Junior Camp

Eleven- and twelve-year-olds are looking for some independence and opportunities to make some big decisions for themselves. Developmentally, they are gaining the life experience necessary to make more and bigger choices. The Junior Camp is designed to allow and encourage campers to work together to design their camp week. Campers at Junior Camp work with their counselors to plan the week’s activities based on the hopes, ideas, and interests of the campers in the “family group.” Each camper is an important, valued, heard, and respected part of their family group as campers continue to develop communication and listening skills which will serve them throughout their lives. Each family group is part of the whole camp, thereby affirming the importance of each person.
	How does this work? Campers will spend some time brainstorming a list of things they would like to do while they are at camp. The counselors are facilitators in this process — encouraging creative thinking, respectful conversation, and affirming each child. Once the group has developed a list (which often includes dozens of ideas!) the counselors help the campers process the many ideas and bring them to life. Campers are encouraged and supported as they take the responsibility and joy for planning, negotiating, and organizing their day — a day full of fun custom-made for this group!
The opportunities are extensive — campfires, sleeping under the stars, and floating lunches on Green Lake. Or try boating, water races, stream walks, water balloon volleyball on a warm summer afternoon, cooking over an open fire. These — and dozens of other activities — give campers plenty of opportunity to fill the week with memorable fun!