COLLABORATION. Perhaps during the school
year, teamwork is limited to sports and cooperation is
confined to the classroom. At camp, every endeavor
from cleaning a cabin to climbing a rock face becomes
a new way to understand the importance of working
together.
NEGOTIATING. Your kids benefit from learning
how to sort things out between themselves at camp.
Discussing, bargaining, and coming to agreements that
make sense for everyone involved are tools for creating
a richer life.
LEADERSHIP. Camp provides opportunities for kids
to discover and nurture the leader inside. Every child
is a boss at something. You may not think of a prolific
reader as a leader, but what a terrific example she can
set at camp for those who avoid books altogether.
DIPLOMACY. With bullying behavior at an all-time
high, diplomacy is needed more than ever. Camp offers
ample opportunities to find common ground, share
mutual respect and practice win-win-win relating.
Environmental Skills
UNPLUGGING. Virtual realities are great when
balanced with the real world. If you cannot seem to
12 | S T. J O H N S parent M A G A Z I N E
make a dent in your child’s obsession with technology,
why not let the trained staff at camp take a whack at it.
GROUNDEDNESS. The first step to recovering
from too much anxiety is a sense of earthiness that
comes from being in touch with the natural world.
Kids benefit in numerous ways from slowing down to
the speed of life and keeping their feet firmly on the
ground.
NAVIGATION. You won’t likely be able to convince
kids that they need to learn old-school map techniques
while they have a GPS in their pocket. But put them in
the middle of the woods with no Internet connection
and they just might feel differently.
SURVIVAL. Would your child know how to build a
shelter, purify water, start a fire and find food if lost in
the wilderness? Learning naturalism empowers kids to
feel competent and confident in every area of life.
EARTH STEWARDSHIP. One of the best ways to
teach kids about personal responsibility is to teach them
about wilderness conservation. Learning about flora
and fauna can spark kids’ innate respect for the
natural world.