3 years ago
Camp Champions has been such a pivotal part of my ...
Camp Champions has been such a pivotal part of my children's lives thus far. Both my son and my daughter have attended for the past 5 years. The staff and the counselors are STELLAR.
I send my kids to camp because I want them to have the best chance possible to have a happy, healthy, and enriching childhood. The camp experience taps into that possibility in a way that is super powerful. I can't re-create or simulate the experiences of camp - not through family-time, not through after school activities, nor through school. It has been an education in life - building personal competencies, relationships, and being good members of a community. There is a sense of home at CC. The community that is built at this camp is unparalleled.
Kids are very connected these days to technology (iphone and ipads), they seem to be constantly seeking the next perceived novelty through an incoming text or online interest. As parents we worry about screen time and internet safety. I love that at camp, they are disconnected from the digital world so they can remember what it is like to be in a moment. To truly live in the moment, face-to-face with novel EXPERIENCES and friends.
At CC, my kids have found a safe, nurturing environment. It is inclusive, supportive, and filled with both role models and friends. They learn to navigate a world without me and successfully contribute to social network while building autonomy - it is so positive in developing life skills, all structured around a common purpose of camaraderie. I like to think of their camp experiences as "covert" stretching exercises to develop healthy habits and become well-functioning adults.
At CC, they have a goal of having kids see themselves as capable of trying new things, to take reasonable risks. With taking risks, comes a recognition that they have capacity for resilience and courage. Good stuff.
My kids come home from camp as happier people, with a keener sense of self and a greater sense of gratitude. There is some kind of personal transformation that occurs each year at camp- they continue to grow into kids of high character and they mature. Camp Champions has become the highlight of the year for my children. I feel quite certain that when my children reflect back to their childhood, they will say that camp was a game-changer. They will look back at their camp photos, remember their summers by the lake and thank us for taking a risk, making an investment, and loving them enough to send them to camp.