Why Schools and Home Can't Compete with Camp
Dr. Michael Thompson, author of Homesick and Happy, and 100-year old charity Moorelands share reasons why summer camp can be life-changing
(firmenpresse) - TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwire) -- 05/03/12 -- In the absence of pressure-filled school exams and parental guardianship, free from stigmas and labels from classmates, summer camp can be a liberating and life-changing experience for children. So says best-selling author, Dr. Michael Thompson, who penned the just-released book about summer camp, Homesick and Happy, and , a 100-year old Toronto-based charity that has been hosting summer camps for the city's most disadvantaged children for 95 years.
"We've seen first hand, the impact summer camp has on children's lives - and it is tremendous, particularly for the children we serve who have very limited exposure to the experiences and opportunities that help kids succeed," said Patricia Jacobs, Executive Director of Moorelands. "We see kids gain self-esteem, develop leadership skills, and experience the thrill of independence. At the same time they build character and learn skills and strategies that help prepare them to meet the challenges of adolescence and adulthood."
This "chance-of-a-lifetime" camp experience is emphasized in Dr. Michael Thompson's latest book, Homesick and Happy (released this week). Dr. Thompson, a leading child and family psychologist and New York Times best-selling author (who incidentally also has fond memories of attending summer camp on Lake Temagami in Ontario as a child), provides insight into the idea that time away from home is vital in helping children grow.
"Camp ushers kids into a thrilling world of emotionally significant experiences that are theirs alone - ones they can only get when away from home," explains Thompson. "Parents' first instinct to shelter their offspring above all else - can actually deprive kids of the major developmental milestones and independent learning that occurs through letting them go."
In his new book Homesick and Happy, Dr. Thompson shares 10 ways that camp contributes to a child's development. These include:
1. Opportunities for imagination, play and creativity - at camp children get credit for simple efforts, because imagination is a pot that is constantly boiling.
2. Camp is not school (no tests, judgment or evaluation) - good things, certainly different things, happen for kids when they are relieved of the pressure of judgment, comparison, evaluation and striving that are often an inevitable part school.
3. Character development: "I feel part of something bigger." - camp creates a private world with its own rules, rituals and magic.
4. Sacred dimensions: "If we only take time to stop and look around." - camp is an electronics-free zone with meaningful daily rituals like camp fires, group meals and cabin clean-up, and a place where time simply slows down and spiritual feelings arise.
5. Independence, self-esteem and identity - perhaps the single most important finding in camp research is that children who attend camp come home feeling independent and confident. They are suddenly free to experience themselves, face challenges and get accomplishments that are theirs alone.
6. Friendships and social skills - kids make lifelong memories and cherished friends through play-based learning and shared experiences.
7. Making a relationship with nature - in a world where so many kids are suffering from "", camp can often provide this connection.
8. Healthy sexuality and body development - when children live together, the fact that they are all changing clothes in their cabins, swimming together etc., stimulates curiosity and comforts about each other's bodies.
9. Relationships between counselors and children - a multi-generational community is powerful; younger kids love and admire their counselors and that respect brings out the best in 19, 20, and 21 year-olds.
10. Leadership training - camp provides kids with leadership training programs, teaching them valuable skills with the opportunity to become future counselors.
Due to financial barriers, thousands of children from Toronto's most under-served neighbourhoods do not have the opportunity to access summer camp experiences. For the past 100 years, Moorelands has been working with more than 1,500 low-income Toronto children and their families annually, providing them with opportunities to succeed and thrive.
As camp season approaches, and parents finalize plans for their children, Moorelands is asking them to consider adding a "pay-it-forward" inspired donation to their to-do list, in order to help a disadvantaged child attend camp. Each year since 1917, situated in Dorset, Ontario has served children from Toronto's poorest neighbourhoods. Every summer it offers 600 children nature experiences that are invigorating, and eye-opening with activities like swimming, canoeing, kayaking, arts and crafts and sports. "At our Moorelands Wilderness Camp, we conduct our own research and have produced evidence that clearly demonstrates that we are making a measurable positive difference in the lives of disadvantaged children," said Jacobs.
Moorelands City Summer Day Camp also offers an additional 448 spaces for children right in the city with evidence-based character-building programs. Jacobs notes that Moorelands' programs rely almost entirely on citizen, foundation and corporate support, with less than 5 per cent of funding coming from government sources. Donations to help send a disadvantaged child attend camp can be made at: . Moorelands is an accredited member of the Ontario Camps Association.
About Moorelands
Celebrating it's 100th anniversary this year, Moorelands serves more than 1,500 low-income Toronto children, youth and their families each year, providing them with positive and fun experiences to help strengthen their confidence, competence and character. Its programs include Baby Bundles, Christmas Sharing, after-school programs, Wilderness Camp, City Summer Day Camp and youth leadership programs. For more information, please visit: .
Contacts:
For further information on Moorelands, please contact:
Precision Marketing Group Inc.
Rachelle Stark
647.294.2736
To schedule an interview with Dr. Michael Thompson, please
contact:
Random House
Alison Masciovecchio, Senior Publicist
212.782.9047
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Datum: 03.05.2012 - 06:00 Uhr
Sprache: Deutsch
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