Summer Camp

Wisconsin Environmental Plan

The Wisconsin Environmental Education Board (WEEB) has enthusiastically adopted and
supports the implementation of Wisconsin’s Plan for Environmental Literacy and Sustainable
Communities . This plan is the latest in a long line of environmental education initiatives in the
state . Beginning with the Conservation Movement in the late 1800s and early 1900s through
the Environmental Movement in the 1960s and 70s and on to today, residents of Wisconsin
have played a key role in shaping the knowledge, skills, and attitudes of individuals, groups,
and organizations with respect to environmental issues at the national, regional, and local
levels . As a new century has just begun, this plan provides a pathway for all of us to build
upon this prior work and move forward in developing an environmentally literate society
comprised of sustainable communities .
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Wisconsin’s Plan for Environmentally Literate and
Sustainable Communities (referred to in this document
as the “Plan”) serves as a strategic plan for achieving
the vision of environmentally literate and sustainable
communities across Wisconsin . The Plan is meant to
build capacity, awareness, and support for environmental
literacy and sustainability at home, work, school, and
play . It encourages funding, research, and education for
environmental literacy and sustainability and it supports
Wisconsin’s Plan to Advance Education for Environmental
Literacy and Sustainability in PK-12 Schools.
This Plan was developed through input from diverse
representatives from around the state, all of whom—
like many before them—are attentive to the health and
well-being of Wisconsin’s people, the stewardship of our
natural resources, the sustainability of our communities,
and to leaving a positive legacy for the future . Wisconsin
people value the state’s natural resources and the functions
these resources serve at home, work, school, and play .
This commitment to protecting and conserving valued
resources can and does lead to sustainable communities
that enjoy a healthy environment, a prosperous economy,
and a vibrant civic life . The purpose of this Plan, therefore,
is to provide a roadmap, a course of action, individuals,
organizations, businesses and governments must
take to attain environmental literacy and sustainable
communities . By providing a shared vision, mission,
and goals, encouraging the use of common language,
and promoting collaborative efforts, the Plan offers the
opportunity for extraordinary impact and change .
The Wisconsin Environmental Education Board (WEEB) is charged with
leadership for environmental education for all people in the state and is required
to develop a strategic plan every ten years . This Plan was born from that
demand . WEEB’s previous strategic plan, A Plan for Advancing Environmental
Education in Wisconsin: EE2010, had seven goals that were based on the central
purposes of providing positive leadership; developing local leaders; developing
and implementing curricula; and furthering professional development .
An assessment provided insight into this plan’s successes and what remains to be
done . Major successes include:
• The creation of a website, EEinWisconsin .org, which acts as a tool for
statewide communication and a clearinghouse for both formal and non-
formal environmental education in Wisconsin .
• The WEEB’s use of the goals in its grants program .
• The initiation of research in environmental literacy and sustainability .
• The establishment of Wisconsin Environmental Education Foundation,
which is leading the way toward more sustainable funding for
environmental education .
The assessment found more work needs to be done to support and enhance
non-formal and non-traditional environmental education . The Plan addresses
this need and sets new goals .

Collaboration with Other Efforts

Wisconsin’s Plan for Environmentally Literate and Sustainable Communities
considers educational needs and responses for the whole community and
supports sustainable practices at home, work, school, and play . The Plan is
coordinated with and supported by two additional statewide efforts to advance
the implementation of the Plan’s goals and the integration of sustainability . They
are:
Wisconsin’s Plan to Advance Education for Environmental Literacy and
Sustainability in PK-12 Schools addresses multiple aspects related directly
to pre-kindergarten through high school student learning to ensure every
student graduates environmentally literate . (NCLIwisconsin .org)
Cultivating Education for Sustainability in Wisconsin builds capacity
and support for schools and communities to focus student learning on
sustainability . It provides recommendations for resources and services to
implement education for sustainability in schools . (www .uwsp .edu/wcee/efs)
2 Wisconsin’s Plan for Environmentally Literate and Sustainable Communities

Benefits of a State Plan

• Provide a common vision and set of goals for people in Wisconsin to work
toward .
• Guide decision-making, policy making and priority setting .
• Serve as justification for and purpose behind creating or continuing
programs, tools and resources .
• Set priorities for development and delivery of educational programs,
business plans, and community efforts .
• Rationale and guidance for funding and research efforts .

How to Use the Plan

Wisconsin’s Plan for Environmentally Literate and Sustainable Communities is
not an organization, but rather a document that serves as the state strategic plan
requiring partnerships and collaboration . It is designed to serve as reference
material for individuals, businesses, and communities . Those who influence
environmental literacy and sustainability in Wisconsin such as community
leaders, traditional and non-formal educators and administrators, resources
developers and providers, policy makers, funders and researchers will find the
Plan useful as a guide in setting priorities and making decisions . Over the course
of the next decade, the Plan’s desired outcomes will be central to environmental
literacy and sustainability efforts across the state . As Wisconsin people work
toward achieving the four main outcomes of the Plan, this document can help
guide attitudes, planning, actions, and endeavors .

National Parks & Christmas

Swift Nature Campers have spent time camping at the local National forests around camp, But, did you know you can make a part of those forrest a part of your Holiday Tradition. The 1.5 million acres of the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest (CNNF) offers many forest products the public can gather. If a person is interested in gathering any forest products they must first purchase a permit for a minimal fee.
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This time of year some of the most popular permits are for Christmas trees, boughs and firewood permits. The costs and conditions of these permits vary depending on the forest product a person is seeking. To obtain more information, contact the Park Falls District Office at 715-762-2461, or visit the CNNF web-site at www.fs.usda.gov.

No Christmas tree cutting is allowed on Price County Forest land, but you can obtain a permit to cut boughs or firewood by calling the Price County Parks & Forestry Department at 715-339-6371.

To obtain a permit for cutting a Christmas tree, boughs, or firewood in the Flambeau River State Forest, call the forest office at 715-332-5271

Why Go To Summer Camp

When we chat with parents for the first time, often a question we get is “Why would I send my child to an overnight camp, we have plenty of local programs.” Yes, this day and age we all can find things to fill our children”s time during the summer. However, overnight summer camp is a much different experience, it is NOT daycare while you are at work. It is a time for personal growth and development all in a child centered atmosphere.
Read More

Unlike school, you don’t have to go to summer camp, but despite the costs, more than 5 million children attend summer camp each year. Choosing a camp is a personal decision – making a good match for both you and your child. You must take into account your own family’s lifestyle, as well as your child’s needs and personality. The process of choosing the right overnight camp should begin months before the first day of the summer. To narrow down the choices, some things to consider are:
•General interest or specialty camp?
•Private or nonprofit camp?
•Affiliated with a church/synagogue or secular?
•Full summer program or shorter sections?

There are also certain standards, such as those that have to do with safety or camper to counselor ratios, which you should not compromise on. However, many other issues are a matter or personal choice. While reading about camps, you should create a checklist of the qualities that you want to find in a camp, prioritizing them so that you can select a program that will meet at least the most important items on your list.
You may decide, after much thought, that the quality of a particular program is so outstanding that you are willing to set aside certain criteria. While you might want to send your child to a religiously affiliated camp, you may discover a secular program that is a better match. You may also find that a program that is perfect for one child may be not as good as a fit for another. It is important to select a camp that is compatible with both your own child-rearing philosophy and the needs of your child. You want your child to hear the same messages at home and at camp, and this will avoid confusing your child and facilitate parent-camp communication.

What can my child learn at sleepaway camp?

Camp can be just as educational as school, with children learning through experience. Through activities and play, children learn a wide range of skills and develop physically, emotionally, socially, and intellectually. At camp, children learn by doing, living, and experiencing things for themselves. It’s one thing to watch a program on television, but quite another to experience it in real life.
At camp, children are given the choice to take risks and try new things. This voluntary nature makes children more open to new experiences, with personal satisfaction as their motivation. Not only are there opportunities to try new things, but camp offers many areas for children to excel in. At a good general interest camp, the non-athlete can shine at arts and crafts, woodworking, or dramatic programs, while the athlete can also find many outlets for their skills. Perhaps most importantly, the two campers learn to live together and become friends despite their varied interests.

Enhanced Self-Esteem

Camp offers children many opportunities to become competent. Practicing both new and old skills on a regular basis, it makes sense that there will be improvement. Novices have chances to learn, while those who are more experienced can improve. Learning new skills and improving on old ones builds self-esteem. Children become more independent and self-reliant at camp with their new-found skills.

Trying New Things

Sending your child to camp is giving them an opportunity to try something new. No matter how many after-school programs or lessons a child takes, its likely they will never have the opportunity to try all that is offered at summer camp. In a supportive environment, the child can try at something new. The interesting twist to these activities is that, since campers often don’t know anyone else at camp before they go, they are more willing to try activities that their friends at home might not expect them to. The athlete can try out for the camp play, while the artist may dabble in sports. At camp, children can try new things and set their own goals for success.

Life Skills

Though years later, your child may not remember capture the flag games or the words to a camp song, the life lessons learned at camp will remain. At camp, a child learns how to take responsibility. The child who has never before made a bed, will learn how to smooth out sheets and blankets and tidy up a cubby. Though counselors will remind and encourage, campers quickly take responsibility for personal hygiene, and for more minor health issues, a camper learns to articulate what hurts and how to get help. All of this personal responsibility further fosters a sense of independence and self-esteem. Camp also improves a child’s social skills by making new friends and learning how to reach out to strangers. At camp, children learn to get along with others, all while living together 24 hours a day, learning about courtesy, compromise, teamwork, and respect.

Hidden Benefits of Camp

The benefits of overnight camp are not limited to children, but extend to parents as well. There is relief in knowing that your child is in a safe, exciting environment for the summer. Even if child care isn’t an issue, it’s often hard to find suitable activities for the summer, as well as finding peers for children to interact with. Camp offers entertainment and constant peer company. For parents that have more than one child, camp can give a younger sibling a chance to shine in the older one’s absence. And if you Homeschool camp is a wonderful way to help your child socialize. For families where all the children go to camp, parents have a chance to do things that would not interest the children. When a child makes it clear how excited he or she to go to camp, these parental excursions are guilt free.

First time at Camp

We at Swift realize the importance that campers feel special while at camp. That is why we have created a special First Timer program for children who have never been to camp. Our goal is to help children feel self confident while quite possibly being your child's first extended time away from home.
We do this by having extra staff on hand for each and every camper needs. We are extremely proud of the fact that during Discovery Camp we limit each cabin size to only 8 campers with 2 staff members. That's only 72 campers (ages 6-12) and 26 staff members !
We also have an Orientation Day, when campers not only get a tour of the camp, complete with a visit to the Health Center and the Mail Box, but also go to each activity area learning about safety in that activity. Within the cabin our staff works hard to promote a nurturing and harmonious friendships. This starts with a Respect List for all to agree to and sign and each night ends with a bedtime story. Due to the fact that all campers are new to this camp they are all on equal ground right from the start.

We encourages each child to learn independence in a safe, age appropriate non-competitive environment. Our twelve day program is the perfect length of time for your first time camper to gain autonomy, leaving their homesickness behind, and feeling comfortable with their new-found independence. For many campers the greatest lesson camp teaches is that they can leave home, return days later and very few things will have changed, especially your love for them.

Swift Nature Camp’s Discovery Program is the perfect match for any camper that’s a little concerned about leaving home for the first time. Read More at DISCOVERY CAMP.

Reason for Summer Camps

<h3 class="blog-entry-summary" style="margin-bottom: 10px; color: #333333; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Lucida, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.7600002288818px;">Top Reasons for Summer Camp
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<div class="blog-entry-summary" style="margin-bottom: 10px; color: #333333; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Lucida, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.7600002288818px;">He was 10 and I knew he was looking for more than a summer of day care and TV shows. So I wondered if <a href="/http://www.swiftnaturecamp.com/" style="color: #005900;">SUMMER CAMP</a> was the right place for my son. My son, currently 15, has attended Swift Nature Camp for four years and we are going to send him back for as long as we can. He loves it. Although, he has ADHD and is very smart, but has trouble at school with attention-seeking ploys. The counselors and directors at SNC have a great, hands-on approach to leadership, social skills development and confidence-building......read on permalink=”<a href="/http://www.swiftnaturecamp.com/blog">http://www.swiftnaturecamp.com/blog</a>”>
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<h3 class="blog-entry-body" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Lucida, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.7600002288818px;">Top Reasons for Camp
</h3>
<div class="blog-entry-body" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Lucida, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.7600002288818px;">He was 10 and I knew he was looking for more than a summer of day care and TV shows. So i wondered if <a href="/http://www.swiftnaturecamp.com/" style="color: #005900;">SUMMER CAMP</a> was the right place for my son. My son, currently 15, has attended Swift Nature Camp for four years and we are going to send him back for as long as we can. He loves it. He has ADHD and is very smart, but has trouble at school with attention-seeking ploys. The counselors and directors at SNC have a great, hands-on approach to leadership, social skills development and confidence-building. Jeff and Lonnie, along with enthusiastic counselors, provide an excellent atmosphere that encourages positive traits to rise to the surface. My son has developed greater peer understanding and empathy, greater self-confidence and trust, better leadership skills, an understanding of group dynamics and fair process and many other valuable lifelong skills. At first I felt nervous sending him to a place I had never seen, but it was really worth it! I talked to Jeff and Lonnie over the phone before I signed him up for the Discovery Camp . A special program for the <a href="/http://www.swiftnaturecamp.com/discoverytitlepage.htm" style="color: #005900;">First time at Camp</a> Their willingness to discuss any question I had and their understanding of my fears made the decision easy. My son took the bus there, but I picked him up at the end, so I got to see first-hand all of the wonderful places he got to explore. He was so excited about camp that I'm not sure he drew breath on the 8-hour journey home! The SNC website tells you everything you need to know and I love how the camp is set up. The cabins are by gender and age and do activities together, including laundry (!) In the afternoons the campers can pick from a variety of typical camp activities (arts & crafts, archery, swimming, etc.). n top of this, the camp is dedicated to environmental awareness and nature preservation. They have a nature center with microscopes and frogs and tadpoles and lots of hands on activities. There is also a small petting zoo of well-adored animals. Of course there is plenty of laughter, games, campfires, food, sports, fun, drama, singing, etc. that makes overnight (residential) camp an experience one remembers for their entire life. As a parent, I appreciate that this isn't a "sports camp" or "math camp" or something ultra specific. Kids at SNC get to be kids and by experiencing all sorts of different activities and a diverse set of campers and counselors, learn more about themselves than at a specialized camp. My son has learned so much from this camp in the four years he has been attending. We have noticed a HUGE difference in his attitude, manners and abilities. He is more mature, pleasant and competent. We would pay any price for the experiences and social education he has gained from SNC. We used to joke that you can find math, reading, or science tutors but no tutors in social skills. Well we were wrong! This is exactly what my son needed at exactly the right time in his life. If you are thinking about away-camp for your child, please consider SNC. Primarily I think of it as a non-competitive, confidence-building camp where kids get to be kids. I know it is the best thing we ever did for our son. Thanks Jeff, Lonnie and all the fabulous counselors, cooks, nurses, etc. We hope our son will join your camp as a counselor when he is older (it is a new goal of his)! You can also find more information on how to pick a summer camp at this website <a href="/http://www.summercampadvice.com">FINDING a CAMP</a>
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Displaying items by tag: Summer Camp

Wisconsin Environmental Plan

Collaboration with Other Efforts

Benefits of a State Plan

How to Use the Plan

National Parks & Christmas

Why Go To Summer Camp

What can my child learn at sleepaway camp?

Enhanced Self-Esteem

Trying New Things

Life Skills

Hidden Benefits of Camp

First time at Camp

Reason for Summer Camps

Camp

Winter

Parent Information

Camper Information

Summer Camp Jobs

Returning Campers