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by Geoff Ball
Many of your camp’s alumni may attempt to convince
you that camp isn’t what it used to be and that so much has changed.
They are right, of course. However, their point is that the camp program
is no good because it just isn’t the same experience as fifty years
ago. Being the talented visionary that you are, you delicately explain
all the great things that are taking place at your camp, your higher
retention rates, your fund-raising successes, and other indications of
innovative and dynamic camp programming. It’s all to no avail;
your alumni are still not convinced.
A great challenge for camp directors is to maintain
the delicate balance between providing current programming that meets
the needs of today’s campers and exciting past campers and staff
with a new vision of camp programming. While past participants and staff
often feel strongly about what goes on at camp, the current camper and
parent have the greatest stake in this experience. It is vital that the
program at camp not stagnate "because that’s the way we’ve
always done it."
Careful evaluation of current program content and constant
consideration of children’s spiritual, emotional, and physical
needs will always be in vogue. Consider these principles of program development
and evaluation when reviewing ways to keep your camp program current.
What Worked Then May Not Work
Now
What worked five, ten, or fifty years ago may not work
today or in five years. Campers’ preferences change at the speed
of technology. Hundreds of media impressions influence children each
hour. Youth are less physically active than ten years ago and are less
prone to accept physical challenges. The need for instant gratification,
more comfort, and less risk in a child’s life creates many challenges
for creating camp programs that appeal to both campers and parents and
meet the goals for healthy child development. The boon in specialty camps
is a response to this less generalized child. These camps fill a void
in summer programs, targeting a specific and marketable need or desire
of children; however, they may lack a focus on the whole child.
Connect Campers with Tradition
The second basic principle is "don’t throw
out the baby with the bath water." History and traditions are as
important in today’s program as prudent risk management and emergency
procedures. Children need to know their roots in order to feel connected
to family, community, and to their camp. Some aspects of your current
program may seem dated, but in reality they are very current and vital.
These traditions should remain unchanged. Sharing the history of camp
and why the traditional programs are still in place will create a connectedness
for campers in their camp community.
YMCA Camp Reed in Spokane, Washington, has a unique
way of sharing their camp’s history. Camp Reed’s campfire
circle is at the top of a bluff that overlooks much of the camp property.
During a fifteen-minute hike to the campfire site, various senior staff
members share stories of the history of the camp, how the lake got its
name, and information about the surrounding properties. This routine
happens during every hike to the campfire site, instilling the campers
with a sense of the rich history behind the camp. Camp Reed also boasts
a strong retention rate of 70 percent!
It is vitally important to maintain camp identity while
allowing for meaningful program development. Noting where a program falls
in its life-cycle will help you keep it current. Review the original
goals and objectives for the program and assess if these are still being
met. Make changes and adjustments as needed to the content and format
of the program, and don’t be afraid to decide that it no longer
is a viable option at camp.
Discover Untapped Resources
Discover what resources your camp property has that
have been untapped. Think creatively and critically when determining
what areas in camp can be used for multipurpose programming. Don’t
think only in terms of buildings because so much at camp happens with
little or no facilities. Environmental education or nature study are
prime examples of current popular programming that takes no elaborate
site development. An outdoor "predator and prey" simulation
game can be set up using rubber bands, crayons, index cards, and flagging
tape — campers love it.
Create a new program
in an unused space
Farming has also become a popular way to utilize camp property in a positive
way, and you can begin with little resources and effort. YMCA Camp Orkila on
Orcas Island, Washington, decided to form a Pioneer Camp. By expanding a mostly
unused garden site and creating a small animal area with sheep, goats, pigs,
chickens, and turkeys, the camp had a great attraction for their many weekend
guests. The challenge was to use this wonderful resource during the summer.
Using an experiential learning model, Camp Orkila outlined a program where
campers helped care for the animals, assisted in the garden, and did all of
their own cooking in Dutch ovens. A small site with housing shelters and an
outdoor kitchen area were created close to the farm.
Camp Orkila introduced Pioneer Camp as a pilot program
in their summer brochure and offered limited session dates. The response
was overwhelming especially from veteran campers seeking a new experience.
The program doubled the initial target enrollment in the first year,
and the following summer it doubled enrollment again.
Be Aware of Changing Demographics
Lastly, being keenly aware of how demographics are changing
will aid in thoughtful program creation and implementation. The teen
population is on a steady rise, and the increase is predicted to continue
into the millennium. Consider how this population boom will affect your
camp enrollment now and in the future. Programs designed especially for
teens are essential in attracting this booming segment of the population
and have long-lasting implications for staff development.
Teens seek challenges
for body and soul
Teen Adventure Trips or Caravans continue to be a popular option for older
campers and teens. There is also a segment of the teen camper population that
is not interested in roughing it. Creating camp-based programs can prove to
be attractive alternatives for teens not seeking the adventure experience.
Expanding teen leadership or CIT programs not only meet a current need, but
have great payoff in staff development. Creating space in camp just for older
campers or teens can be just as important as creating the curriculum that stimulates
their mind, encourages ownership in camp, and challenges them physically.
In San Diego, California, the camping branch of the
local YMCA struggled with providing teens with what Executive Director
Tom Madeyski calls "a controlled immersion into another country." They
developed a successful service learning program in which teens, attending
both summer and non-summer programs, are housed at Camp Surf and take
day trips to Tijuana, Mexico, for service projects. Not only do the teens
pay a program fee, but they also fund a specific development project.
Teen participants expressed good feelings as they witnessed tangible
results of their efforts.
The YMCA Earth Service Corps program continues to increase
in popularity and enrollment throughout the country. Camps can take advantage
of this model in implementing service learning for teens throughout their
summer program and all year long. By providing leadership for YMCA Earth
Service Corps during the school year, staff may provide the summer experience
to teens throughout the year. This has positive retention implications
as well as positive program outcomes. As YMCA Earth Service Corps strives
to work with more youth and expand its reach, camps become natural partners.
As camps strive to reach this growing segment of the population, YMCA
Earth Service Corps provides recruiting avenues, program models, and
staff expertise.
When things are going well and camps are full, it’s
hard to take a critical look at current program. This cannot be a once-every-five-years
task or done only when enrollment slumps; evaluation must be an ongoing
effort. Maintaining strong camper enrollment while providing a camp program
that is meaningful to today’s kids will keep camping a necessary
component in the positive development of youth.
Originally published in the 1999 September/October
issue of Camping Magazine. |
