Has America Fallen? I believe that we can all agree that in the past 3 years or so, our society has become less civil. We use more profanity in public. We are more polarised, it's We VS Them. Life has become a Win / Loose debate, never a Win / Win scenario. It seems like the fall has started. Yet, recently Senator Susan Collins has suggested a Summer Camp staple to help solve the world's ills. Yes, it is the talking stick. A simple concept, when you hold the stick you talk and others listen. Yes, listen - something America is short on these days. Sure, you can call it childish or not needed. But if we look at what Summer Camp teaches our children to become better adult, it is something all parents strive for and it all starts with a talking stick.

Here are just a few of the positive atributes taught at an overnight summer camp:

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 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 a 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.”  Learn more about Swift Nature Camp at http://swiftnaturecamp.com

As a summer camp owner, each spring as I speak to college students about becoming a summer camp counselor. Often I get a response “I am not a teaching student. How will camp help me?” Will future employers want you to have an internship? They respond in the affirmative and continue “I need real world job skills”. Being a summer camp is the place to get these skills.

Today, as we categorize todays young workforce it is often said that they are lacking soft skills. These skills are what employers want and are what overnight summer camps best teach.

Here are 5 skills that any employer would want to see in their applicants. You can arrange these in any order because none is more important than another.

Teamwork
Most jobs require employees to work together as a unit, section or team building relationships and working together with respect toward a common good. Summer Camp  is all about team work from your co counselors working together to building a team with in your cabin. Camp is a community not unlike a business organization. Camp is built of people who have very different personalities, backgrounds and life experiences that all come together for the goal of building each other up while playing and having fun.

Responsibility
At work we all want our bosses to give us greater responsibility. Very few jobs or internships can give you more responsibility than independently caring for someone else children.   At Camp, counselors you are responsible 24-hours a day at camp or off in the woods hours away from civilization.  It is the counselor that holds all of a child’s experience in their hand. From reducing injuries to motivating and encouraging  a child, to stoping bullying.  No place is a persons job more important than being a camp counselor.their work with campers is essential to camp’s operation.

Problem Solving
I once had a boss who said “Don’t bring me problems bring me solutions.” The same can be said as a camp counselor you need to figure things out and make it work the best way possible. Weather your getting 10 children to all brush their teeth or encouraging them to jump into a cold lake, you need to try things evaluate if it works and then make changes as needed. As a  camp counselors you will be constantly provided with opportunities to solve problems and come up with creative solutions.  Just the thing any employer is looking for in a new employee..

Communication Skills
Every job requires good communication skills. Without the distraction of technology and social media, camp counselors strengthen their communication skills by engaging in face-to-face interaction with campers and fellow counselors.  Daily you will learn and practice how to lead group discussions and practice conflict resolution.

Leadership
Every job requires some amount of leadership. After all it is leadership that get the promotion. At camp your unique relationships with campers will allow you to practice your level of influence on others.  At camp, you will share your life experience with their campers helping to build them into being better people.  Even though camp is casual you will be required to be at the top of your game as a role model to children. Meaning you need to remain appropriate in language and appearance at all times. Living as a role model will cause you to step your game and be your best leader.   After a summer at camp you will feel like a leader it is a powerful feeling.

Yes,  you will get to practice these skills but equally important is you will be outside in nature and playing. To soon our youth passes but at camp we like to say "Act your shoe size on your age"

• 
  Parents & Campers,
• When selecting a summer camp it is import that you pick the right summer camp for you. Sure all camps have fancy summer camp websites, but often you may have particular questions you you want to ask in person. Summer Camp Opportunity Fairs (Camp Expos) offer just such an chance. Below is a list camp fairs we will be attending in Wisconsin, Minnesota  and Illinois.  So f you want to learn more about camp come see us or if you are an alumni please stop by and say "HI". We are always happy to talk about camp.

•  

  SUMMER CAMP EXPO- SUMMER CAMP FAIR 2018
  PLACES TO FIND SWIFT NATURE CAMP THIS SPRING

• JANUARY 24th,
  Graham Family Science Night,2315 High Meadow Rd, Naperville, IL, 6pm to 8pm

• FEBRUARY 4th,
  Fox Vally Summer Activities Fair, Wredling Middle School, 1200 Dunham Rd., St. Charles, IL, 5:30pm to 8pm *See Bubba the Pig
  
  

FEBRUARY 6th,
Summer Recreation Open House, York Community High School, Elmhurst, IL, 6pm to 8pm *See Bubba the Pig

• FEBRUARY 24th,
  North Shore Camp Expo at Northbrook Ct,  Northbrook Il.  10am to 2pm *See Bubba the Pig
  
• 
  March 2nd,
  Minnesota Parent Camp Fair, Como Zoo & Conservatory, St. Paul, MN, 10am to 2pm
  

• MARCH 3rd & 4th,
  Kids Expo Schaumburg Convention Center! 1551 Thoreau Dr N, Schaumburg, IL 9am-5pm & 10am-4pm *See Bubba the Pig

• MARCH 6th,
  Stratford Middle School Summer Activities Fair, Stratford Middle School, Bloomingdale, IL, 6pm-8pm

• MARCH 8th,
  District 181 Summer Camp Expo, Clarendon Hills Prospect School, 100 N. Prospect Ave., Clarendon Hills, IL, 6pm-8:30pm *See Bubba the Pig

• • MARCH 16-18th,
    CHICAGOLAND FAMILY PET EXPO, Arlington Park Race Track, Arlington Heights
    
  • Friday 1-9, Sat 9-5, Sun 10-4 *See Bubba the Pig
    
    
  MARCH 19th,
  STAGE 203 Summer Activities Fair, Kennedy Junior High School, Lisle, IL, 6:30pm to 8:30pm *See Bubba the Pig

• MARCH 22nd
  Indian Prairie Summer Activities Fair, Still Middles School, 787 Meadowridge Dr., Aurora, IL, 6pm to 8pm

• APRIL 28th,
  Stem Con at the College of DuPage Physical Education Center, Glen Ellyn, 9am-4pm *See Bubba the Pig
  

•  

Anyone that has been to Swift Nature Camp can tell you that camp water is amazing. The taste is clean and the temperature is iced cold, it must have something to do with an extra deep well and natural sand filter.  

Parents often worry about health care at summer camp and one of the simplest things to do is stay hydrated.

At camp we encourage to carry a water bottle with them all the time. We know that that the medical field says that somewhere between 60-90 ounces of water each day should be consumed to lead a healthy lifestyle. Because our body is made up of 60% water, it is important to be hydrated keeping kids running all day long. We teach our kids that WATER is so important at camp especially on warm days. Often the 1st recommendation from our nurse is "go drink a full water bottle of water". Meals are always started with a glass or two of water. Here are just some of the ways we teach our campers that they are not getting enough water.

1. Are You Thirsty?
This is a simple one,  if you are thirsty, your body is talking to you, its saying that you need some more water. Thirst occurs when your body loses two percent of its water, so if you are drinking in enough water, you will rarely feel thirsty. At camp we quench our thirst with only water never bug juice, water seems to be the most effective.

2. What Color Is Your Pee?

Urine is a tell tale sign of you hydration. Often campers don't want to take a look but, the color of you urine is a great way to determine if you are dehydrated. A campers urine will be light yellow or even clear when drinking enough fluids. Yet when you see dark yellow, it's time to go get some water, this one of the best signs of dehydration.

3. Are You Overheating?

Water helps keep your body cool and stops organs from overheating. Hot days running around camp could lead to heat exhaustion or even heat stroke. Drinking cool water can help, so can slowing down, staying in the shade and  going swimming. This is the reason on super hot days at SNC we increase our water activities and our drinking water during meals to 4 cups per meal.

4. Is Your Skin Dry?

If you notice irregular flaky or dry skin, it could be caused to a lack of fluid. Sometimes if we notice a camper with dry skin we use lotion combined with a water bottle. After a few days we usually get the desired result.

Listening to a camp nurse is always good advice and in this case she can help you find the signs of dehydration and find that simple solution, "Pick up a water bottle and leave your sugar loaded soda and sports drinks behind".

Dr odzy Sluchacze Polskiego Radia,

Bardzo milo bylo mi goscic w radiowym studio dzisiejszego poranka. Dziekuje wszystkim sluchaczom za poswiecony czas, za wasze pytania i zainteresowanie naszym obozem.

Wiem, ze nie latwo jest wyslac dzieci w miejsce, ktorego nie znamy, do ludzi, o ktorych nie wiele wiemy, szczegolnie w dzisiejszych czasach. Jak pewno pamietacie, nasze dziecinstwo, zwlaszcza w Polsce bylo zupelnie inne. Trudniesze? Latwiejsze? Kto wie? Ale napewno mielismy wiecej przygod poza domem, czy to na kolonii, na obozie, u babci na wsi. Calymi dniami przebywalismy na lonie natury lapiac zaby, lowiac ryby, goniac, wymyslajac rozne gry i zabawy. Te wspomnienia mamy do dzisiaj i zawsze z nami pozostana.

Swift Nature Camp to wlasnie takie miejsce dla dzieci i mlodziezy. Dla mnie i dla mojego meza prowadzenie obozu to nie biznes, to nasza zyciowa pasja. Nasi uczestnicy aktywnie spedzaja wiekszosc dnia na wolnym powietrzu uczestniczac w wielu atrakcyjnych zajeciach. Moge tutaj wymiec te najbardziej ulubione przez dzieci: plywanie, tubing, canoe, kajaki, zeglarstwo, lucznictwo, strzelectwo, pracownia plastyczna, nasze obozowe zoo, gdzie mozna sie calymi dniami bawic z czteronoznymi ulubiencami, pracownia LEGO i wiele innych. Mamy dla kazdego cos ciekawego. 

Ale te zajecia to tylko czubek gory lodowej.  Dla nas rodzicow jest wazne by dziecko bylo aktywne, by probowalo nowych sportow i roznych ciekawych zajec. Jednak, co tak naprawde w zyciu sie liczy, to wartosci takie jak : uczciwosc, odpowiedzialnosc, niezaleznosc, dobre maniery, umiejetnosc pracy w grupie czy poprostu szacunek i uprzejmosc w stosunku do innych. I tego wlasnie swiadomie uczymy poprzez zabawe i inne inetersujace zajecia.

Czesto slysze od rodzicow pytanie : Co wy zrobiliscie z moim z dzieckiem?  I nie raz przerazilam sie slyszac taki zarzut. Jednak okazuje sie, ze rodzice sa zadowoleni, ze ich pociecha wrocila z obozu zmieniona na lepsze. Rodzice to widza.i doceniaja. Czesto po takim turnusie poprawiaja sie codzienne relacje miedzy dziecmi i rodzicami.  Kiedys ktos madry powiedzial, ze potrzeba calej wsi by wychowac jedno dziecko. To prawda, my jako rodzice nie jestesmy w stanie  byc rowniez mentorami dla wlasnych dzieci. To dwie rozne role i dzieci inaczej reaguja na to co rodzice mowia, a co mowia im osoby, ktore nie sa z ich rodziny. Dlatego nasz syn juz od wielu lat wyjezdza na pare tygodni na inny oboz, by tego wlasnie doswiadczyc.

Zapraszam do poczytania ponizszego artykulu o determinacji. Ja w przyplywie wolnego czasu pisze artykuly do gazetki wydawanej w Polskiej Szkole Sw. Faustyny Kowalskiej w Lombard, gdzie chetnie uczeszcza nasz syn i gdzie mamy grono zaprzyjaznionych rodzin, ktorych dzieci uczestniczyly w naszym obozie.

Nie przegapcie panstwo okazji i zapiszcie swoje pociechy przed 10 czerwca by otrzymac ta promcyjna cene. Prosze wejsc na nasza strone www.swiftnaturecamp, kliknac na "dates and rates" i przy powolaniu sie na Polskie Radio otrzymacie panstwo oferowana cene.

Determinacja. 



Według Słownika Języka Polskiego determinacja to zdolność do podejmowania konkretnych, stanowczych decyzji spowodowana mocnym wewnętrznym przekonaniem i siłą woli. 
Jaka to wspaniała cecha charakteru... Ile by człowiek dał, by mógł  własnym dzieciom przypisać ten walor. Obowiązki w domu nie powodowałyby ciągłych konfliktów, lekcje byłyby odrabiane bez problemów  i narzekań, a to przekładałoby się na większą samodzielność naszych dzieci. Tego wszyscy chcemy dla naszych pociech, prawda? I tak naprawdę, dla siebie tez.
 Wiemy, że zdecydowanie, stanowczość i silna wola determinują osiągnięcie wielu celów. Ciężka praca popłaca, mówi stare powiedzenie. Ale czy zawsze przynosi satysfakcję , zadowolenie czy też jest powodem do  dumy z odniesionego sukcesu?
Z własnego doświadczenia wiem, że sukces nie zawsze przynosi satysfakcję. Często staramy sie zadowolić oczekiwania innych, i wtedy determinacja może przynieść skutki negatywne, takie jak stres, frustracje czy nawet depresję. 
Wychowując nasze dzieci uczmy je determinacji, ale takiej, która kierowana jest pasją, zainteresowaniami a nie strachem przed opinią i oczekiwaniami innych. Odłóżmy na bok nasze niespełnione marzenia z dzieciństwa i pomóżmy dzieciom odnaleźć to,  co na początku  będzie budzić w naturalny sposób ich zainteresowanie, a z czasem przerodzi się w  zamiłowanie a nawet pasję.. Proponujmy im rożne zajęcia, czy to sportowe, czy artystyczne. Dziecko od razu nie będzie wiedziało, czy lubi piłkę nożną, grę na pianinie czy teatr jeśli my jako rodzice nie damy mu możliwości by tego doświadczyło. Wspierajmy pasje naszych dzieci. Prawdopodobnie  będzie  to kosztem naszego wolnego czasu, tzw. „ świętego spokoju” i z cała pewnością  wygeneruje to dla nas dodatkowe  koszty finansowe. Jednak wierzcie mi warto podjąć to wyzwanie.
Wiemy, że mała iskra potrzebuje tlenu, by rozpaliła ognisko. 
Jeśli dziecko przejawia zainteresowania w danej dziedzinie, to należy tą namiastkę pasji stopniowo rozwijać. I ważne jest by zacząć od zabawy, by dziecko widziało, że to co robi daje mu radość i satysfakcję. Możemy oczywiście dzieci zachęcać ale musimy pamiętać, ze na tym etapie, ważne jest by dziecko sie dobrze bawiło, by z podjęta formą aktywności kojarzyły się mu tylko pozytywne przeżycia i emocje. To najlepsze wzmocnienie, które będzie budować prawdziwa determinację. Prawdziwa pasja nigdy nie zaczyna sie od ciężkiej pracy - zaczyna sie od zainteresowania i zabawy. 
Po tej fazie wstępnej należy uczyć dziecko jak radzić sobie z dyskomfortem, który pewnie się pojawi i   zabrzmi to  jak paradoks, jak czuć sie z nim wygodnie. To ważne by potrafić przeciwstawiać sie trudnościom. Najlepiej uczyć sie tego poprzez ćwiczenia w ich pokonywaniu . Róbmy to powoli, mimo niewygody nie poddawajmy się. W takich sytuacjach nauczmy dzieci, ze głębokie, powolne oddechy, relaksowanie ramion to bardzo pomocne narzędzia w chwilach stresu. Przyjmijmy niewygody i nie bójmy sie ich. Nie unikajmy trudnych rozmów, zaryzykujmy nasze relacje z innymi poprzez pokazanie kim naprawdę jesteśmy, co naprawdę czujemy. Zauważamy ludzi, którzy potrzebują pomocy i zaoferujmy im  ją. Nie odwracajmy sie od problemów innych ludzi. Nie bójmy sie tego. To ważna umiejętność, którą możemy przekazać naszym dzieciom. Róbmy to, co dobre, nawet jeśli jest to dla nas niewygodne.
Verba docent, exempla trahunt,
Seneka miał rację nie ma nic lepszego niż przykład szczególnie rodzicielski.
Determinacja, pasja, zaangażowanie w  swoje obowiązki to cechy, których  dzieci powinny uczyć się od nas, rodziców . Jeśli odnajdziemy w sobie pasję, będziemy gorliwi i niestrudzeni w swoich aktywnościach to wtedy możemy " zawojować świat".
Jola Lorenz
Wlasciciel obozu Swift Nature Camp  
www.SwiftNatureCamp.com

By Amelia Kinney

Posted on April 24, 2017

The Best Thing You Can Do For Your Kids This Summer? Let Them Be Bored

 

Child psychologists insist that boredom is an enriching experience.

With the rise of screen time and “helicopter parenting”, i.e. hovering, we’ve seen a decline in the good-natured negligence that many of us were raised with during the 80’s and 90’s, which consisted of “go outside and play, now.” Parents nowadays feel pressured to turn their children into productive little performers, by filling their time with camps, sports, lessons and play dates. And while there are advantages too, say, learning to play the piano, researchers insist that the absence of planned activities is also an enriching experience. The best thing you can do for your kids this summer? Let them be bored.

“Your role as a parent is to prepare children to take their place in society. Being an adult means occupying yourself and filling up your leisure time in a way that will make you happy,” explains Lyn Fry, child psychologist, “If parents spend all their time filling up their child’s spare time, then the child’s never going to learn to do this for themselves.”

For the same reason that mindfulness has spread like wildfire among the wellness community, children also need to learn strategies to contend with the fast-paced, virtually-ruled nature of modern society. We also know, as adults, that being stripped of our televisions, iPads, and obligations are bound to offer a refreshing perspective and force us to interact with our surroundings in a new and different way.

Certainly, it is tempting, and perhaps we have been conditioned to feel that being bored is a waste of time. Not so— idleness is integral to allow our imaginations to grow. Dr. Teresa Belton, a visiting fellow at the University of East Anglia told the BBC that boredom is crucial for humans to develop “internal stimulus,” which, in turn, cultivates true creativity.

“There’s no problem with being bored,” says Fry. “It’s not a sin, is it? I think children need to learn how to be bored in order to motivate themselves to get things done. Being bored is a way to make children self-reliant.” Another way this helps kids is by eliminating the cycle of seeking validation for every little thing they do. Throwing out expectations is a tool to help kids truly know themselves and their preferences, and become more individually confident.

This summer, take away the screens and let kids simply do their own thing, such as playing with their toys in their room or outside in the yard. Experts also encourage writing a list of activities with children, including basic past times such as riding a bike, playing cards, drawing with sidewalk chalk, painting or reading a book. When your children approach you complaining of being bored, remind them to refer to the list. They’ll thank you later.

True Activist / //www.trueactivist.com/the-best-thing-you-can-do-for-your-kids-this-summer-let-them-be-bored/This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.">Report a typo

Enjoy a Summer Camp In the USA

Often parents ask: Why is an Overnight Summer Camp the right thing for my child? As a camp owner & director of a summer camp in the Midwest, this seems like an odd question. But then I have to stop and realize, that if a parent has not gone to a summer camp or even if you did go to camp, you might not understand how camp has changed over the years. First, I think it is important that I say, I cannot speak of all camps but I can talk about Swift Nature Camp and other fine Overnight Summer Camps. So over the last 25 years, summer camps have realized they are important in a child's development in 3 main ways. First, they connect kids to nature and then reduce or eliminate screen time. Second, Overnight Camps help children learn interpersonal skills that build confidence as they move into adulthood. Thirdly, free play is a big part of what happens at camp. This day and age kids are so scheduled, they no longer have time to just make up games and goof off and be creative. But what does all this mean to your child? Below are 10 areas your child will benefit from while at camp:

1. Diversity

Far too often we live in our little village or community. Swift Nature Camp exposes kids to people from all over. Last summer we had 20 states and 5 countries represented at camp. This helps kids learn that the world is big and that despite the distance and the difference in cultures, we all want the same thing, to feel cared for, feel safe, have fun. Camp creates a world of peace and reconciliation rather than conflict.

2. Self-esteem

When kids are away from parents, they need to be decision makers. They do this with the encouragement from "Older Brothers or Sisters" - their counselors. We understand kids may make mistakes and that's OK at camp, because we are there to redirect poor decisions to good decisions. Making good decisions and being responsible for yourself builds self esteem.

3. Nature

Most parents agree their children are outside much less than they used to be. This “nature deficit” is causing increased stress and weight gains in our youth. At Swift Nature Camp we get kids outside, teaching them about nature while having fun in it.

4. Independence

Self-development and  independence happen at camp because campers are empowered to be responsible for themselves, with guidance from camp counselors. The day starts with getting ready, which includes brushing your teeth, making your bed and sweeping your cabin. This helps kids learn how to take care of themselves.

5. Leadership

When living in a group, there are times that you will naturally speak up and lead the group. This builds a child's character while providing confidence as they interact with others.

6. Memories

So often kids are in programs to just spend their time. Swift Nature Camp provides children the opportunity to make lifelong memories. Often we hear "Camp friends are my best friends" Why? Because when you live with someone, you become much closer than just seeing folks casually during the day.

7. Friendships

Making friends is a skill that needs constant practice. Camp is a wonderfully friendly place that provides these opportunities. At SNC our campers tend to know most if not all of the other campers within a few short days. For our older campers it's a time of supporting the younger ones, and for the younger ones, it's a time to trust and ask for help from the older campers. Camp is all about friendships, thus teaching and giving practice to children how to be more socially confident.

8. Exercise

Camp life is filled with a get up – and get moving attitude. Camp is all about doing! Our days are action packed all the time, except for a brief rest period in the afternoon. So whether you are chasing frogs, swimming or shooting a bow , at Swift Nature Camp we are active all the time.

9. Activities

Camps like ours provides numerous activities that can develop into life long passions. Kids can do so many activities that it is just a matter of time till they find the one that's best suited for them. Camp exposes many children to hiking, fishing, sailing, swimming, archery & canoeing all for the very first time. These passions can continue to grow throughout their life.

10. Engagement

Often we just look for something to eat up the time for our kids. Yet, as parents we know we should be doing more, but we are busy and have a life of our own. So, summer camp gives you back your time while assuring you that your child's needs are being met to the highest degree. The number one comment we hear from parent is "what have you done to my child"? We used to get worried, but after all these years of being a camp director, I see that it's just parents' way of telling us that their child has changed for the better during their time with us. We are intentional in what we do and maybe those parents' questions are why we do camp every summer.

If you would like to chat more about Swift Nature Camp or learn more about our Overnight Summer Camp For The First Time Camper please give us a call at 630-654-8036. We would love to help out.

Dear Lonnie & Jeff
I don’t know if I said this to you but SNC changed my life, the time I spent with you guys was easily the most amazing and wonderful I’ve ever had. Been there, in another country, away from my family and friends made me realize how much I love and need them, this experience made me more mature, responsible and (in my parents words) a better man… Thanks to that summer now I’m closer to my Dad, I learnt to forgive problems I had with old friends and what I think it’s the most important thing is to value everything life and God has given to me.

You have one of the best jobs in the world, working for kids it’s a huge blessing and I wish you the best luck for all the upcoming summers (hopefully one of those I will be able to comeback). Keep being awesome and doing everything the way you do because I can tell it’s working not only for campers, but for your staff. Thank you so much, God bless you and Swift Nature Camp.

Thank You Again
Salomon

To all potential staff reading this, SNC Changed my life it will change yours if you you are open to change. Learn more about Swift Nature Camp