Disability Inclusion At Camp
Camp is community. Camp is friendship. Camp is childhood. As camps advance their diversity, equity, and inclusion policies, practices, and programming, it is imperative that children with disabilities are at the forefront of these efforts. Because all kids should camp!
Protecting Camps From Wildfires
Safety is always a priority at camps. Be it lifesaving best practices in the water or interactions with wildlife, camp directors (and staff members) are tasked with minimizing campers’ risk of injury while protecting camp structures and natural habitats.
Challenge By Choice
Everyone has had a bittersweet recollection of their adolescence. It could be a memory of piano lessons, birthday presents, orange Creamsicles, or double plays on first base; whatever it is, it carries a holistic feeling of accomplishment, joy, and belonging that grows rarer every day.
Safe Spaces
When it comes to summer camps, the experience is largely defined by what happens on-site—the range of activities, the friendships, the independence. But at camps designed for LGBTQ+ youth, the impacts last long after campers return home.
ADDIE To The Rescue
Camp directors who feel overwhelmed by the challenge of staff training are far from alone.
Winging And Kicking
As an old-timer in aquatics, I’ve taught literally thousands of hours of swimming lessons. I became a water-safety instructor (WSI) in 1977 and water-safety instructor training (WSIT) in 1984, and have maintained those certifications.
Grown-Up Camp
The email to camp parents read like this: Every year, we get dozens of parents who half-jokingly ask if we can host a day of camp for PARENTS. Well, guess what? We're calling your bluff—the day you have been waiting for has finally arrived! Liberty Lake and Screamin’ Hill Farm Brewery present … GROWN-UP CAMP!
Magic Chairlifts
The humble chair lift is magical. It’s a special place where strangers become friends, problems are solved, laughter is born and, in some cases—lifelong love affairs begin. No topic is forbidden on a chairlift and life’s problems just seem to fade away—at least for five to nine minutes, or however long it takes to get to the top.
Intentionally Inclusive
The dream was always that the physical property of the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan’s Camp Settoga in New York would be a manifestation of core values—a chance to really “walk the talk.” And now, it is.
A Foundation Built By Community
Whether it’s a sleepaway camp where children form an almost instantaneous bond, or a retreat center focused on teambuilding, the camp environment cultivates and sustains communal relationships. No one understands this better than Shiloh Bible Camp & Retreat Center, where the value of community is literally fundamental to its very foundation.
Build An Adventure-Theory Framework
There is no single recipe for building a successful camp, but there is one key ingredient that must be included—an exceptional staff. After spending almost 30 years immersed in camp culture, most recently as the Executive Director of Camp Operations, I have seen firsthand the impact of exceptional training on a camp’s success.
Appreciative Staff Training
Many campers credit a lifelong friendship that began with a new friend at camp. The strongest bonds can develop while spending lots of time together negotiating the challenges of communal living with a dozen new people, overcoming homesickness, or even feeling the support from another camper during a first horseback-riding lesson.
On The Waterfront
The waterfront can be the most fun—yet dangerous—part of a summer camp. Whatever water elements camps have (i.e., pools, ponds, or lakes), water safety remains one of the biggest concerns for most directors.
Dungeon-Crawling
With furrowed brows, the six campers consult each other in hurried whispers. Coming from all walks of life and ranging from 8 to 17 years old, they are locked in a battle for their lives . . . well, their characters’ lives.
Tragedy & Healing
At about 9 a.m. on August 4, 2004, the State of New Hampshire's Disaster Behavioral Health Coordinator received a call stating that on August 3 there had been a tragic death of a 13-year-old camper at Camp
Beyond the Mainstream
Ohio may be known as a place where presidential candidates clash, but it's also home to a camp that fights another type of conflict. The place is Camp Ho Mita Koda, and the battle is against diabetes.
What's In Store
Wouldn't you like to put any worries that you might have about next season's camp enrollment in your rearview mirror? Making your camp "the" place where campers want to be can be easily achieved if you
Book 'Em, Danno
Naturally your camp is on the cutting edge as far as safety, staff training and child psychology. But are you on the cutting edge of the latest craft phenomena?
Perpetual Motion
Camp owners are always looking to add value to the camp experience. Camps that have added value can easily attract new campers. If the added value is truly delivered, the dividends are usually great pride and
Strength in Diversity
Like a river, River Way Ranch Camp has run its course here and there over varying terrain. The camp, like most rivers, does not meander aimlessly, but with purpose.