The developmental needs of young people - Expressing Camp, part 1

Camping Magazine, Nov-Dec, 1995 by Laurie J. O'Brien, Karen M. Pavlicin, Ruth Lister, Bob Schultz

As camp professionals, you intuitively understand and believe in the American Camping Association public awareness theme "Camp gives kids a world of good." You see the results every year.

Now, millions of people across the nation, many of whom have never had a camp experience, are learning more about this world of good. In an effort to increase the number of children who experience camp, ACA is building public awareness of what the camp experience offers young people. We are talking to parents in their own language, relating camp to benefits they seek.

As a camp professional, you must help bridge the gap between the messages parents hear in the media and their decision to send a child to your camp.

Before parents will choose your camp, they must believe in the camp experience itself. On a national level, ACA addresses this concern by talking about the developmental needs of young people. What a national campaign can't do is tell parents how these needs are met in your particular camp. To reassure interested parents, you need to speak the same language.

When parents ask about their child's safety, tell them how you meet ACA's rigorous accreditation standards. When they say they want their child to be cared for in a loving environment, introduce them to your well-trained and caring staff. When parents share the hope their child will develop skills and have fun, share your skills objectives for various activities and offer fun-filled photos of your campers.

While it seems easy to convince parents camp meets these basic needs, remember that many other noncamp programs do also. Why should a parent choose camp over these other options?

ACA believes camp goes beyond the basics: camp equips young people with the skills they need to become happy, successful, contributing adults. At camp, children learn to get along with others, they succeed at some level, and they belong to and contribute to a community. When the value of the camp experience is expressed in terms of its impact on the healthy development of their children, parents will choose camp. They know that healthy development is not optional; it is essential. Once parents are convinced of camp's value, they expect you to show them how your camp meets this next level of needs.

To describe your camp's contribution to a young person's development:

* learn the developmental needs of children and youth and review the programs and activities your camp offers to find examples of the ways your programs, staff members and facilities meet those needs, and

* using key messages parents can relate to, talk about the outcomes of your program in terms of the developmental needs of children and youth.

The following background and examples may give you some ideas.

The developmental needs of children and youth

Peter Scales, former deputy director of the Center for Early Adolescence, maintains young people have seven developmental needs:

* Positive social interaction with adults and peers

* Structure and clear limits

* Physical activity

* Creative expression

* Competence and achievement

* Meaningful participation in families, school, and communities

* Self definition

According to Scales, "The most successful outdoor education and recreation programs can meet all these needs" (Scales, p. 28). He also notes that by age 18, young people have spent only 8 percent of their life in school. Working together, schools and camps can create a powerful force that equips young people for success by helping them feel loved and influential.

All children, no matter what stage of personal or academic achievement they have attained, and no matter how much love and support they receive from parents and teachers, benefit from a camp experience.

Positive social interaction with adults and peers

Camp is about relationships and learning to get along. Without television, homework, and similar distractions there is more time for talking, listening and relaxing.

ADULTS

As positive adult role models, counselors and camp directors serve a different purpose than school teachers or parents: children often see them as their first adult "friends." Though staff members may act in loco parentis, the parent/child dynamic is missing, so the relationship is free to take on a different tenor.

Competent, caring counselors who are able to share their love of nature, backpacking, or games serve as mentors and add to children's motivation to explore new pursuits.

PEERS

During the school year, the choice of new friends is often determined by the companions children already have. At camp, free from the influence of long-established school cliques, neighborhood gangs, or academic groups, children have the opportunity to explore relationships with youth outside their normal sphere.

Cabin mates come from different neighborhoods, cities, states, and even countries. Some children have never had to share a bedroom while others have never had a bed to themselves." Although not everyone becomes best friends, when they eat, sleep, live, and play with eight to 12 other people every day for a week (or two or six) they learn to get along.