I woke up the other day and thought about something I had heard from a parent of one of our summer campers. She explained that when she got to go to summer camp with us for a whole week, it was truly a magical experience and it was way beyond her expectations. It was sweet, she said, and so fun and educational. Her daughter and daughter’s friend both said it was their very favorite camp. She counted herself lucky that she got to attend. It made me think about what sets our camps apart from others. And then I realized we are teaching more than games, songs and crafts….that the way the staff genuinely cares about children and the way they are invested in our programs is one of our unique characteristics. Our staff is of the highest quality, and they collaborate with me to create meaningful experiences that are rich with multi-level learning. We are teaching kids some fundamental values, but discreetly, as a part of the fun things we get to do at camp. I started thinking about what those values were; here is a short list.

~ Karen

Values learned at summer camp and in our programs:

Self Reliance

Try it yourself first, then ask for help if you need it 

Frugality

Make less waste, use everything 

Perseverance

Joy of accomplishing a hard task

Respect for the land

Take care of the Earth and it takes care of you

Teamwork

We can do more when we work together 

Honoring Elders

Listening to and learning from adults and elders in our community 

Cultural Appreciation

Respecting and learning from diversity