Unpacking Otyokwah, Part 3

3/14/2018

WILL CAMP BUILD HER SELF-ESTEEM?

Will it make him a better person?

He will come away a better person. We all need time to get away and unplug from the stress and challenges of everyday life to have fun, gather with friends, and consider things larger than ourselves like our relationship with God. All this leads to wrestling with the challenging parts of our our life and clearing out the junk. It’s kind of like a computer . . . we all need a periodic reboot to be better person.

Will you notice her?

She will be noticed. We keep our camper to staff ratio low so your child will receive the attention she needs and feel loved and cared for.

Will you see his uniqueness?

We recognize that each person is unique. In Psalm 139: 13-14 the psalmist says to God, For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother's womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well. We want your child to know this. In order to do that we will work to see his uniqueness and help him understand the beauty of his uniqueness.

Will she take risks and try new things?

She will have opportunities to take risks and try new things. It may be something like sharing a talent in front of others, climbing to the top of the climbing wall, or just sharing her dreams and fears in a safe environment. There will be plenty of opportunities and she will be encouraged to stretch her wings, but it will be her choice.

Will he learn new skills?

Living in a camp community for a week, your child will have opportunities to learn new skills. This might be a hard skill such as hitting an archery target or praying out loud. Or it might be a more subtle soft skill such as having empathy for someone else that may be hurting and supporting them. Both types of skills are important in the development of children and youth.

Will you respect her and teach her to respect others?

Teaching respect starts with demonstrating respectful behavior to our campers. We also teach respect by setting limits. For example, we say that one camper should not be in another campers suitcase. This shows we respect them and the things they brought with them to camp that are important to them. We also address disrespectful behavior and actions when they happen and praise respectful behavior when we see it.

Will you teach him independence?

Camp is a great place to learn independence. It will be his choice in what clothes to wear or what to eat. He will decide if he wants to try a new activity. He will make decisions on who to hang out with or who to sit next to at a meal. All these types of choices will lead to greater independence.

Will she learn problem-solving skills?

Living in community with others is a great venue to develop problem solving skills. It might be part of a game with teams competing against each other. Or a team building activity where they are working together to complete a task. Or it might be how to deal with a personality that is more challenging. Camp offers a lot of opportunities to grow in problem solving.