Camp Kupugani Blog
The Value of a Good Camp Experience is Immeasurable
There is immeasurable value to a dollar spent on a good camp experience – it develops the whole person via a comprehensive social and experiential education. At Camp Kupugani, we focus on each child’s individual needs. Our intentional empowerment program strengthens individual identity and appreciation of others. Campers develop tools including: appreciation of diversity, communication skills, leadership, positive self-image, body image, healthy relationship building, self-expression, social awareness, and environmental awareness. The learning happens almost without knowing it; from our campers’ viewpoint, they simply have a great time making fantastic new […]
Mistakes Parents Make with Their Kids
Here’s a good blog post by author Tim Elmore describing how parents being over-involved in their children’s lives negatively impacts them. He also offers some good corrective advice. Below are excerpts, with the whole post available at this link: 1. We Risk Too Little We’ve insulated our kids from risk. Author Gever Tulley suggests, “If you’re over 30, you probably walked to school, played on the monkey bars, and learned to high-dive at the public pool. If you’re younger, it’s unlikely you did any of these things. Yet, has the world become […]
Why Parents Should Focus on Their Own Happiness
A blog post from Christine Carter, Ph.D, a sociologist and happiness expert at UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center, emphasizes that parents should focus on their own happiness instead of continually focusing on child-related perceived obligations. Check out her two-minute video making the case for NOT always spending more time with your kids.
Interesting Facts About Women
At our girls-only sessions of Camp Kupugani, we’re all about having fun while helping our campers develop into strong women. “Officially,” March is International Women’s Month, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t think carefully all of the time. Here are some interesting facts (taken from www.internationalwomensday.com) about gender. Just some things to think about. Global Issues … Of 1.2 billion people living in poverty worldwide, 70% are women. Women own around only 1% of the world’s land. Business / Finance … Women control $14 trillion in assets and this […]
How to Help the Teacher of Your Energetic Child
We value the work that good teachers do to empower our children. It is an often thankless job. Sometimes, even with best intentions, certain teachers are unable to maximize the learning environment for certain students who may not fit the ideal mold for certain classrooms. A student who is lively and energetic, intelligent and social does not necessarily thrive in an environment where often the student who repeats back what the teacher says, remains compliant and regurgitates what s/he is told—can be the one most favored. Below is a letter […]
10 Habits Of People Who Never Worry
At our overnight summer camps near Chicago, we strive to be intentionally empowering and intentionally challenging, so that our campers maximize their potential. Amanda Chan posted this Huffington Post article, summarized below, (and in full at this link) describing ten (originally 11 in the article) habits of people who never worry: It is clear that there are some personality types that are more linked to worrying than others. And while everyone worries from time to time, it is possible to worry so much that it starts to have a noticeable impact on […]
Kupugani’s Version of Challenge by Choice
At Kupugani, our child development philosophy is based in large part on the concept of “Challenge by Choice,” meaning that campers participate voluntarily in various activities and challenges of our team building program and other aspects of camp life. A camper may choose to sit out an activity, with that right respected by other campers and counselors. An integral tenet of our camp community respects the individual’s right to choose with regard to the degree of participation in any activity. Campers are empowered by taking personal responsibility for their choices; […]
20 Things a Dad Should Tell a Daughter
At our summer camp for girls in Illinois, we recognize that empowerment and identity formation need multiple sources for your daughter. We had an earlier post with tips from a mom raising a daughter; below is a digested version of a good post from blogger Dorkdaddy, an intentional dad with a good sense of humor, with thoughts on 20 things a dad should tell a daughter. Things to Tell Your Daughter Pay attention to the way a man loves his mother. That is the way he will love you. You can […]
Some Good Questions to Ask Camp Directors
Embarking on a summer camp experience is an important decision for both parents and children. For prospective parents at our multicultural summer camp for girls-only and boys-only in Illinois, we encourage them to get as comfortable as possible with their decision beforehand. For some, that means scouring web sites; for others, that means talking with parents who have previously had their kids attend the camp; for others, it means discussing with the camp director what the camp is all about. For parents in the latter group, they should ask good […]
Ten Summer Camp Prep Tips
Summer camp is a great, powerful child development tool…so much so, that we should be sure that our children can make the most of a camp experience. Here’s a good post by board-certified clinical psychologist, and youth development specialist Dr. Chris Thurber emphasizing 10 tips on how to maximize our children’s potential at camp. Five highlights are below: Don’t make a “pick-up deal.” Instead of saying, “If you feel homesick, I’ll come and get you,” normalize their anxiety and talk positively about camp. Double-check the camp’s packing list. Spend practice time […]
20 Things to Say to Your Daughter Before She’s Grown
At our summer camp for girls in Illinois, we exist for girls as they are, so they imagine the women they can become. Below is a digested version of a good blog post from mom Jenna McCarthy, an internationally published writer, TED speaker and author helping to facilitate similar character development, with some wise/fun specific tips. From a very young age our girls are targeted with messed-up media messages (think “Thin is beautiful, and beautiful is everything, and if you want to be happy, you need these shoes!”) and exposed to all […]
Children in Camp Can Be Their Essential Selves
Below are some excerpts from a Slate article entitled “My Daughter Went Away to Camp and Changed,” by John Dickerson. It provides insight into how kids can be their essential selves at camp–not worrying about how their parents might react. You can also check out the entire article here about children being their essential selves. “Some of my best encounters with our children are the ones they don’t know about. At school pickup, I watch them conspiring with friends. When I drive carpool, I stay quiet so I can hear them […]
