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Never Have I Ever: Camp Colley

by: Kristen Whiteman, Research Intern There is a game that my daughter and her friends like to play called “Never have I ever.” The person in the middle of a circle of people tries to get other people out of the circle by listing activities that they think the other people have participated in but the person who is it has not. It is funny to hear what some of these activities include and how creative the players have to be because so many of the kids have had such rich experiences in their lives and have done so much. This game would not have been so entertaining though with some kids that I lately had the opportunity to spend time with, as there were many activities that they have never participated in. Recently I had the good fortune to spend a weekend at Camp Colley with a group of families who were there for a horseback riding weekend. One of the families I had the privilege to meet had never been to the mountains before. Imagine how fun it was to watch this dad looking at the trees in wonder and taking deep breaths of the mountain air as he exclaimed how beautiful it was. And, the kids couldn’t seem to calm down when it was time to get settled in a tent because they were so excited to sleep in a tent, in sleeping bags; two more things that were new to them. Of course we made s’mores around a campfire that first evening and again these kids experienced a first when they toasted marshmallows over the...

Choices at Camp: What Are Kids Choosing?

by: Kristen Whiteman, Research Intern It’s the first day of camp and the campers are all getting settled in and learning about what camp has to offer. They have many opportunities ahead of them in the coming days at camp, lots of choices to make about what they will do and what they will learn. They do not know that what they will be learning will be much more than a new skill or a love for the outdoors. They will be gaining autonomy, building resilience, fostering self-esteem, and building confidence through this experience; and it’s all by design. One of the philosophies we use in working with the kids we serve is Positive Youth Development (PYD). In the past, programs for at-risk youth have focused on prevention, aimed at keeping youth from engaging in unsafe and precarious behavior. While a program implementing PYD principles also does this, the focus is more on teaching youth that they have strengths that can not only benefit each youth individually but also their peers, family, and community. PYD gives youth an opportunity to partner with those around them to become a resource for themselves and others. Youth.gov explains PYD this way: “Positive youth development involves youth as active agents. Adults may set the structure, but youth are not just the recipients of services. Youth are valued and are encouraged to bring their assets to the table.” This is a different way of looking at the youth involved and changes the way they view themselves. One study (Sanders et al, 2015) conducted to ascertain whether this approach leads to better outcomes for at-risk...