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What Makes MDC Different ...
Although we do many of the same activities as many of the other programs in Colorado like hiking, climbing and crafts, we take a unique approach. These topics will help you learn about what makes MDC different:
We build Community
• Mountain Day Camp Counselors lead age- and ability-appropriate team building games to help build friendships among campers.
• Morning and afternoon camp songs help anchor the camp community experience and ease transitions to and from camp.
• During the year, MDC Directors host family events & open houses to help facilitate connections with new camp friends and families.
We hire great camp counselors
• We interview our camp counselors extensively to find the extraordinary, creative, energetic camp counselors who have authentic interest in youth development and who are attuned to the needs of children.
• Our counselors are mature, have college experience, and have current CPR and First Aid Certifications.
• Camp Counselors receive 6-day training in child development and risk management before the summer begins.
• Camp directors provide continued coaching and training for camp counselors.
• Camp directors make it a point to know MDC families and are accessible to parents for questions and feedback.
Our Activities are Guided by Developmental Values
Before we started camp, we invited psychologists, camp directors, teachers and parents to help us refine our vision of what the camp experience should be. We spent a year visiting other camps and studying camp outcomes. We organized “create-a-camp” nights with area professionals to help us design an effective program that matched our vision.
The result of our efforts and years of experience is an innovative program that gives children valuable growth opportunities in a fun, creative environment. We believe that informal Play at camp offers an ideal complement to campers' home and school lives in which to learn about self, community and the natural world. To that end, each day’s activities are deliberately designed to foster growth in one of four key developmental areas:
- Connectedness: We create an environment that provides an avenue for campers to explore, define and refine relationships with peers and mentors.
- Ownership: We emphasize the importance of each camper’s role within the larger camp community, and of his or her responsibility to its other members; we also help campers develop a sense of environmental stewardship
- Identity: We enhance a positive sense of self and belonging through personal discovery and challenge.
- Expertise: We provide confidence-building opportunities for skill mastery in the outdoors
in an age appropriate context.
In practice, what we view as valuable lessons in community and personal development, campers see as just plain fun! Campers return each day to a welcoming and supportive camp community, ready to embrace new challenges and explore new things.
We Play!
Kids today spend less time playing than their parents did as children. We believe that play is essential to the healthy development of children. Cabin Groups at Mountain Day Camp have time during their schedules for play, time where campers direct what is happening rather than being entertained by the counselors.
Camp Counselors help guide campers during play to make choices that match their individual interests while offering new challenges. Play enables Campers to learn about their relationships with peers and the world around them. Through play, campers emerge as more confident and better self-directed children who are excited to take on new challenges.
To learn more about Play and children's developmental needs read The Power of Play by David Elkind (on the MDC Parent Reading List or view an article).
We Get Kids Into Nature
With an increase in screen-based technologies, there is often a lack of authentic nature based experiences in children's lives. Richard Louv, author of Last Child Into the Woods (on the MDC Parent Reading List or view an article) calls this phenomena Nature Deficit Disorder.
We explore nature through hikes, bouldering, and environmental education activities. We want nature based experiences to be hands on. Campers will never view anything on a screen at Mountain Day Camp. We have them leave their technologies (cell phones, mp3 players, video games, etc.) at home to make room to connect with the natural world and each other at camp.
We Build Teams Through Non-Competition
We avoid competition among campers and Cabin Groups, and rather, choose to incorporate team building activities to build teamwork skills among campers. Many of these activities are designed to put campers of varying abilities on level playing field. The campers embrace the challenges and use critical thinking and problem solving skills to conquer them with their peers. Even if an activity appears to be a traditional sport, it will have a cooperative goal.
We Promote Intrinsic Rewards
Mountain Day Camp campers will never come home with certificates of achievement or merit. They will not earn beads for completing chores, or receive trophies for an all camp competition. At Mountain Day Camp we believe in teaching campers to do activities for the intrinsic satisfaction rather than earning things for doing things. For example, when we hike and practice Leave No Trace Ethics, we pick up trash we pass along the way. No one is rewarded with badges or patches, but we all enjoy the beautiful natural surroundings that are free from litter on our way back.
Learn about Mountain Day Camp People -->
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