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Make it a December to Remember: The Power of Unplugging and the Great Gift of Sleepaway Camp …
Make it a December to Remember: The Power of Unplugging and the Great Gift of Sleepaway Camp …
It’s December. Other than summertime, it’s the most wonderful time of the year! Across the world, people are putting up their Christmas trees, displaying their Chanukah Menorah, decorating their homes and writing holiday cards to their family and friends. The spirit of giving, expressing love and gratitude, and a celebration of life help to make the Holidays a very special time of year. We can all enjoy the spirit of giving which is truly what this season is all about. One of the best gifts a child can receive is the gift of sleepaway camp.
Moving forward into the second decade of the 21st century children need sleepaway camp more than ever … their development depends on it.
Summer camp builds character. Summer camp breeds affinity with nature. Summer camp forges bonds between children that last a lifetime. There’s nothing better than a camp friend. The child who goes to sleep-away camp makes real connections. In addition, camp provides principles such as: living in the moment, being present, and having empathy. At camp, children do not have access to electronics or technology. It gives today’s child an important opportunity to “unplug.” These days, sleep-away summer camp may be the last environment where a child can unplug and have quality facetime. Children feel more creative and have more time for reflection when they are given a break from technology. They are more present with each other. When you turn off electronics, you appreciate what’s in front of you. And sleepaway camp does that better than anywhere today!
21st Century Skills
Preparing Children for Adulthood today requires 21st Century Skills. They are:
- Communication
- Collaboration
- Creativity
- Critical thinking
- Leadership
Parents that truly understand and value summer camp, and send their children to sleep-away camp have always appreciated camp’s educational potential. Yet the parent who never went to sleep-away camp may think summer camp as only recreational or skill development. According to Wendy Mogel, Ph.D., “parents today find it harder than ever to uphold their own values within their families, when they seem so at odds with those of our current culture. We seek security in a society that seems more and more dangerous, grace that thrives on competition, and gratitude in an age of ever-increasing materialism. How can this generation of parents raise self-reliant, compassionate, and ethical children?” The answer is summer camp, where kids go outside and play.
Investing in Independence
At summer camp, children learn to function independently, to work as part of a cohort of peers, in an unparalleled setting of natural beauty. They gain independence in a place that is charmingly rustic, yet provides everything they could want. Camp Wekeela is nurturing, safe, and a lot of fun. Why send your child to camp? They can sleep under the stars. Catch a fish. Learn how to play piano. Paddle a kayak. Go wakeboarding. Make more friends. Build a campfire. Hike a mountain. Make friendship bracelets. Have a summer they will always remember. Camp helps nurture future successful adults. Our planet needs successful people to be peacemakers, healers, restorers, and storytellers of all kind.
The Holiday season is upon us and as we prepare to enter the second decade of the 21st century next month, for the hundreds of you who have registered your child for Wekeela Twenty-Twenty, thank you very much! The rest of you reading this, we hope you’ll consider giving the gift of Camp Wekeela.
Let the spirit of love gently fill our hearts and homes. In this loveliest of seasons may you find many reasons for happiness. And always remember to be humble and kind.
From our bunk to yours … All the best this Holiday season.
Love,
Ephram, Lori, Jonathan, Mathew, and Jared
