rapid Reference: A Guide for Camping Professionals.” The Guide is a list of the most common psychotropic medications prescribed to campers along with their generic names, information about what conditions they are intended to treat, common side effects, and (perhaps most importantly) what your health staff should do if a camper on one of these medications misses a dose for some reason. I encourage you and your health staff to visit Dr. Thurber’s excellent website,www.campspirit.com to request a copy of the Guide.
1. Have your son or daughter stay on any medications they take during the school year. If it’s helpful at home or school, it will be helpful at camp.
2. Don’t make major medication changes just prior to camp. The transition to camp is enough of an adjustment without further complications from medication discontinuance or prescription switches. Make any adjustments a few months before opening day.
3. Discuss dosing and the camp’s daily schedule with your child’s prescribing physician to ensure smooth administration of all medications. The timing of doses at home or school may have to be adjusted at camp because of how the camp’s daily schedule works.
4. Clearly label everything with your child’s name. Prescription bottles are already labeled, but be sure inhalers, nebulizers, Advair discs, and everything elseyour child brings to camp is clearly labeled with his or her name.
5. Openly discuss any medication your child takes with him or her. A surprising number of children don’t understand why they take certain medications and/or why their dosing schedule is designed the way it’s designed. Campers’ adherence to prescription directions will be much better—and any shame will be greatly reduced—if the prescriber and parents have had honest discussions with the child about the medication’s purpose and dosing.
6. Share your child’s medication history with the camp’s health care providers, both on the camp’s health form and in person. Each detail about a child’s assessment, diagnosis, and treatment that parents provide to the camp’s health care providers puts those professionals in a better position to care for that child. Leaving the camp nurse or doctor in the dark about some medical or psychological condition greatly compromises the quality of care they can provide. Trust that the information you provide will be treated confidentially.
7. Meet the camp nurses and doctors on opening day. It’s nice to put a face with a name in case you need to be in contact during the session.
8. Meet your child’s cabin leader on opening day. Share helpful information with him or her about your child and his treatment. (or, if your child travels to camp on a bus, be sure to write a personal letter to the cabin leader about your child and his or her treatment.)
9. Provide the camp with all your contact information (cell, home, work, vacation home, etc.)
10. Relax…camp will take good care of your child.
Dr. Thurber also offered ACA attendees a terrific medication resource he created with the help of his colleague, Joshua Gear, M.D.: “Psychotropic Medication Rapid Reference: A Guide for Camping Professionals.” The Guide is a list of the most common psychotropic medications prescribed to campers along with their generic names, information about what conditions they are intended to treat, common side effects, and (perhaps most importantly) what your health staff should do if a camper on one of these medications misses a dose for some reason. I encourage you and your health staff to visit Dr. Thurber’s excellent website,www.campspirit.com to request a copy of the Guide.
Testimonials
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3 weeks was not enough, next year I want to stay for 6 weeks.
3 weeks was not enough, next year I want to stay for 6 weeks. -
I really liked the Animals in the Nature Center.
I really liked the Animals in the Nature Center. -
I like the new friends I made, we still chat on Facebook.
I like the new friends I made, we still chat on Facebook. -
In the cabin our counselors made it feel like a respectful loving family.
In the cabin our counselors made it feel like a respectful loving family. -
I cried for days after leaving my SNC family of friends.
I cried for days after leaving my SNC family of friends. -
I liked swimming every day in the lake.
I liked swimming every day in the lake. -
When I returned home I loved telling my parents about my SNC adventures.
When I returned home I loved telling my parents about my SNC adventures. -
The New Lego building is a wonderful place to be creative and make friends.
The New Lego building is a wonderful place to be creative and make friends. -
I like being out in Nature and away from the city sounds and lights.
I like being out in Nature and away from the city sounds and lights. -
The Canoe trips are the best, I always feel like an explorer.
The Canoe trips are the best, I always feel like an explorer. -
Being independant and making my own decisions was great.
Being indépendant and making my own decisions was great. -
I liked that it was non-competitive and everyone was kind.
I liked that it was non-competitive and everyone was kind. -
I was surprised how most of the kids were like me, kind, fun and liked being outside.
I was surprised how most of the kids were like me, kind, fun and liked being outside. -
I thought I would miss my electronics, but it was no problem.
I thought I would miss my electronics, but it was no problem. -
I was excited to get my Archery Achievement Award, it took dedication.
I was excited to get my Archery Achievement Award, it took dedication. -
I want to go back to SNC.
I want to go back to SNC. -
I like learning about Nature and hearing the Loons at night.
I like learning about Nature and hearing the Loons at night. -
I gained so much independence being at camp for 2 weeks.
I gained so much independence being at camp for 2 weeks. -
This is my 5th summer, I love it.
This is my 5th summer, I love it. -
I liked that all the activities were in a non-competitive atmosphere.
I liked that all the activities were in a non-competitive atmosphere. -
Their is something Magical about SNC, Friends, Activities, Nature, It's all Great.
Their is something Magical about SNC, Friends, Activities, Nature, It's all Great. -
I like making beaded animals and friendship bracelets in Arts & Crafts.
I like making beaded animals and friendship bracelets in Arts & Crafts. -
Riding horses on a trail in the woods was Awesome.
Riding horses on a trail in the woods was Awesome. -
The 1st timer camp was good cause we were all the same.
The 1st timer camp was good cause we were all the same. -
When we went hiking it was hard but the sites from the hill were breathtaking.
When we went hiking it was hard but the sites from the hill were breathtaking. -
My friend had been here and he was right... it's a blast.
My friend had been here and he was right... it's a blast. -
I'm kinda sad, this is my last summer, wish I had started younger.
I'm kinda sad, this is my last summer, wish I had started younger. -
Meeting new people from around the world is amazing.
Meeting new people from around the world is amazing. -
I liked that my counselors were friendly and encouraged me to try new things.
I liked that my counselors were friendly and encouraged me to try new things. -
SNC is about NO cliques.
SNC is about NO cliques. -
I liked daily picking the activities I wanted to do.
I liked daily picking the activities I wanted to do. -
It's the Funnest camp in the world, I got along with everyone.
It's the Funnest camp in the world, I got along with everyone. -
SNC is my home away from home.
SNC is my home away from home. -
I really enjoy meeting new kids from all over and counselors every year.
I really enjoy meeting new kids from all over and counselors every year. -
So many activities to choose from, we are never bored.
So many activities to choose from, we are never bored. -
Every year is a new adventure in camping, community and nature.
Every year is a new adventure in camping, community and nature. -
I enjoyed seeing what America was like.
I enjoyed seeing what America was like. -
Kindness and understanding is what camp is all about.
Kindness and understanding is what camp is all about. -
I loved it all... Don't' change a thing.
I loved it all... Don't' change a thing. -
I like that we got to shoot sling shots.
I like that we got to shoot sling shots. -
Camp is so much better than staying home all summer.
Camp is so much better than staying home all summer. -
It took a few years but my swimming really improved.
It took a few years but my swimming really improved. -
I feel completely included and accepted.
I feel completely included and accepted. -
It is amazing having your Birthday at camp.
It is amazing having your Birthday at camp. -
The small size makes SNC excellent.
The small size makes SNC excellent. -
I liked learning about nature and ecology.
I liked learning about nature and ecology. -
SNC is a down to earth experience without junk food or electronics.
SNC is a down to earth experience without junk food or electronics. -
I liked the shorter first timer camp & my councilors were fun and caring.
I liked the shorter first timer camp & my councilors were fun and caring. -
Living on a lake with all the water activities is wonderful.
Living on a lake with all the water activities is wonderful. -
SNC is down to earth and not a rich kids camp.
SNC is down to earth and not a rich kids camp. -
I liked SNC because it was not a sports camp.
I liked SNC because it was not a sports camp. -
Free time is the best.
Free time is the best. -
I like being away from home and out in the woods.
I like being away from home and out in the woods. -
Camp friends are the best friends.
Camp friends are the best friends. -
SNC is about trying new things, meeting new people and being on my own.
SNC is about trying new things, meeting new people and being on my own. -
Counselors were great.
Counselors were great. -
I really like the Arts & Crafts Castle.
I really like the Arts & Crafts Castle. -
This was my best summer ever.
This was my best summer ever. -
I gained confidence trying new activities and meeting new folks.
I gained confidence trying new activities and meeting new folks. -
This is my 5th summer, I love it.
This is my 5th summer, I love it. -
I feel accepted and loved at SNC.
I feel accepted and loved at SNC. -
Tubing was the most Fun.
Tubing was the most Fun. -
I feel like I belong to something bigger than me, a community.
I feel like I belong to something bigger than me, a community. -
Friends is what brings me back to SNC.
Friends is what brings me back to SNC. -
I really look forward to Pizza Night.
I really look forward to Pizza Night. -
Swift is a good fit for me, I love nature and being outside.
Swift is a good fit for me, I love nature and being outside. -
I got to shoot a real gun.
I got to shoot a real gun. -
My counselors were very encouraging when i was unsure of new activities.
My counselors were very encouraging when i was unsure of new activities. -
Making new friends is easy at Swift.
Making new friends is easy at Swift. -
Counselors made sure I felt included in the cabin.
Counselors made sure I felt included in the cabin. -
I liked coming to SNC with my sister.
I liked coming to SNC with my sister. -
Sleep in Sundays are one of my favorite days at camp.
Sleep in Sundays are one of my favorite days at camp. -
I got to bring my pet from home to SNC.
I got to bring my pet from home to SNC.
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