For many boys, being away from home and family at summer camp is about defining oneself, and starting on the path to maturity. As many parents already know, camp is much more than just water sports and barbecues. It’s about personal growth, developing self-esteem, and building confidence. Best of all, overnight summer camp is a safe environment, full of positivity and encouragement.
Meeting new people, trying new activities, and developing social skills, generally stepping out of their comfort zone, are all part of what we refer to as “growing up”. One benefit is that overnight summer camp is the cornerstone to these building blocks to maturity for young adulthood. The truth is there’s no environment like overnight camp that lays the foundation for this type of growth.
Enrolling at a summer camp typically raises questions ranging from the basic; what is the food like to - questions about making friends - questions about camp values – questions about making smart choices – and questions about right and wrong. The answers, of course, are the foundations for maturity, and for self-confidence to develop. Camp Chikopi’s counselors are irreplaceable, their character, commitment, and humility set a valuable example to help guide boys in the right direction.
Many camp professionals believe that the camp experience is irreplaceable because it is independent of parental influence. Learning and exploring are very much self-directed. And that’s a good thing. From making personal decisions to navigating through social relationships, doing it all independently plants the seeds for a sense of personal freedom and self-determination.
Without question, maturity is also about making mistakes and learning from them. The benefits come out of experiencing the consequences and growing from the mistakes. This is where traits like strength and resilience are established – and here again, it’s about personal esteem. Unlike school, the overnight camp experience is rather unique in cultivating these characteristics.
Camp Chikopi counselors are on the front lines and witness personal maturity thrive during camp, and in some boys, the growth can be dramatic. Summer camp just provides that distinctive environment that is not available at home or at school. There are practically no limits when it comes to meeting new friends, building new relationships, even eating new foods.
Overnight summer camp offers an amazing opportunity to build friendships, many of which will become life long. It’s virtually impossible not to connect with a friend, and engage in a friendship that sustains throughout the entire summer. This is also an important element of maturity - to interact with others who are different, from various walks-of-life, and with diverse experiences.
Everything at camp contributes to personal character. And it all happens in a short, concentrated period of time. Interestingly, most of the boys never notice their personal growth, and typically won’t appreciate the impact of Camp Chikopi until they look back as adults. On the other hand, parents notice the growth and independence in their son immediately.
At Camp Chikopi, campers arrive from around the world for an experience that will last a lifetime. Find out more at the camp website, www.campchikopi.com or call directly at 954-566-8235 September thru May, 705-387-3811 June thru August.
