Michael Thompson, author of Homesick and Happy, writes,
” … self-esteem is not the engine of learning; it is the by-product of learning. Children don’t learn because they feel good about themselves; they feel good because they have mastered something.”
All over camp this summer, I’ve seen children building self-esteem. Some of our tried and true activites have been giving campers the ability to master something unique and special. At boating, countless campers have practiced and refined their J-Strokes and T-Rescues. At archery campers have progressively sighted their targets and walked away with some outstanding shots. Over at the challenge course countless children have improved on their problem-solving and effective communication and learned to conquer their fears and push their boundaries. Our new activities have stepped up to the plate immediately. Ellen has institued a cooking program, that by my estimates, has churned out over 3000 cookies at this point in the summer. Eric has an unprecedented amount of children choosing to join him at woodworking where they have been cranking out a number of different projects.
All over camp today, campers are mastering these skills. Along with these Level 1 skills, they are mastering the harder skills of being responsible, respectful, caring, honest, and most importantly, building friendships. I’d like to think that with this mastery, every camper will return home this summer with a little more self-esteem.
Happy Camping!
Dave Kaubin