Excerpt from article authored by Peg Smith, Executive Director of the American Camp Association.
How do we prepare our children with the skills and more importantly, the competencies they will need to tackle changes in our world? We could start with a positive camp experience. A quality camp experience provides our children with the opportunity to learn powerful lessons in community, character-building, skill development, and healthy living.
We need to advocate for our young people. We should promote opportunities for kids — give them camp experiences that serve as an antidote for the world’s challenges. We need to recognize this is not a series of frivolous activities. We often think if it looks like fun it must be unimportant, but “fun” is a young person’s “work” — to learn, to grow, to be productive, creative, and happy. If they don’t do that work, they won’t turn into healthy adults.
Camp. A place to experience community, learn critical thinking, and embrace the natural environment. A place to let kids be kids, and have fun doing it. A place that makes an impact on today’s youth, tomorrow’s leaders.