A Great First Girls Session
The final week of session one has come and gone so fast we barely had time to blink an eye! As counselors said farewell to their campers and campers said goodbye to the many friends they have made during the past two weeks, heavy hearts filled camp. It was a bittersweet departure acknowledging they had to leave and appreciating the decision to come to Camp Kupugani for all of its inner and outer beauty, much like the journey of our campers.
Summer camps have been a U.S. tradition for over 150 years at which children are able to meet new people from all over the country and world, try new things, challenge themselves, acquire new skills, and most importantly to have fun!
Our first session attendees certainly did all of these things! We had campers from Spain, Mexico City, Panama, Puerto Rico as well as states like New Jersey and Texas that all tried new things such as dam jumping, river walking, cratestacking, mud volleyball and many more. Campers pushed themselves physically over the two wire bridge, the wall and a variety of challenge hikes. Mental challenges were faced with activities such as night hikes (without flashlights!), team building activities and especially Cross the Line. Throughout the session, campers learned the importance of cleaning, how to build a fire, the power of independence, and of course- how to have fun without the aid of technology.
With all of this in mind, the question arises as to whether or not Camp Kupugani was the right choice?
Many of the returning campers would say yes, as well as the many first year campers who can attest to the powerful environment created at Kupugani where girls are free to be themselves and are celebrated for all that entails. At a multicultural camp focused on empowerment, girls are offered a special opportunity to not only learn new skills or activities but to learn about other cultures and the importance of empowering themselves as well as others. As an all girls camp, bonds are formed and are not only strong but also cross-cultural friendships with opportunities to learn more about ourselves as well as each other’s backgrounds. At today’s final morning gathering, we were able to catch a glimpse of the strong bonds created as two girls found themselves in a tearful embrace just before the other journeyed to the airport to return home. Two girls from two different countries together at the same camp for two weeks with one thing tying them together- their experience at Camp Kupugani.