Take one child. Remove him or her from the urban environment with its emphasis on material acquisitions. Place him in a rural environment with its demands inherent in nature. Separate him from the security of home where happiness is expected. For several weeks, substitute a community living experience where happiness is earned. Withdraw for a time the youngster’s traditional authority figures – parent, teacher, clergyman. Expose him instead to the camp’s elders – its counselors – men and women of sterling character yet not much older than he.

Seeing & Using Prime Teachable Moments

The result of this arithmetic, in nearly every instance, is a myriad of adventures which leave indelible impressions on that child’s mind and which foster enduring attitudes of both self esteem and a respect for others:
She falls several times attempting to get up on water-skis then miraculously succeeds.
She loses a close tennis match to a friend, then edits some nature photographs in the crafts room with that same friend.
She taxes herself to the limits of his endurance to gain a mountain summit, then becomes awestruck by the view.
She sits silently staring into the dying embers of the campfire, then suddenly feels an impulse of inspiration from the words of a respected friend.

Occasions such as these we call PRIME TEACHABLE MOMENTS. The lessons they bring can raise a child’s conscientiousness of life’s values in a permanent way. With timely but gentle nudges from counselors who love children and related well to them, no youngster is too old or too hardened to embrace and immerse himself in these character-shaping experiences.

The Sleepaway Camp Formula, however, is a delicate one, check out this debate on nytimes.com about sending kids to sleepaway camps.. While removing boys and girls from their accustomed environment, camps have no intention of enforcing standards of deprivation. A hot shower on a cold morning or an extra scoop of ice cream, these are amenities we all cherish and which clearly enhance the happy atmosphere of camp.

Compassion & Sensitivity Goes A Long Way

Camp Leaders recognize, too, that some youngsters can initially feel the loneliness of separation from loved ones. Sensitivity to and compassion for these emotions remains at the forefront of our conscientiousness. Likewise, Sleepaway camps remain attuned to the distinction between old hands and newcomers to the group living adventure.

A camp is only as good as its ability to deliver on its promise. At our camp, we speak of a “commitment to excellence,” a phrase we take especially to mean the creation of a healthy, happy camp environment where every boy may flourish, both physically and emotionally. This lofty goal becomes a fillable promise thanks to the Sleepaway Camp Formula, an equation that works. We are proud to call a summer at our camp a great contribution to a boy’s formal education. We are confident that the same approaches are applied at camp after camp throughout the country. See previous blog about camp benefits here.