Camp Kupugani Blog
Dare to Embrace Difference
I hope that you are well, or as well as you can be during these tumultuous times. Depending on your worldview, you might be considering what to do in response to the what you see in the larger world—to defend rights, to counter hateful rhetoric, to rebuild movements and momentum for positive change. I ask that you support Kupugani and our mission to continue to create a version of the world that we want to see—where issues of difference can be celebrated, and our commonalities can be recognized and appreciated. […]
Are You Culturally Competent? Do You Want to Be?
Given the historic levels of what some have deemed a “cultural crisis” in this nation, perhaps now’s as good a time as any to challenge yourself with our cultural competence quiz. Are you culturally competent? (Do you want to be?) Are You Culturally Competent? Find Out Here
Ways Technology Influences Your Child’s Behavior
At our Midwest summer camp, we minimize electronics during camp sessions, to empower our campers to maximize their social development. A recent blog from the good folks at Intelligence for your Life, underscored how electronics influence children’s behavior. Bullets below, with the whole piece available at this link. Developmental psychiatrist Dr. Sara Konrath says that kids today consume three times more screen-based media than they did 50 years ago. They also score 40 percent lower on tests that measure empathy and compassion for others. Videogames are especially harmful because the […]
Where Has the Summer Gone?
Now that summer is officially drawing to a close, let’s take a stroll back through memory lane. We had a wonderful and fun-filled 8 weeks with our boys- and girls-only camps and the ever-growing blended camp. We had campers who: conquered their fears on a 60-foot limestone rock wall, crate stacked 21 milk crates, dam jumped, slept under the stars and peed in the woods. During the Kupu-Olympics, the red and blue teams competed in the three-legged race, gaga, potato sack race, and canoe relay, and somehow they tied every […]
Be a Better Parent: Lessons from Science
At our summer camp near Chicago, we continually try to improve how we as staff and counselors can positively influence our campers. An article from the folks at Barking Up the Wrong Tree offers a few good parental tips. Summary below, with the whole article at the link at the bottom. 1) Peer Pressure Can Be A Good Thing Myth: Peer pressure is always bad, just leading kids to drinking, drugs and vandalism. Fact: The same instinct that makes some kids so vulnerable to peer pressure also makes them better students, friends […]
The Final Two…
Today, is officially the last day for the remaining two summer camp counselors, Hannah and Leah. [From Hannah and Leah] We both want to say a huge thank you to Camp Kupugani, Kevin, Natasha, our fellow co-counselors and the amazing campers for an amazing summer, filled with new friends, laughter, growth and memories. We have had a blast! Reflecting back on the 2017 summer… We both learned that it was okay to be an original individual and not to compare ourselves to others. We also challenged ourselves in activities we […]
How to do the Kupugani Beat!
Have you got that beat? That Kupugani beat? This is a fun camp song that takes some campers and counselors (and camp directors) a lifetime to master! You arrive at camp on the Sunday and are having a great time, when dinner time arrives and returning campers start with the Kupugani beat! So they do it really slow and you think you’re starting to get it, when two words you don’t want to hear happen–“full speed”! And suddenly all that you thought you had disappears and you know nothing again. Don’t […]
No Challenge is Too Big
Have you ever tried slack-lining? No? Neither had I, until I came to Kupugani. There is no feeling like standing on a two and a half inch wide piece of fabric and feeling every muscle in my body functioning to keep me balanced. Determination rushes through my mind that I just want to keep bettering my previous effort, even if it is just one extra step. It’s addictive. I may only be two feet above the ground, but I feel on top of the world, challenging myself and conquering something […]
13 Reasons You Know You’re a Kupugani Camper…
You have a camp song for any occasion. You never say Wu unless that is your cabin. You have enough camp swag to last you two weeks. You look above doors to see if they are “In” or “Out” doors. You say you’ve stacked 10 crates and everyone thinks you are crazy. You say oopaa at home when someone drops something. You feel guilty when you’ve started the sixth minute of your shower. You have recurring dreams about coffee cake and Chicken Kiev. You wake up with “Ain’t Nothin Wrong […]
Memories of a First Time International Counselor
What it’s like to be an international counselor? It is a totally strange experience flying four thousand miles from England to a small place called Leaf River Illinois to work as a camp counselor. Nonetheless, at the beginning of this summer, armed with a bag full of sweets and other home comforts, I set on my way. After arriving in America and being picked up at the bus station by the lovely (food service manager and co-camp owner) Natasha, I arrived at Camp Kupugani, thinking I would be greeted by […]
Creative Camptivity
Having had a touch extra of water in the flats of camp at the beginning of the session, we were temporarily without the use of some of the usual camptivities. Undeterred, in a creative effort by the counselors and staff, camptivity periods filled with counselor specialties. From Mud Creations to Stage Combat, the offerings are as unique and fascinating as the counselors themselves. Each camptivity is exciting and especially engaging not only because that’s just what we do as camp counselors, but also because the subject is something that the […]
To-do List for Change-Over Day
Clean cabins from top to bottom Make sure bathrooms are sparkly clean Move into a new cabin and set up your bunk Decide on a crazy cool theme for your cabin Prepare the grill for some delicious grub at the potluck Work on memorizing the songs written by campers last session so you can sing them during Session Two Put the finishing touches on the curriculum for next session’s teams and evening activities Restock LaTienda with delicious snacks Join the 4-week campers at the waterpark for lots of fun and […]