What Makes Your Camp Stand Out?

The other day I was reading about an impressive Kickstarter which created a robot that 3D-prints edible pizza. Though I have zero experience in the field, it was interesting enough to make me want to know more. How does it work? How long did it take? Most importantly, when could I buy one?

Unfortunately, the product won’t be hitting the open market until 2017, and with my busy schedule, my weekends leave little time for side research into robotics. It occurred to me though, there’s probably a camp for it. Curious (and maybe a little bit jealous), I dug around and realized there’s a camp for nearly every interest, readily offering campers what so many adults strive for today – opportunity.

At camp, there is a unique freedom to explore choice topics in a supportive, knowledgeable environment. It can be something the camper has a passion for or simply something that caught their attention. Outside of these bubbles, it’s rare to see such diversity without going to considerable lengths to find it. Dance, architecture, music, the list goes on, with day camps and summer intensives to satisfy any level of ability.

Of course, with all this excitement in one place, a significant burden falls on the instructors and counselors to channel that energy. It should be encouraged to grow in a welcoming, judgment-free setting. No should be afraid to make mistakes, and trial and error should be encouraged as a productive, useful strategy. Especially in a place where many campers are trying something for the first time, enthusiasm is necessary on the part of the instructor to keep them engaged and wanting to learn more.
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With the plethora of camp options now available, the challenge is not to appeal to everyone, as that is clearly impossible. Rather, directors should be aware of their camps strengths, and use them appropriately to appeal to a sense of discovery and adventure in its campers. I may not have the time to tinker with robots, but they do, and this freedom should be cherished and nurtured in the engineers, thinkers, and pioneers of tomorrow.
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