Kevin Gordon

About Kevin Gordon

Posts by Kevin Gordon:

Social Awareness Tactics That Help You Be A Better Leader

At Camp Kupugani, we operate our Midwest summer camp (near Chicago and Madison) and focus on helping our campers maximize their social awareness. We want our parents to be the best they can be as well. Here is an article on maximizing one’s impact on others. Read our take below and check out the full article here about social awareness. Understand what it means to listen Actively listen to the speaker Avoid making assumptions before hearing the person’s full story Repeat what was said Repeat it back to help the […]

Prevent Kids from Developing Entitlement Syndrome

At our Midwest summer camp, we strive to empower our campers to be their best selves. It can be a challenge as a parent to spoil our children even while intending only to have a positive influence. Good intentions can sometimes lead to negative outcomes though; entitlement develops when a child is given too much, too soon. It’s a function of giving our kids too much stuff, and not necessarily what they really need: parental guidance, wisdom, and direction. Here are five ways to maximize that you won’t accidentally be […]

You May Be a Helicopter (or Lawnmower) Parent

As director of a kids Midwest summer camp (within easy driving distance from Chicago and Madison), I see the ramifications of varied parenting styles in how the kid recipient of those parenting styles navigate the world. As a parent of a young teen, I get to see firsthand how our parental successes and mistakes have shaped the development of our own child. A good way to evaluate whether our parental actions are harming our kids is to examine their behavior. Therefore, consider four results of an enabling parent. 1. Your […]

Takeaways from Stamped from the Beginning

Kevin Gordon, Director of Camp Kupugani in Leaf River, IL–located two hours west of Chicago–recently read Ibram X. Kendi’s Stamped from the Beginning (Nation Books, 2016). Essential reading for anyone who wants to understand racism in the United States. In shedding much-needed light on the murky history of racist ideas, this book offers tools we need to expose them—and in the process, gives us reason to hope. Check out the book here. See below for some excerpts. What is racism? Racism is…any concept that regards one racial group as inferior […]

5 Ways to Establish Rituals That Will Make You Happy

At Camp Kupugani, our overnight summer camp that offers girls-only, boys-only, and blended (intentionally co-ed) programming, we want everyone to be reaching their happiness quotient every day. We strive each day to offer activities at camp that every camper will like. A recent article describes five rituals that will make you happy. Check out our bullets below and read the full article here about establishing rituals that will increase happiness. Challenge Unhelpful Thoughts Is the thought you are having helpful? Happiness is not determined by money, family, or being famous; […]

10 Tips to Raise Environmentally-Conscious Children

At Camp Kupugani, our overnight summer camp that offers girls-only, boys-only, and blended (intentionally co-ed) programming, we try our best to be “green” or environmentally-conscious. We recycle, minimize water usage, and try to be cognizant of energy use. Especially as the results of our global unfriendliness to Mother Nature become increasingly apparent, it becomes more critical to have our children treat our world kindly. A recent article has some good tips on how to raise an environmentally-conscious child; check out our bullets below, with the full article here. Environment Tips […]

8 Ways to Empower Your Girl

In 2007, Camp Kupugani, our Midwest overnight summer camp (near Chicago and Madison, Wisconsin) started with a single two-week girls-only camp focused on the empowerment of young ladies. Although we now offer boys-only, blended (intentionally co-ed), and a girls-only session, we are continually mindful to empower your girl(s). We want every family to feel powerfully connected with their girl(s). A recent article described eight things you should do to empower your girl; check out our bullets below. Empower Girls By: Believing in her. Be her biggest fan. If she doesn’t […]

If You Want Your Kids to Get Along, Avoid This

Camp Kupugani is our residential summer camp located about two hours from downtown Chicago and 90 minutes away from Madison, Wisconsin. We are all about helping our campers get along, via practical models to conflict resolution models like “I Statements” and the “Clean-up”. Outside of camp, we also recognize that getting siblings or other children in the same household to get along can be challenging. A recent article lists some things to avoid doing to facilitate good connections. Bullets below, with the full article here. Suggesting they race to do […]

8 Ways to Address Your Child’s Challenging Behavior

Camp Kupugani, our overnight summer camp located on 125 acres in Northwest Illinois (near Chicago and Madison, Wisconsin), is a camp where everyone is accepted for who they are, while still being challenged to become a better person. As a parent (and camp director), I can appreciate how it can be a challenge to maximize your child’s behavior and choices. Indeed, children (as do we as adults) sometimes exhibit behaviors that are not ideal for their development. Read below for a few ways to help your child learn more positive […]

6 Ways to Help Kids Minimize Screen Time

Camp Kupugani is a multicultural overnight summer camp in northwest Illinois, just a stone’s throw away from Chicago (that is if you can throw a stone about 90 miles). Although Kupugani is a technology-free camp, most homes are not, and with many schools using online-based homework, it increasingly challenging to strike a balance between technology and the actual tactile world. Bullets below, with the full Washington Post article here. Keep playing with your kids. Even as they become more independent, keep playing! Play cards Shoot hoops Don’t give up when […]

3 Mindfulness Tips to Maximize Contentment

Here at Camp Kupugani (in northwest Illinois about 2 hours west of Chicago and 90 minutes south of Madison, Wisconsin) our overnight summer camp is all about helping our campers to be the best version of themselves. A recent article from Barking up the Wrong Tree explores some good mindfulness tips. Bullets below; click here to read the full article. Discount these four happiness myths Myth 1: “Happiness Is the Natural State for All Human Beings” Our brains are not programmed at birth for bliss. Ups and downs are normal; […]

Why You Should Embrace Conflict

At Camp Kupugani, our summer camp near Chicago and Madison, we don’t run from conflict, seeing it as a productive and important part of personal interaction. A recent article from fastcompany.com also elucidates this message. Bullets below, with the whole article available at this link: The importance of conflict You need to be able to work through opposing sides of an issue and come to a resolution Conflict is part of strategic planning, resource allocation, product design, and talent management Conflict debt Sum of all the contentious issues we need […]