There has been much debate and discussion recently in the Camp community over some of the proposed ideas of the Obama Administration and it’s initiatives for Education Reform. One of the main concerns is the idea of extending the school year calender to continue through the summer in an effort to offer a more thorough and consistent learning schedule for students.
If the Education Reform were passed to adopt a year-round school year calendar, what effect would this have on summer camps?
The American Camp Association has developed “A Case for Camp“. In it, Peg Smith, CEO of the ACA, makes many valid points. Smith states, “It’s just possible that our children are beginning to lag behind other nations in academic achievement because we are focusing on the wrong things. Teaching children to pass standardized tests doesn’t necessarily teach them to think for themselves. Education is about more than teaching answers; it’s about equipping our kids with the ability to develop the art of seeing the possibilities.” I agree with Smith, and I support the American Camp Association’s position that that the organized camp experience is a vital component in the development and education of the whole child.
Personally, I would not be who I am today if I had not gone to camp. In a story that I wrote about my camp experience as a child, I talk about how I developed my passion for drumming at an early age at summer camp. Although I did have opportunities to perform in school, it was the experiences that I had at camp that gave me the confidence and courage to pursue my dreams.
Summer camps are not endangered and if anything, I see their role in childhood education being even more acknowledged and recognized in the future.
Click here to learn more about spreading the message of the ACA’s initiative.
What do you think, are camps endangered by year round education reform?
3 comments… add one
Henry Edwards March 28, 2010, 1:10 pm
I fear that year-round school will destroy one of America’s great cultural institutions: summer camp. As a child I spent fewer than two months at sleep away camp as a camper, and about two months as a counselor. However, in that relatively short time, my life was transformed. I gained independence and confidence that has served me the rest of my life. Camp experiences connected to nature in a way that my city-raised parents were incapable of facilitating. I was challenged in ways that I never was at home: cooking for myself, hiking through the woods, resolving conflicts with peers, etc. I have become a teacher because of camp. I became an avid naturalist because of camp. I hiked the Appalachian Trail and several other long-distance trails because of camp. And if America goes for year-round school then the thousands of sleep away camps across America will disappear. I say keep summer vacation but make camp available to all. If we see camp for what it is–one of the best educational experiences our children can have–and we fund it, we will being doing our children and our nation a great service.
Adam Issadore March 28, 2010, 3:40 pm
Henry,
I appreciate your points. Camp does provide opportunity for experiential learning. I enjoy hearing stories such as yours about valuable life experiences acquired at camp.
chris gambrell January 31, 2013, 7:45 am
I think that summer camp should not be canceled because pepole get to do stuff they always wanted to do so that is my opinon on year round school destroying summer camp.