Do you know kids & teens looking for a fantastic, good ol' days, totally hip & fun summer adventure that's reasonably priced?
Delighting both girls and boys, Swift Nature Camp has been a favorite childhood experience for my boys each summer since 2003. I trust the directors, I adore the counselors, I appreciate the outside active fun, and I love the gorgeous setting. And, I love that it's cheaper than my daughter's camp! Swimming, canoeing, fishing, tubing, riflery, archery, crafts, camp fires, camping trips, clowning, & good ol' capture the flag in the woods are some of what my kids love about Swift. The break from school kids, family life, and electronics gives them the awesome experience of pursuing new and different activities with fresh, friendly kids that just want to have fun without the drama. Not once in our 12 sessions did I receive a letter from the boys feeling down at camp. In fact, when they came home, they always said they wanted to stay longer next time. I'd love for you to learn more about this camp in Minong, Wisconsin. It has been a key factor in shaping my kids into the people I love today. Check it out.
The above note was taken from a camp families facebook page. At SNC our goal is to be part of your childs development and help your child be the best person they can be and get ready for life filled with self confidence and independance. Please see our other Parent Testimonials.
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Like most parents you’re concerned about your child’s academic growth during the long summer break
Recent Research by Harris Cooper, A university professor in association with the National Summer Learning Association, found that kids do forget information when school isn’t in session. “At best, students showed little or no academic growth over summer. At worst, students lost one to three months of learning,” the study reported.
For years teachers have noted that the beginning of the school year is a time to refresh the work that was done the previous year and that those students who recall the previous year more easily will do better at the current years studies.
Recall when you were a kid—what was better than being a kid in the summer? For me I was one of those overnight summer camp kids so I recall the warm breeze on the lake, making leather crafts, playing capture the flag, and making new friends. Traditional Summer camps do provide children with fun learning opportunities that engage their brain and can lead to academic success when classes resume in September.
Parents should look for opportunities to keep your child engaged and learning throughout the summer. This will allow them to continue building on their skills and foster their joy of learning. It is important for parents to keep this goal in mind when picking a summer camp program. Selecting a summer camp that immerses campers in experiential learning opportunities is a good choice. At Swift Nature Camp we provide just such an environment.
At SNC we work with children not in memorizing facts about science and nature but on the process. We create an atmosphere were children have fun and want to learn. When we guide them through the process, instead of simply giving them answers we fosters creativity, giving children skills to be critical thinkers and develop their own solutions to a problem.
The benefits of Experiential learning start at self-discovery by giving the children the tools to complete a task at hand, but leaves the steps to complete the task up to them. Children learn better and find more joy in learning when they do it themselves. When campers do this they better remember te experience.
In addition to learning traditional camp activities along with science campers build upon the social and emotional skills. Communal living helps children become more sensitive and caring toward others. Teamwork is what happens everyday at Swift Nature Camp.
Many of SNC parent avail themselves to the tutoring program offered. This program is more of a refresher class that keeps children "where they are" rather than teaching new concepts, slowing down the learning loss that happens during the summer. Maybe it might be an option to consider this summer.
ACA Accreditation means that the summer camp you are considering has voluntarily agreed to undergo a thorough review of over 300 standards &emdash; from safety procedures to staff trainning and qualifications. The American Camp Association does not stand alone but works with experts from The American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Red Cross, and other youth service agencies to assure that current practices at that summer camp reflect the most up-to-date, research-based standards in camp operation. Camps and the ACA form a partnership that promotes summers of growth and fun in an environment committed to child safety. Bottom line, when you send your child to a summer camp that is ACA accreditied you know the owners and directors are doing everything possible to provide a safe and positve growing experience for your child.
ACA works with accredited camps to provide:
* Healthy, developmentally-appropriate activities and learning experience
* Caring, competent role models
* Service to the community and the environment
* Discovery through experiential education
* Opportunities for leadership and personal growth
What are some of the 300 ACA standards ?
* Staff to camper ratios are appropriate for different age groups
* Goals for camp activities are developmentally based
* Emergency transportation available at all times
* First-aid facilities and trained staff available
What's the difference between state licensing of camps and accreditation by ACA?
Accreditation is voluntary and ACA accreditation assures families that camps have made the commitment to a safe, nurturing environment for their children. Licensing is mandatory and requirements vary from state to state. ACA standards are recognized by courts of law and government regulators as the standards of the camp community.
How do ACA standards exceed state licensing requirements?
ACA goes beyond basic requirements for health, cleanliness, and food service into specific areas of programming, including camp staff from director through counselors, emergency management plans, health care, and management. ACA applies separate standards for activities such as waterfront, horseback riding, and adventure and travel.
How can I verify that my child's camp is ACA accredited?
Look for the ACA logo on camp website. Visit the ACA website at www.ACAcamps.org or by calling 1-800-428-CAMP.
To learn more about how to choose a summer camp visit www.summercampadvisor.com
Directions - View the full report (PDF - 2.8MB)
Between 2001 and 2004 the American Camp Association conducted national research with over 5000 families from 80 ACA-Accredited camps to determine the outcomes of the camp experience as expressed by parents and children.
Parents, camp staff, and children reported significant growth in:
- Self-esteem
- Peer relationships
- Independence
- Adventure and exploration
- Leadership
- Environmental awareness
- Friendship skills
- Values and decisions
- Social comfort
- Spirituality
The findings from this national study indicated that camp is a unique educational institution and a positive force in youth development. The camp experience can benefit children by increasing:
- confidence and self-esteem
- social skills and making friends
- independence and leadership qualities
- willingness to try and adventurousness
- spiritual growth, especially at camps focused on spirituality.
No differences were found based on the camp type (day, resident) or session length.
For more information on the actual instrumentation, please visit the Camper Growth Index site where details about the instrumentation developed and used in the ACA National Outcomes Study are discussed. Free access to the instruments are also described along with the access process.
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By Derrick Ho, Special to CNN
August 16, 2010 8:06 a.m. EDT
Experts advise parents against picking up their children from college if they complain about homesickness.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- Homesickness is a distinct adjustment disorder with identifiable symptoms
- Expert: Homesickness is an emotion that comes in waves
- Age can make a crucial difference in coping with homesickness
(CNN) -- There was nothing but excitement for Keila Pena-Hernandez when she first stepped onto the grounds of the University of Missouri.
New school. New city. A new phase of her life. "It's just like wow, wow, wow! I was just excited that I'm in new surroundings," she said.
By the third week, the novelty of her new surroundings had worn off. The then 27-year-old health informatics doctoral student from Puerto Rico found herself lying on her bed after classes with the lights turned off and gazing out the window into the sky. All she could think of were the faces of friends and family.
"I started feeling homesick," she recalled. "This is nice, but this is not really home. The gym is awesome, but I didn't know anyone here."
This month, as thousands of freshmen and graduate students flock to colleges to begin a new academic year, many will be leaving home, some for the first time.
As routines are replaced with new social and academic pressures, and home by a dormitory full of strangers, homesickness -- the longing ache for the familiar, friends or grandma's cooking -- sets in. Pena-Hernandez knows all about that; she's felt it since she left home in 2004.
Homesickness is nothing new. It is mentioned in the Bible's Old Testament book of Exodus and Homer's "Odyssey," and happens to just about anyone away from home -- athletes and actors alike. ("Twilight" star Robert Pattinson reportedly told a U.K. magazine he misses home badly.)
Even so, only lately has there emerged a clearer sense of what homesickness is -- a distinct adjustment disorder with identifiable symptoms -- and what causes it.
In a paper co-written by Chris Thurber and Edward Walton published in Pediatrics, the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, homesickness is defined as "distress and functional impairment caused by an actual or anticipated separation from home and attachment objects such as parents."
Those who suffer from the condition feel some form of anxiety, sadness and nervousness, and most distinctly, obsessive preoccupation with thoughts of home, Thurber said.
After Keila Pena-Hernandez came to the University of Missouri, she began missing friends and family in Puerto Rico.
Pena-Hernandez craved the tropical fruits of Puerto Rico and the cool sea breeze.
"Lakes or rivers in the Midwest do not compare to the Caribbean Sea," she said.
Also troubling was the sense that her loved ones had moved on without her.
"A lot of my friends got married, had children and I'm not part of that because I'm not physically there, so you feel like you're losing out."
Yet despite the way it's coined, homesickness isn't necessarily about home. And neither is it exactly an illness, experts said.
Instead, it stems from our instinctive need for love, protection and security -- feelings and qualities usually associated with home, said Josh Klapow, a clinical psychologist and associate professor at the University of Alabama's School of Public Health. When these qualities aren't present in a new environment, we begin to long for them -- and hence home.
"You're not literally just missing your house. You're missing what's normal, what is routine, the larger sense of social space, because those are the things that help us survive," Klapow said.
He offered another way of approaching homesickness: It's merely an emotion that comes in waves. "Very few emotions stay with you all the time, they come and they go," he said. But when it strikes, both children and adults often get caught off guard by it, he added.
"They think something's terribly wrong. But it's normal and adaptive to feel homesick for some period of time. It's just your emotions and mind telling you you're out of your element."
ADVICE FOR PARENTS
1. Avoid expressing anxiety.Your homesick freshman is not your sounding board. Instead of saying how much you miss him, express optimism about the experience your child is going through.
2. Write instead of call.Phone calls can backfire. "Parents hear their children sobbing, children hear their parents sobbing," says psychologist Chris Thurber. "That real-time contact with home exacerbates homesickness."
3. Find a friend. Encourage your child to look for friends and the support of a trusted adult. This can help ease the transition.
4. Don't make a deal. Promising to pick your child up if homesickness sets in only decreases your child's likelihood of success in the new environment.
That homesickness is a spontaneous emotion also means both adults and children will feel its effects, Thurber said.
"If you look at an 8-year-old boy or girl at summer camp, and an 18-year-old university freshman, you would see very similar symptoms," he said. "The same would be true for a 28-year-old going to medical school in a different country."
Thurber said he has observed few differences in the length and intensity of homesickness between males and females.
While the cloud often lifts after a few weeks, "the distress and level of impairment among some homesick persons can become extreme," according to Thurber's report published in 2007.
In his study of homesickness among children, about 9 percent have it so bad that "it is associated with strong feelings of anxiety and depression, maybe even clinically significant symptoms," Thurber said.
"When homesickness is really bad, it's hard for people to eat, sleep or interact with others. That's terribly rare, but it does sometimes happen."
Age can play a crucial difference in coping with homesickness.
When you're 8, you don't have a lot of formal operational thought nor hypothetical thinking, said Thurber, so being away a month can seem like forever. But an 18-year-old is more likely to be able to translate that into a more manageable time frame.
"You'd be making comparisons in your head: That means if I do laundry once a week I do it four times. That changes and as people's concept of time becomes more sophisticated, so does the quality of their coping," Thurber said.
Experience counts, too.
"It turns out, [homesickness is] the very thing that inoculates against a future bout of homesickness," Thurber said. "By living through a difficult separation, your mind forces itself to cope."
It's this reason why experts advise parents against helicoptering their children out of college if they complain about homesickness.
"It's kind of like a bailout," said Ruperto Perez, director of the Georgia Institute of Technology's counseling center. Students end up being robbed of picking up problem solving and time management skills.
If there's any sort of deal parents can make, it is to agree to stop communicating -- be it text messages or via e-mails -- with their freshmen every five minutes.
Instead, Klapow said, parents should schedule a specific time, once a week, to contact their children. It also allows space and time for college students to make strong social connections among their peers -- perceived absence of social support was a strong predictor of homesickness, according to Thurber's report -- and gain much-needed independence.
Perez said this can be crucial in this day and age in which children have become more and more reliant on their parents. "There is more of an uncertainty of how to be independent. Probably because parents have provided more for them, for a longer period," he said.
While homesick kids at summer camp have the supervision of counselors, college students have less of that.
TIPS FOR HOMESICKNESS
1. Stay engaged. Take part in college activities or even freshman camps to forget about homesick feelings and make new friends.
2. Establish a personal routine. "If you are someone who goes to bed early and everyone's staying up late, it's OK to go to bed early," says psychologist Josh Klapow.
3. Do something to feel closer to home. Write a letter, look at a family photo.
4. Talk to someone. Seek out people who either understand what you're going through or have similar feelings. Pity parties in this case aren't a bad thing, says Klapow. "It's sort of like a grief support group."
5. Time flies. Think that time is actually pretty short to make time go by faster.
Colleges have been hypervigilant for signs of depression and anxiety particularly after the Virginia Tech shootings. Counseling centers such as Perez's are taking steps to increase the awareness of the help students can turn to by promoting their services at orientation sessions and working with faculty and residential staff.
While there is still a stigma when it comes to approaching a counselor, Klapow said not doing so is as foolish as not consulting a doctor when a student is suffering from, say, stomach cramps.
"For college students, hey welcome to the big world. And the big world says, sometimes your emotions need to be dealt with," he added.
While homesickness can be dealt with, can it be prevented?
Not quite, Thurber said, despite the title of his study, "Preventing and treating homesickness."
"But what you're able to do is change its intensity," he said. Allowing teens and young adults to be active in deciding which college to go to helps.
Then there's practice and preparation.
Practice time away from home, Thurber recommended. Parents, too, can help by working with their freshmen to learn about the new environment by visiting campuses and talking to alumni. "They increase familiarity and, thereby, reduce anxiety," Thurber wrote.
Pena-Hernandez, who is finishing her Ph.D, makes a trip home once a year. She still misses home occasionally, but has the support from more friends and church as well.
We get homesick because "there are things that we love," said Thurber. "It's the byproduct of the strength of our attachment. If there were nothing in the world we were attached to, then we wouldn't miss them when we're away."
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Sleep-away camp signup season is upon us, so any rational parents even considering the possibility will begin by asking themselves one question above all else: Really. They want over $1,000 a week now?
For many parents who went to overnight camp and have enough money, it’s not a close call, even if it requires a fair bit of belt-tightening. You’ve probably been talking about it for so long that your 7-year-old may well be annoyed about still being under the qualifying age of attendance. Everyone else should keep in mind that many of the expensive camps dislike their reputations as places for the affluent to get dirty and play outside. They raise money and provide some scholarships, so there is no shame in asking about how to qualify. Meanwhile, Y.M.C.A., religious and other less expensive sleep-away camps are far from rare.
When you’re considering camps, besides costs, you’ll want to ask baseline questions about food, safety, staff training and facilities. But when assessing value, what you really want to know is this: Is this a camp that changes lives? Sending the little people away is no small thing. You want it to mean something.
This week I reached out to camp experts and asked them for the single most important question that a parent should ask before committing. My favorite response came from my seventh-grade English and journalism teacher, Roger Wallenstein, who, with his wife, Judy, owned and ran Camp Nebagamon in Lake Nebagamon, Wis., from 1988 to 2003. He noted that limiting parents to a single question is a pretty good reason not to send your children away to camp, since the decision requires a lot more thought than that. O.K., Wally, I’m clearly still learning here 30 years later! Let’s go with five essential questions then.
Where are the other children going? This is a trick question. One natural default is to send a child off with a close friend, for familiarity’s sake, preferably a friend who has already been to the camp or is following in an older sibling’s or parent’s footsteps.
But your child may not be like that other child, even if they are good friends at school. And you may not share all of the friend’s family’s values. Plus, part of the point here is for a child to meet new people.
What are the retention figures? Go deep on this one. What percentage of counselors return each summer? How does that compare with national benchmarks? What percentage of counselors were campers?
And what percentage of campers who have not aged out return each summer? Does the camp track down all those who are not returning to find out why? If not, why not? If so, why are the former campers not coming back? And what percentage of children are related to alumni, particularly ones from a previous generation? This may seem pushy, but so what? This could cost $8,000 or more. Ask away.
What can they do here that they can’t do at home? A computer lab need not be a deal breaker, but it should give you pause. One comment that has rung in my head in the 16 months since I first heard it came from Richard Deering, the alumni and community director at Camp Birch Rock in Waterford, Me. Camp should be more about soul than stuff, he said.
Jill Tipograph, who helps families choose good camps, wanders their grounds herself looking for signs of stuff. “The things most parents want their kids to shed and leave behind physically and emotionally at home,” she said by way of explanation. Fashionable clothing. Electronics. (Especially electronics.)
What are the camp-only activities that beget soul? Canoe and hiking trips are classics. All-camp, multiday games and festivals. Crafts. Doing without electricity, or air-conditioning and heated pools at least. Or walls, if the children live in tents.
What makes the camp unique? This question comes from Mr. Wallenstein, who likes it because it encompasses so many of the other questions. It ought to be easy to answer for anyone selling an experience in a competitive marketplace. But it never fails to trip up some people and places.
Ms. Tipograph suggests several alternative ways to get at this one: What values do the director or camp support daily, say through a system of recognition during meals or lineups or flag-raising when a camper helps a peer? And what does the camp specifically stand against?
Barb Levison, a camp consultant, says that directors, in particular, love to talk about their camps, or they ought to at least. So ask about their philosophy. “If they lead with better baseball skills or improved theatrical ability, it will feel very different than if they answer with thoughts about good values, respect or being a good friend,” she said. Can you tell me about the ties that bind? Not every child will make lifelong friends at every camp. Still, it’s worth asking: How many reunions take place each year or decade? Can I take a peek at the alumni Facebook page, if it’s closed to outsiders? What percentage of alumni donate to the scholarship fund? How many pictures have you received in the last year of camp friends posing at one another’s weddings, a decade or more from their last camp experience?
In the summer of 2012, I happened to be at a camp when two young adults were called forward to mark a particular occasion. The pair, who had met there years ago, had become engaged the night before. It wasn’t the first time it had happened at that camp either.
This summer, my daughter will be back there for her third session.
Ron Lieber is the Your Money columnist for The New York Times. He is the author of the forthcoming “The Opposite of Spoiled,” about parenting, money, values and raising the kinds of children all parents want to push out into the world, no matter how much money they have (Harper Collins, February, 2015). He hosts regular conversations about these topics on his Facebook page and welcomes comments here or privately, via his Web site. The Opposite of Spoiled appears on Motherlode on alternating Thursdays.
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Self Realization is a part of growing up. It's the "fulfillment by oneself of the possibilities of one's character or personality. As parents we all strive to help our children to be the most be their best. This is not only seen in how we value schooling but life experiences as well . It is a knowing that we are not alone that we are connected. Swift Nature Camp is one way that you give your children a head start on the right road.
Below Annie gives her thoughts.
WRITTEN BY:Annie Shultz- THE Mama Dweeb
It is Summer camp time!!! Are you signing your children up? There is still time! What is holding you back? Some of my most treasured memories are from camp. I remember the friends, the crafts, the food, and especially learning how to be just myself, away from my family and comforts of home.Summer camp encourages interpersonal growth in a way that few other experiences can. When you find a Summer camp that is the perfect fit for your child and family, you can rest assured that your child will learn and grow about themselves. And they will also have fun. So much fun!Here are 7 ways Summer camp encourages self-realization. Share in the comments other ways you think it can help children grow and mature!
- Stepping out of their comfort zone - At Summer camp, children learn how to make decisions without relying on parents or their go-to comforts. This can be incredibly empowering – or super scary. If your child is ready to experience independence, then taking them out of their routines and comfort zones creates the perfect environment for reflection and growth.
- Structured independence – When you find a camp that fits your child perfectly, s/he will have structure – a very important key to growing and maturing. The boundaries of camp and the trained staff are all tools that will help build self-confidence, assertiveness, and courage in your child.
- Social Situations – Summer camps place kids in group situations that teaches them a plethora of social skills including team work, trust, judgement and conflict management. There are team games, social living quarters, and various interactions that lend to this. Some kids will learn how to work with others, some will discover parts of their personalities that don’t lend well to social situations, others will discover how much they enjoy working in groups. Above all, this experience is unmatched in how it brings self-awareness.
- Team work in activities – Just like above, the activities they will partake in will teach the child how to best work as a team. Some of my favorite memories include the cabin games – the friendly competition that helped us all work together. What is wonderful about this is the staff is trained to help the children learn about themselves and how to work through whatever is holding them back from enjoying camp and the other kids.
- Encouraged to be who they are by the trained staff – leaders are given the chance to lead! The staff of a camp really does make a huge difference in how much your child enjoys the experience. A quality trained staff will notice the qualities of each individual child and do what they can to encourage them to be who they are. Leaders will get a chance to lead, encourages to cheer them on, creators to create and thinkers to analyze.
- Feeds their hunger for adventure, sparks interest – At camp, kids learn what they love and what they really don’t care for (ok, what they really despise!). I learned how much I didn’t enjoy arts and crafts at Summer camp. To this day I don’t really do them, even with my kids (oh my poor kids). But I learned how much I loved leading team activities. And if you find a camp that is geared to a specific interest you can help them have an even fiercer hunger to learn more about it!
- Emotional muscles grow and stretch – Children are all so different- from shy to extremely extroverted. Camp lets them grow these muscles! The trained staff will be there to talk through situations – like home sickness at night or hurt feelings from friends during the day. As the child works through these rough patches, they will be so much wiser, stronger, and more confident the next time they encounter it.
For many years at Swift Nature Camp we have been teaching our staff to be on the look out for Mean Girls and Boy Bullies. New research says that both are areas of concern. But what is most important is enlightening to us at camp is that one of the best ways to reduce bullying for boys or girls is to” Increasing positive interactions”. At SNC we constantly have expectations that reinforce positive interactions… The bottom line is we Believe in KINDNESS.
UGA researchers: Boys meaner than girls at school
© Copyright 2014 Henry Herald
University of Georgia professor Pamela Orpinas co-authored a new study on relational aggression which shows boys are ‘meaner’ and more manipulative than girls in school. (Photo courtesy of the UGA/Paul Efland)
ATHENS – Researchers at the University of Georgia have confirmed what many students have probably suspected for years while simultaneously proving a Lindsay Lohan movie wrong.
Their conclusion: boys are meaner than girls at school.
Debunking the myth of the “mean girl,” new research from UGA has found that boys use relational aggression — malicious rumors, social exclusion and rejection — to harm or manipulate others more often than girls.
The longitudinal study, published online in the journalAggressive Behavior, followed a cohort of students from middle to high school and found that, at every grade level, boys engaged in relationally aggressive behavior more often than girls.
A team led by UGA Professor Pamela Orpinas analyzed data collected from 620 students randomly selected from six northeast Georgia school districts. Students who participated in the study completed yearly surveys, which allowed the UGA researchers to identify and group them in distinct trajectories for relational aggression and victimization as they progressed from grade six to 12.
“Overall, we found relational aggression to be a very common behavior. Almost all of the students surveyed, 96 percent, had passed a rumor or made a nasty comment about someone over the course of the seven-year study,” said Orpinas, a professor of health promotion and behavior in the College of Public Health.
Experiences of victimization were found to be universal as well. Over 90 percent of the students reported that they had been victims of relational aggression at least once.
The analysis found that students followed three developmental trajectories of perpetration and three similar trajectories of victimization — low, moderate and high declining (that is, very high in middle school and declining in high school).
When examining how these trajectories differed by gender, the data revealed some unexpected results. Significantly more boys than girls fell into the two higher trajectories for relational aggression perpetration, while more girls than boys fell into the two higher trajectories for victimization.
“We have books, websites and conferences aimed at stopping girls from being aggressive, as well as a lot of qualitative research on why girls are relationally aggressive,” Orpinas said. “But oddly enough, we don’t have enough research on why boys would be relationally aggressive because people have assumed it’s a girl behavior.”
Studies on relational victimization are uncharted territory in scientific literature, Orpinas explained. Much more research is needed to understand why girls are more likely than boys to be targets of relational aggression or to perceive certain acts as aggressive.
While the study may call for more scholarship on “mean boys” and why they behave the way they do, Orpinas said, the findings ultimately emphasize a need to include boys and girls equally in programs aimed at reducing relational aggression.
“In the end, I think we need to ask how we can focus on increasing the positive interactions among kids rather than the negative ones,” she said, “because the kids that students admire are often the ones who are fun and positive about others.”
The article was co-authored by Caroline McNicholas, a doctoral student in the UGA health promotion and behavior department, and Lusine Nahapetyan, an assistant professor of kinesiology and health studies at Southeastern Louisiana University.
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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