summer camps

2 Longmont Times-Call Publication April 3, 2010

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Longmont Recreation ServicesRegister beginning April 15 for a wide variety of youth

summer camps and summer programs for all ages.

Sandstone Exploration Camps (ages 4 to 12) Skyhawks Sports Camps (ages 4 to 13) Mad Science Camps (ages 4 to 12) Engineering with LEGO® (ages 5 to 10) Crackpots Camps ( ages 6 to 12) Summer Day Camp (ages 6 to 12) Bits, Bytes, & Bots (ages 8 to 14) Horse Camp (ages 8 to 14) Outdoor Adventure Camp (ages 12 to 16)

KIDS’SUMMER CAMPS with the City of Longmont

Junior Golf Camps2 days of 2-hour lessons • Camps begin in May

$40 per session, repeatableVarious dates at Sunset, Twin Peaks, and Ute Creek Golf Courses • Encouraged prior to Jr Golf League

“Next Step”2 hrs of instruction • Optional play of 9-holesTues, 9am, begins June 8$20/week + $7 green fee

Orientation meeting 6pm Tues, June 1 at Twin Peaks Golf Course

Junior Golf League - Ages 5 to 17 June 14-July 19 League registration begins March 31

www.ci.longmont.co.us/golf

Call, visit, or go online today for

your best choice of camps and times.

Longmont MuseumRegister now for hands-on camps in history, art, and science.June 7 – July 30 • Week long half-day camps Super Duper Science (ages 4-5) Ocean Discovery (ages 4-5) Kids’ Chemistry (ages 6-8) Life in Ponds and Streams (ages 6-8) Crime Scene Investigation (ages 9-11) Electronics (ages 11-14) Searchers, Seekers, and Settlers (ages 7-10) Hunters, Artists, and Tipi Makers (ages 7-10) Skateboard Deck Painting 2-day class (ages 9-13) Mixed Media Mania! (ages 8-11)

Longmont Museum400 Quail RoadLongmont CO 80501303-651-8374www.ci.longmont.co.us/museum

Longmont Recreation ServicesSt Vrain Memorial Building 700 Longs Peak Avenue303-651-8404

www.ci.longmont.co.us/rec

Call, visit or go online today!

Sunset Golf Course303-651-84661900 Longs Peak Ave

Twin Peaks Golf Course303-651-84011200 Cornell Drive

Ute Creek Golf Course303-774-43422000 Ute Creek Drive

City of Longmont — Recreation Golf Museum

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www.ci.longmont.co.us

April 3, 2010 Longmont Times-Call Publication 3

Top: Girls study with a teacher during a French language summer camp. Bottom: Boys battle it outon the lacrosse field. Boys and girls lacrosse camps are separate because of different rules.(Courtesy Alexander Dawson School)

Coed or single gendercamps providealternative options

w w w. t i m e s c a l l . c o m /magazines.asp

Contributing WritersNikki Downs

and Annie Walsh

Kristi RitterSpecialty Publications Editor

[email protected], 303-684-5275

Summer StairSpecialty Publications Associate [email protected], 720-494-5429

Nathalie WinchSpecialty Publications Assistant [email protected], 303-684-5294

By Kristi Ritter

For most campers, choosing a coed or sin-gle gender camp may not be a concern. Whilesingle gender camps may have less showingoff and reduced self-consciousness, coedcamps allow kids to become socialized amongall genders.

There are pros and cons to both, but ulti-mately the choice comes down to preferenceand comfort with a child.

Giselle Lehman, child care and summercamp director at the Ed & Ruth Lehman YM-CA in Longmont, says its camps are coed, apoint in which their organization stands for.“I think it’s important to not put barriersaround the sexes,” she says. “It’s the celebra-tion of what makes us the same and whatmakes us different.”

While the YMCA may split some activitiesfor genders due to sensitive issues, Lehmansays they want to make sure all campers haveequal opportunities. And yes, there will al-ways be stereotypes among the population,but the YMCA focuses on finding ways towork through them.

Coed camps, whether they’re day orovernight, provide kids with a glimpse intothe real world and what they will experiencethroughout life. Not only will campers learnto be friends with the other sex, but theylearn the principle foundations of what afriend is, not the gender-role stereotypes thatmay come with it.

Tyler Brooks, camps director at AlexanderDawson School in Lafayette, says they offerboth coed and single gender camps not onlybecause of safety, but different growth spurtsthat genders may go through.

Basketball, volleyball and lacrosse are of-fered in single gender camps at Dawson,mainly because of girls’ and boys’ abilities andstrengths. Lacrosse, for example, also has dif-ferent rules, which dictates the games need tobe separate.

“If you put kids in a situation with some-thing they love, they have something to focuson rather than being self-conscious aboutothers in the room,” she says.

Coed camps may also have advantages forfamilies with both a boy and girl to attend at

the same time, leading to one trip to drop offand pick up. They may even feel comfortedknowing their sibling is nearby.

At single gender camps give some kids adifferent and uniquely supportive environ-ment where they don’t have to worry abouthow the other gender perceives them.

Brooks says people may notice somewhatbetter social skills among kids in a single gen-der camp, mainly because they feel morecomfortable. “Sometimes it’s nice for somegirls in particular to feel more confident,without feeling someone will make fun ofthem,” she says, adding that girls in particularhave a tendency to back off a little in a coedoption because they feel intimidated.

Single gender camps may also give kids aspecial bonding between friends or the op-portunity to come out of his or her shell with-out feeling intimated by someone of the othergender. The camps may also give kids in-creased confidence and the ability to bere-energized when they go back to a coedworld.

Terry Martin, director of the BendelatourScout Ranch near Red Feather Lakes west ofFort Collins, agrees there is a certain bondingbetween peers when they are all of the samegender. “Quite often it’s because they havethe same interests,” he says. “There is alwayssome healthy competition between the peers,it’s just a different competition when youdon’t have a mix of gender.”

Age also contributes to the confidence levelfelt between different genders. Brooks sayswhen kids reach the middle school age, thereis a different feel. “Kids might withdraw a lit-tle in order to find their place,” she says.

The middle school age may also be a timewhen romantic distractions may get in theway. While most camps address appropriatebehaviors for these actions, in a single gendercamp people don’t have to deal with it.

“T h e re ’s no need to impress, kids can kindof just be themselves,” Martin says.

Coed or single gender is only one of themany questions parents should answer beforechoosing a camp. Ultimately, it comes downto knowing the kid and what he or she feelscomfortable with.


Courtesy Avid4 Adventure

Camps teachlife skillsBy Nikki Downs

For a camp kid, summer means a lotmore than no school and trips to the localswimming pool. Every child who has at-tended an outdoor summer camp knowsthat at camp the bar is raised, and daily ac-tivities include kayaking, mountain biking,learning to read a map and wilderness sur-vival skills. But what kids may not realize isthat camp is about far more than the practi-cal skills and adventurous activities thatdraw them to the outdoors each year.

It’s not enough to teach the basic headknowledge of survival and adventure, saysfounder and director David Secund ofAvid4 Adventure, a Boulder based summercamps program. It’s equally important todeliver the experiences that build characterand teach youth how to become responsi-ble leaders.

So what long-term effects can come froman outdoor summer camp? Patrick McCue,a counselor and former camper at CheleyColorado Camps in Estes Park, has seen ev-erything from self-confidence to lasting re-lationships develop during summer camps,both within himself and in the teens henow leads.

Sedentary Kid SyndromeIt all starts by getting kids off the couch,

out of the house and into the outdoors.When Secunda first started getting his

mind around what would one day becomeAvid4 Adventure, he made a point of sur-veying school boards and parents nation-wide to see what it was that kids weren’tgetting from their traditional education.What he found, he says, was a lack of phys-ical activity during leisure time.

Kids these days, he says, are filling theirfree time with video games, television andtexting as early as first grade.

“Leisure time means locking onto as c re e n , ” he says. Taking kids away fromscreen oriented entertainment and gettingkids “outside for life” became a foundingpillar of Avid4 Adventure.

McCue agrees that one of the best thingssummer camps have to offer is a chance forkids to escape bombardment from technolo-gy and information.

“They get to slow it down a little bit, real-ly take hold of the moments,” McCue says.No one is thinking about tomorrow, no oneis texting or on the phone, no one is updat-ing their Facebook status. “It’s all about liv-ing in the moments,” he says.

Walker adds, “A huge part of the tradi-tional summer camp experience is personalimmersion in the natural world.” Being thatclose to nature brings reality into perspec-tive, giving kids a chance to reflect andre c h a rg e .

AutonomyIn a culture rooted in individual freedom

and liberty, the concept of autonomy as re-sponsible self-governance can be over-looked. But McCue says this is the mostvaluable lesson he has learned from summercamps. A sense of personal responsibility,developed in a fun and unique way, is in-valuable for most kids.

“You really get to learn what it’s like to beyour own person (and) be responsible,” Mc-Cue says.

Why is this concept of autonomy morepowerful in a camp setting than it is athome or at school? McCue thinks it has a

lot to do with being away from home andfrom parental supervision for so long. Kidsare free to make their own choices, and canwork through consequences on their ownterms.

Take the concept of positive risk takingfor example. Most kids, Secunda says, arenot exposed to complete independence un-til college and transitions are non-existent.So many kids find themselves making poordecisions and going off the deep end forlack of experience in decision making andrisk taking.

“Kids are insulated, living in fool-proofworlds,” Secunda says. They need opportu-nities to interact with risk, to develop whatSecunda calls an internal barometer for ap-propriate risk taking. “What we’re doing isworking the muscle of positive risk taking.”

Outdoor summer camps fit the bill be-cause under the careful supervision of adultmentors and counselors, kids are taughtwhat risk is and what it is not, as well ashow to take appropriate risks. They equipkids with responsible autonomy and practi-cal skills necessary to work through poten-tially dangerous situations without harm.

Walker agrees that responsibility both tothemselves and to others is a valuable partof the camp experience.

“The social world of camp provides


chances for young peopleto independently workthrough challenges andbuild their own hardi-ness,” Walker says.“These are the qualitiesessential to the successof the many interactivecommunities in theirf u t u re s . ”

Lasting FriendshipsWhile all these aspects

of camp are fundamentalto each child’s develop-ment, the interactionwith other campers andstaff members can’t be overlooked. Summercamp is a place for kids to work on teambuilding development and tightly bondedrelationships. Kids share something witheach other that is unique to each experienceand camp; and kids that would have nothingotherwise in common form friendships thatlast far beyond a week or two of summercamp.

The combination of being away fromhome, being challenged mentally, emotion-ally and physically, and the uniqueness ofthe experience is heightened by the cama-raderie shared by campers.

“Ever yone’s in the same place, and youget really close,” McCue says. Friendshipsnaturally occur among campers, Secundaagrees, if a staff member simply does his job.

There is also something special about the

relationships kids form with their coun-selors and the staff members. As membersare almost always hand picked with special-ized skills and are chosen as role models,campers naturally look up to them.

Role models and inspirational leaderssuch as counselors and directors can have ahuge impact on the child’s developmentboth throughout the week and later in life.

In the end, the best things that a kid canget out of summer camp are not things thatthey seem to be developing very rapidlyanywhere else. Leadership, autonomy,confidence and an active lifestyle arecharacteristics that kids can appreciate forthe fun activities through which they arebrought. But they promise to be even morevaluable in the future for the firm social andemotional foundation they provide.

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Our summer day camp’s main goal is to begin to build a solid foundation with your child so they begin to become a good equestrian which includes helping

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Science Discovery Wilderness Camps at theUniversity of Colorado at Boulder offers severalwilderness adventures with wolves. (CourtesyScience Discovery Wilderness Camps)

Kids enjoy camp activities while away from home. (Courtesy Camp Chief Ouray – YMCA of theRo c k i e s )

Preparation key for a successful time at campBy Summer Stair

Most adults can recall a time when theyleft home and went to camp. Memories ofsitting around the campfire at night withfriends, doing fun activities during the dayand maybe even learning about the outdoorsstill hold a special meaning. With that said,going away to camp is an adventure oneshouldn’t miss.

Leaving home for an extended period oftime can be a big step for many kids, but animportant one. Mary Ann Degginger, assis-tant director at Camp Chief Ouray throughthe YMCA of the Rockies in Estes Park, saysit’s important to know a kid is ready to beaway from home and their family. “P a re n t sare usually the best judge of when a child isready to go to camp,” she says. “If a childhas had successful sleepovers with friendsand are excited for camp, then they’re usual-ly ready.”

Deb Kulsar, wilderness program directorfor Science Discovery Wilderness Camps atthe University of Colorado at Boulder, says itis also fun for kids to have a good friend goto camp with them. Having one close friendoffers familiarity and can help prevent homesickness, she says.

The next step to having a successful timeat camp is to be prepared. Parents, as well asthe camper, can play a big role in prepara-tion plans. “The best thing a camper can do

to prepare for being away from home is toapproach it with the right attitude,” shesays. “Being away from home and goingto camp for the first time is an excitingadventure where they get to meet newpeople, try new things and sleep in a coolcabin.”

Other things parents and kids can do toprepare is read about the camp and its offer-ings, review the packing list and pack in ad-vance while marking everything with theirinitials. “All these activities give parents thechance to talk about how much fun thecamp will be,” Degginger says.

Kulsar agrees that parents should play abig role in preparation so kids can be com-fortable with the idea of leaving home. AtScience Discovery Wilderness Camps kidsand parents get the chance to meet the staff,ask questions and get in-person informationabout the itinerary and what will be expect-ed of them at a pre-trip meeting. Kulsar saysthe pre-trip meeting also help parents, kidsand the staff get to know more about eachother before they leave on the trip. “Wewant it to be the right trip, for the right kids,at the right time with the right staff,” shesays.

The way parents handle the first day ofcamp is also important. “Don’t make yourdeparture a big deal, even if you are nervousto leave,” Degginger says. “One of the bestthings camp does for a child is to teach themindependence and self-reliance and campscan’t do that if parents don’t give them achance.”

If parents want to keep in contact withtheir kids, Camp Chief Ouray encouragesparents to send an up-beat card or letter inthe middle of the camp session, because kidslove getting mail during mail call, Deggingersays. Since Science Discovery WildernessCamps are based outdoors in tents, parentsinstead will get twice-a-week e-mail updatesfrom the camp director.

Both Camp Chief Ouray and the ScienceDiscovery Wilderness Camps staff are well-trained in dealing with homesickness and

work hard from day one to make kids feelwelcome and a part of the camp community.If homesickness is a problem both campswill work with the camper on helping themthrough it. Degginger says, “We let thecampers know it’s OK to miss their family,because when they get home from campthey will have so many stories to tell themabout all of the fun things they did and theirfamily will be so proud,” she says. “We focuson making those great memories that takethe place of any thoughts about missinghome.”

Through it all, going away to camp can bea life-changing event. With a little prepara-tion and support from parents, kids can havea successful time away from home and makelong-lasting memories and friends at camp.Most importantly, it can help kids learnsomething they might not have knownabout themselves. “Camps help you find outwho you are, what your place is in the worldand what you can learn being outdoors andtraveling together as a community,” Kulsarsays. “It is an awesome experience to have.”

To learn more about Camp Chief Ouray, visitwww.ymcarockies.org. Science DiscoverWilderness Camps can be found online atw w w. c o l o r a d o . e d u / s c i e n c e d i s c o v e r y.

Finding yourself through fun, outdoor activitiesis just a small part of the Science DiscoveryWilderness Camps. (Courtesy ScienceDiscovery Wilderness Camps)

Offering Summer Camps for preschool and school age children June 7- July 30th.Also offering a wide range of specialty camps and classes for every child’s interest throughout the summer. Science, Music, Theater, and more...

2010 BCD SUMMER CAMPs & ENrichment classesAGES 3-13For more information and registration forms visit us at www.bouldercountryday.org or 303.527.4931 X 230

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By Nathalie Winch

Day and overnight camps offer childrenlifelong memories and teach a variety ofskills. And although some might considersummer camp to be a luxury, parentsshouldn’t assume they can’t afford it withoutresearching their options.

There is a camp for every child, and forevery budget. According to the AmericanCamp Association, camps can cost between$75 and $650 per week. The average cost ofone week of day camp is around $180, and$390 for one week of sleep-away camp. Al-though the average might seem high, thereare ways to fit it into almost any budget.

The city of Longmont offers options forthose who wish to send their children to acity-run camp, says Suellen Dabney, thecity’s recreation programs supervisor.

“The city’s day camp has different pricingstructures so that if you can’t pay for it all upfront, you can work out monthly payments,”Dabney says.

The city also offers a $100 scholarship forchildren ages 18 and younger. The moneycan be discounted from the price of any ofthe city’s recreation programs, includingsummer camps. To apply, parents orguardians can fill out application formsavailable at any recreation facility.

The federal government also offers afford-able options. Parents can find tax relief forday or sleep-away camps by the federal gov-ernment and the International Revenue Ser-vice. The IRS has an income tax credit ser-vice for parents sending their children to daycamps, if the camp takes the place of neces-sary daycare services. Visit their Web site formore information about this Child and De-pendent Care Tax Credit at w w w. i r s . g o v .

A Dependent Care Flexible Spending Ac-count is also offered through the federalgovernment. This allows parents to be reim-bursed for daycare expenses, including sum-mer day camps and some transportation today camps, as long as the costs fit under the

umbrella of dependent care services. Formore information on this reimbursementprogram, visit the FSA’s Feds Web site atw w w. f s a f e d s . c o m .

Parents can also save by researching acamp’s refund policy and by determining ex-actly what the camp’s fees cover, includingmeals, activities and transportation. Somemight be surprised to learn that camp mightcost nearly the same as having their childrenat home or in daycare.

Some camps are also willing to negotiateneed-based discounts, especially if parentswill be sending several children to onecamp.

Families should also consider budgetingfor camp year-round. If parents are able topay the total cost in advance they might beable to negotiate a lower rate.

Parents should also consult with a campdirectly to discover the best options for theirf a m i l y.

With a little awareness, some determina-tion and the right knowledge, parents cangive their children the gift of a summer fullof memories, friendships and precious lifeskills.

For more about ACA, visit acacamps.org. The site al-so offers a search engine to find camps by differentcategories, including location and price.

Where there’s a will there’sa way to afford summer camp

Courtesy city of Longmont

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Kelly Cody, top left, has been a camp counselor with the city of Longmont for several years. (Courtesy city of Longmont)

Camp counselorsgain great experience

By Annie Walsh

For kids, nothing is better than summer vacationwith every day full of sunshine and adventure. At sum-mer day camps, there is plenty of fun to be had for ener-getic campers, as well as staff members.

Sadly, there is an age cut-off for summer camps, butjust because you’re older doesn’t mean camp-life is over.Being a camp counselor may be the perfect summer jobto gain experience working with kids, while developingleadership qualities.

The Ed & Ruth Lehman YMCA offers a variety ofsummer camps including a general summer day camp,sports camp and aquatic camp. Each of the camps spe-cialize in different things and have a variety of campcounselors. The counselors start working at age 16 andgo through a training course every summer that focuseson new learning techniques and teaching trends forworking with children. YMCA Sports Director DarrenCole looks for a variety of qualities in camp counselors.

“The camp counselors need to be good role modelsfor kids, have good attitudes and values,” Cole says. It’simportant for the counselors to be energetic, responsi-ble and positive because the attitudes trickle down tothe kids.

Camps run June 1st _ Aug. 13th.

Sign up for just 1 week or all 11!

Half-Day Sports Readiness CampsAges 7-12, Tues. & Thurs. 9am-Noon - Six hours of fun activities and serious sports training a week! This camp includes gymnastics, Tumbling & Trampoline, rock climbing, outdoor sports on our play fi eld, fi tness-related activities, plus sports readiness activities such as speed drills, plyometrics, and functional fl exibility.

Half-Day Combo Camp Ages 4-7, Tues. & Thurs. 9am-Noon - Campers will participate in gymnastics, dance, rock climbing, crafts, and other fi tness-related activities, games, creative movement, and outdoor play on our play fi eld.

Full-Week Gymnastics Camps Ages 7 & Up. Mon.-Fri. 9am-4pm - Special guest Olympic and Collegiate coaches. Visit our website or call for more information.

Princess Camp Ages 2 1/2-6, Tues. & Thurs. 9:45am-11:45am - Dancers will learn the vocabulary and movement of ballet and jazz, along with fun crafts, stories, and activities. Princesses and activities will vary from week to week. Students will be split into groups according to age.

So You Think You Can Dance Camps Ages 6-12, Mon.-Fri. Noon-3pm, June 21st-25th and/or August 2nd-6th - Come and see what it takes to be a dancer on one of the hottest shows on TV. Dancers will learn choreography in a variety of styles as well as learn how to create their own choreography in a group setting. Dancers will perform in a showcase at the end of camp for family and friends!

Ballet Intensive Ages 10 & Up or by Instructor Approval. Mon.-Fri. 3pm-6pm, August 9th-13th.Get ready to head back to class with this one week Ballet Intensive Contact Airborne for information regarding skill requirements and schedule of classes.

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“We teach our staff four core values: car-ing, honesty, respect and responsibility andwe try to work those things into their vo-cabular y,” Cole says. Still, he says, the mostimportant job of the counselors is to createa safe and fun environment.

The Longmont Recreation Center’s sum-mer day camp has similar goals and expec-tations from its camp counselors. Althoughthe job is incredibly rewarding and the daysare spent outside, not everyone is fit to be acamp counselor. The job takes creativity,energy, initiative, teamwork and good com-munication skills, says Debbie MacDonald,recreation program supervisor.

Camp counselors play an integral part inthe campers’ daily experience. “They havethe responsibility for leading activities andsecuring the safety of children in the sum-mer day camp,” MacDonald says. Campcounselors are required to have a CPR orfirst aid certificate.

Aside from being responsible for dailytasks and safety, camp counselors also de-velop special relationships with theyounger kids. “For those campers who areat camp for the first time, counselors makespecial efforts to ensure everyone is includ-ed and is having fun,” MacDonald says.

Some campers have more independence,while others need more attention and care.For the counselors, it’s important for themto know their team members and the needsof each individual child. Camp counselorsquickly learn that a successful day andcamp relies heavily upon teamwork andcommunication.

“They learn to build relationships withthe kids and the parents and are able to talkabout certain situations – the good and thebad,” Cole says.

By the end of the summer, camp coun-selors transform into role models and prob-lem-solvers who can navigate through al-most any situation. “Leadership and matu-rity would have to be the biggest growth ar-eas that we see within the counselors overthe summer,” MacDonald says.

A camp counselor also plays an integralrole in a child’s development and serves asan example of good behavior and sports-manship.

The skills that a counselor develops in afew weeks can translate into the rest of theirlives. “Their self-esteem is better and theyknow that they can do these types ofthings,” Cole says. Being a camp counseloris a wonderful way to spend a summerworking hard and learning new ways to re-late and connect with others.

“These are life lessons that they’re learn-ing and can take with them to the work-f o rc e , ” Cole says. “They can apply thesetools to everyday life in any field.”

Regan Mason has been a returning campcounselor for seven consecutive summersat the Longmont Recreation Center. Afterhis years of experience he knows the quali-ties it takes to succeed in this fun, yet de-manding environment. “You need to begood with kids, first of all, and find a wayto relate your personality that acts well withthem,” Mason says. “The biggest thing isbeing patient. It’s important to keep themsafe and have fun. The more fun you have,the more fun that they have.”

After receiving his undergraduate in ele-mentary education, Mason spent a summerworking with the Longmont Recreation’sTeen Camp that works with special needschildren. His experience as a camp coun-selor steered him in the direction of his ca-reer and he now works at Fort Collins HighSchool as a special needs teacher.

The summer day camp at the rec centeralso includes a program that Mason is anadvocate for. The program, “One to One,”integrates campers with disabilities with therest of the children in the camp. For thecampers, it’s a wonderful opportunity forboth groups of kids to have fun and learnfrom each other.

It was easy to see Mason’s passion for thecamp and its campers. “It’s neat to see typi-cal campers that are taken back at first, andafter a couple weeks it’s cool to see the inte-gration,” Mason says.

For a thoughtful and accountable teenag-er, or a young adult that isn’t ready to spendtheir summer in an office, working at asummer day camp provides the perfect bal-ance of hard work and an exciting camp ex-perience.

Nick Crowell,right, a campcounselor forthe city ofLo n g m o n t ,interacts withkids at the daycamp.(Courtesy cityof Longmont)

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Parents, camps fosterchildren’s self-relianceBy Marla Coleman

American Camp Association

I have witnessed, first-hand, the incredi-ble journeys of children who come to recog-nize their own power in steering their owndestinies.

Camp is a stepping-stone to self-reliance.It is one community in which children canlearn to navigate on their own without well-intentioned parental course-plotting to avertchoppy waters. As a parent, I confess to thecompelling desire to negotiate smooth sail-ing for my own children. Yet, throughout theyears, as a camp director, I have witnessed,first-hand, the incredible journeys of chil-dren who come to recognize their own pow-er in steering their own destinies. Opportu-nities for decision-making and problem-solving at camp, which foster a culture ofsuccess, allow children to discover theirstrengths and their abilities to make goodchoices and to influence positive outcomesfor themselves.

After all, coaching kids to feel capable iswhat camp directors do. Not quite so obvi-ous but just as central is their proficiency tocoach parents to support their children withjust the right combination of back-up andencouragement. Kids learn quickly to relyupon themselves and the adults they trust atcamp instead of their parents, who could beone hundred miles away or more.

Ariel, a second-year camper, casuallyasked me during camp, “Does my Mom stillcall every day?” She and Mom had fallen in-

to a predictable pattern: Ariel would tell hermom about “what was wrong” (we knowthat kids tend to “save” things for their par-ents!), and Mom would dutifully call thecamp to “fix” the problem. They were eachdoing their jobs. Carefully and slowly, withappropriate guidance, Mom came to under-stand that she was perpetuating a cycle thatwas preventing her daughter from being in-dependent. As trust increased, she startedredirecting her daughter’s pleas, encourag-ing her to speak with someone at camp whocould more quickly and efficiently help herresolve the situation – yet still validatingAriel’s feelings.

I was gratified to answer Ariel’s query:“Actually, no,” to which Ariel quickly re-sponded: “That’s because I stopped com-plaining to her!” Lessons learned for bothparent and child! “Aha’s” like this happenevery day at camp. How can parents andcamps cooperate to help children gain just

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the right degree of independence?• Many camps have a designated contact

person. During the decision-making pro-cess of “which camp,” ask questions thatgive you an idea of the partnering and com-munication philosophy of the camp andlearn who the primary contact person is –build rapport early.

• Remember that directors have a reser-voir of experiences to back their counsel toyou. Know, too, that they have your child’sbest interests at heart and the skill to guideyour child toward an appropriate level of in-dependence, self-confidence and success.

• Keep in mind that kids often triumphover their adjustment to a new environmentbefore their parents can accept the next

stage of their development. Do not offer torescue your child that only confirms forhim that you believe he cannot cope withsomething that is difficult.

• Get on board with the notion of sup-porting kids to solve their own problems orasking a trusted counselor for help; let herexperience the real world in the camp set-ting, not the one that you sculpt for herduring the rest of the year. Picture success.

Marla Coleman is the parent liaison at Camp Echo inBurlingham, New York. The immediate past presi-dent of the American Camp Association, she is a co-owner of Coleman Family Camps, which includesCamp Echo and Coleman Country Day Camp.Adapted from CAMP Magazine, reprinted by per-mission of the American Camp Association. Copy-write 2006 American Camping Association Inc.

When you receive a camp’s brochure, youwill invariably have questions for the campdirector. Get to know the camp director as aperson through telephone conversations,correspondence and a personal visit.

Have the director describe the camp’sphilosophy and how the staff implements it.

What is the counselor-to-camper ratio?ACA standards require different ratios for

varying ages and special needs.

What is the camp’s philosophy andprogram emphasis?

Each camp has its own method of con-structing programs based on its philosophy.Does it complement your own parentingphilosophy?

What is the camp director’s background?American Camp Association minimum

standards recommend directors possess abachelor’s degree, have completed in-service

training within the past three years, and haveat least sixteen weeks of camp administrativeexperience before assuming the responsibili-ties of director.

What training do counselors receive?At a minimum, camp staff should be trained

in safety regulations, emergency proceduresand communication, behavior managementtechniques, child abuse prevention, appro-priate staff and camper behavior, and specificprocedures for supervision.

Questions to ask camp directors before sending your kid to camp

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