The Power of Camp

Summer camps have been an American institution for over a century, immersed in our culture as the setting for countless movies, novels, and TV shows. While camps are often viewed as a joyful, idyllic getaway for kids, this is only part of the role summer camps play in childhood development

Camp offers benefits to today’s youth who are inundated by technology, facing challenging social dynamics, and experiencing higher rates of anxiety. Residential sleepaway camps give kids a meaningful break from technology while shifting the focus to in-person relationship building, both important solutions to what the U.S. Surgeon General is calling a loneliness epidemic.

While there is no silver bullet for raising happy children, in the National Camp Impact Study from the American Camp Association, researchers found that high-quality summer camp experiences can be an important piece of a larger developmental ecosystem. The study found that 58% of campers reported that their time at camp helped them appreciate the importance of being present in the moment, taking time away from technology, and focusing more on developing relationships. Importantly, the study found that these impacts were noticed both in the short-term and several years after camp attendance.

Helping kids develop social and emotional skills, including empathy, perseverance, and collaboration is central to our mission. Walton’s Grizzly Lodge exposes campers to new skills and challenges in a supportive, intentional environment, with camp staff who help campers develop friendship, independence, and resilience.

As the world continues to change, the power of summer camp remains, providing an important stepping stone towards fostering independent, community-oriented, and joyful young adults.