Camp Kupugani Blog
Help Kids Understand Consent & Prevent Sexual Assault
Camp Director Kevin Gordon recently read Chessy Prout’s I Have the Right To: A High School Survivor’s Story of Sexual Assault, Justice, and Hope, documenting her title story. It raised for Kevin the issue of the importance of people of ages learning about and respecting the issue of consent. Indeed, at Camp Kupugani, our overnight summer camp about two hours west of Chicago and 90 minutes south of Madison, a top priority is the safety of our campers. Safety relates to physical and emotional safety, and the autonomy and respect […]
10 Ways to Positively Influence Your Teen
At Camp Kupugani, our lovely summer camp in the Midwest (about 2 hours from Chicago and 90 minutes from Madison, Wisconsin), we care about children of all ages and want each child to be the best version of themselves. We also know that–if parents and teens are each doing their jobs as parents and teens–it can be challenging for each to connect positively. It is critical for any child, and especially with teens, especially that they feel heard and respected. A couple of good articles from the good folks at […]
11 Ways To Be an Even More Amazing Parent
At Camp Kupugani, our Midwest summer camp nestled in the woods about two hours west of Chicago and ninety minutes south of Madison, we appreciate the parents who value our camp experience enough to send their child to camp summer after summer! Given that our camp parents are already AMAZING and FANTASTIC, we culled some articles for a few ways that we can step up our parental game to become even more amazing and/or fantastic! Bullets below, with the full articles from the folks at Barking Up the Wrong Tree […]
Camp Shines as a Beacon of Social Progress
LEAF RIVER, IL – Acts of hate and racism, whether online or in person, are painfully visible these days,” said Phillip Martin, a senior investigative reporter at WGBH, a contributing reporter to PRI’s “The World.” The US Department of Justice has noted a sharp increase in hate crimes. One summer camp has a proactive approach to celebrating and appreciating diversity. This summer, Camp Kupugani, a multicultural camp for children ages 7 to 15, celebrates its thirteenth summer of creating positive change by empowering campers in an intentionally diverse environment to […]
See Other People’s Kids as 3-Dimensional Humans
At Camp Kupugani, our multicultural overnight summer camp two hours west of Chicago and 90 minutes south of Madison here in the beautiful Midwest, each child is treated as an individual. From arrival, each camper is individually recognized whether a first-timer or a 5-year Kupugani veteran. We celebrate and appreciate each child, trying to meet them where they are, while simultaneously challenging them to become even better. Each child deserves to start with a clean slate. Often, one encounters adults saying things along the lines of: “oh, that kid, s/he […]
The American Experience Varies
We are Camp Kupugani–an overnight summer camp 90 minutes west of Chicago. We are in the United States of America, a nation which purports to have equal opportunity for all. Camp Owner/Director Kevin is a brown man. Camp admin Aaron is white (beige-ish really). Their American experience varies. What Aaron can do that Kevin cannot: Without realistic fear of being shot, Aaron can reach into the glove compartment if pulled over by police during a car stop. Aaron can go into any store without the perception or reality of being […]
How We Celebrate & Appreciate Identity
At Camp Kupugani, our Midwest summer camp not far from Madison, Wisconsin (and also convenient to Chicago, Illinois), we strive to help campers celebrate and appreciate themselves and others in all aspects of identity. We intentionally move beyond “clumping” (hanging out only with those who we perceived to be exactly like us) to interact with a variety of people in our cabins, teams, tables, and camp activities. Research shows that early exposure to people that are different than you helps you to become more understanding/welcoming as an adult. We pride […]
3 Ways to Raise a Generous Kid
When children attend Camp Kupugani, our Midwest summer camp 90 minutes south of Madison, we want them to grow at camp and at home, so that they become the best versions of themselves. Please see below for some bullets from a recent Washington Post article on how to raise a generous kid. You can check out the full article here. Model It! Children learn by what they see. Pay for coffee for the person behind you. Be kind to the waitstaff. Say “please” and “thank you.” Be Intentional! Give […]
How to Prepare Your Child for Overnight Camp
Even though it’s winter, it’s not too early to start planning for summer. If you’re the parent of a prospective first time camper, consider your goals for your child. Summer is a great time for her (or him) to try new things. Whatever new experience you’d love to introduce, be sure that s/he is involved in choosing a program. That way s/he keeps a sense of control, which helps to ward off any transition issues if s/he’s going off to a sleepaway camp. As a good parent, you also want to make sure that you […]
6 Ways to Avoid Punishing Children for Being Human
At Camp Kupugani, our premier Midwest summer camp (near Chicago), we treat our minor campers with the same respect we treat our adult co-workers, friends, or family. A recent article by the folks at Creative Child brought to light that children are sometimes “Punished for Being Human.” As part of intentional empowerment process, we do not solve problems for our campers; we support them to handle situations at their maturity level. A well-intentioned parental mistake is for one to tell a child, “Stop crying, you are fine!” This can apply […]
13 Ways to Help Our Children Be More Patient and Less Lonely
At, Camp Kupugani, our multicultural overnight summer camp in the beautiful Midwest (and close to Madison, WI, and Chicago, IL), helping our campers feel connected and cared for are top priorities. We do this by facilitating children’s spending time being electronics-free, connecting with peers from different backgrounds and age groups, and enjoying unstructured time in nature. A recent article from Your Modern Family discusses why our children are less focused and more lonely; bullets below, and the rest of the article here. Let kids be bored! Boredom helps your child […]
10 Reasons Pre-Teens Need Less Social Media
Here at Camp Kupugani, our multicultural overnight summer camp about two hours west of Chicago (and less than 90 minutes south of Madison, WI), our campers appreciate the importance of tech-free time. They do this while at camp (and hopefully carry the momentum) to apply this when they get home. There was a recent article from TODAY Parenting Team community discussing why middle schoolers don’t need social media. Check below for bullets and see the full article here! Social media was not designed for children. Snapchat, Instagram all were originally […]