Posted by admin | 02.18.2018 | Sea Turtle Camp News

Why Our Youth Need a Camp Experience

Kids often get stuck into roles within their peer group by the end of kindergarten. All the kids know who gets teacher approval, who’s the quiet one, who’s always causing trouble, who are the cool kids, who is athletic, who is artistic, etc. Unless something happens, kids are slotted with their assigned roles in the school social order until they graduate. At Camp, all social roles fade away.  Camp makes kids feel safe; it is a place where youth are comfortable taking healthy risks, realize their dreams and sett personal goals. At camp, our youth learn the importance of working hard to accomplish what they want and to never give up.

Downtime at camp is crucial for quiet activities, reflection, long walks and talks. For many kids, the school year is chock full of structured activities that leave them with virtually no time to think. Sea turtle Camp provides time to take stock, to think, to evaluate the year past and to make promises to themselves for the year ahead.

Camp teaches children to communicate which develops leadership to fulfill responsibilities that may not be expected of them elsewhere, while sharing resources and attention helps foster teamwork. This kind of atmosphere helps kids feel comfortable taking healthy risks and set personal goals and realizing their dreams. At camp, children learn the importance of working hard to accomplish what they want and to never give up, all in a low-stress setting.

Campers also develop an appreciation for the qualities required to cultivate and strengthen these relationships. Camp provides children with the core values of a strong, moral individual by teaching them about ethics, honesty, caring, respect and responsibility. Parents frequently report that after camp, their youngsters are more kind, understand the importance of giving and are willing to be more responsible. Kids at camp learn the responsibility of making their own decisions with the safety net of insightful well trained counselors and staff in a safe environment. Campers can risk finding out what works and what doesn’t, while discovering new facets of themselves. The camp environment provides support that allows them to overcome the dependency of their parents.

Most importantly, kids discover their real potential through positive friendships they gain new life skills and grow passions. This is re-enforced at Sea Turtle Camp, which becomes part of who they are and become a better person. The main goal of our camp program is making sure children have the time of their lives while learning about ocean safety and marine biology. Summer camp is a much needed break from the academic year where creativity, adventure, thrills, smiles and plain old good times are the priority.