Summer Camp Opportunities Promote Education
The Iroquois Springs team recently had the pleasure of attending the SCOPE (Summer Camp Opportunities Promote Education) benefit dinner. SCOPE is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide children in need the edge to succeed in life through the summer camp experience. It was a wonderful evening with fellow camp professionals and friends who value and celebrate the world of summer camp.
The evening highlights included the Legends of Camping honor for camp professionals who have made a positive impact in the world of camping, and the Junior Leadership Counsel honor for youth who are making a difference in the SCOPE program. But the part of the evening that stood out the most, was hearing from the young people that have had the opportunity to be SCOPE campers and experience the joys of summer camp. These well spoke young ladies were there to express their appreciation and present how much camp means to them. The first speaker was a 21 year old college student, who had been a SCOPE camper for many years. She shared about her time as a camper and how camp helped develop the responsible, driven, confident person she is today. She spoke of how she could be herself at camp, away from the pressures of life in the city, and the lasting friendships she made through her camp experience. The second speaker was a 9 year old girl, who confidently told us how much she loved camp, especially the horses she got to take care of, and how she could not wait to get back to camp to see her favorite horse this summer. For both of these young ladies, camp was a perfect place to get away from the distractions of the city and reminded us how important a camp experience is no matter what your socio-economic status.
Summer camp does so much good for children. It allows them to develop skills that will take them anywhere they want to go in life. Camp builds confidence, resilience, independence, leadership, teamwork, problem solving, and social skills. It takes children away from their plugged in worlds and gets them outside taking healthy risks. Camp brings kids together for real face to face interactions and builds friendships that last a lifetime. Camp allows children to reinvent themselves and be who they are. Camp exposed children to healthy adult role models that nurture, encourage and support campers to be the best they can be. Camp counselors act as surrogate parents, big brothers and sister, friends, and confidants that help to make the summer camp experience one that will be remembered for a lifetime.
It was a wonderful feeling to support the efforts of SCOPE and to know that the summer camp experience truly makes a difference in the lives of so many young people. We of course are getting ready for summer 2014 and our own summer adventure and commitment to making a positive impact in the lives of our Iroquois Spring family! Celebrate camp!