As I think about my 46 years at Highlander, I reflect on the amazing leap of faith our parents have taken to entrust us with their children each summer. 2016 will mark the 60th summer of camping at Highlander and the 60 years that thousands of parents chose Camp Highlander for their child’s summer adventure. Which leads me to the question that many parents ask when they are choosing a summer camp, what exactly should I be looking for, what do I want out of a camp? Why Highlander?
After many years of devoting my life to camp, it is easy for me to say that summer camp is one of the greatest gifts you can give your child. The stories of transformation, growth and success that I have witnessed in the lives of our campers and staff could inspire tears of joy that would fill our Silver Lake at CH. These amazing changes and learning opportunities are the best reason why camp is an invaluable experience for children. But why is it thousands of parents choose Highlander each summer to be the best camp for their child?
When looking for a camp, I always advise parents to investigate. Make sure the camp values coincide with the values that you are teaching your child at home. Make sure the examples and teachings of the camp leaders are positive. Being away from home, your child will be involved in learning situations in which camp staff will act on your behalf. Be confident they will guide your child in the correct direction.
At Highlander, our values of courage, honesty, integrity and faith are not only the values we model each day and seek to instill in your children, but they are the values by which we hire our staff. We desire for each camper to leave Highlander a better person than when they came because of the staff they look up to, the programs they participate in, the cabin unit they surround themselves with and the values we believe in. These values are the driving factors to our daily living and the instrument for growth and change in our campers.
Second, make sure the camp offers the type of programming that will give your child a fun, enjoyable summer. Does it offer enough challenging and exciting programs to give your child an opportunity to succeed to build self-esteem as well as the opportunity to fail and grow? Does it give them enough freedom and support to make decisions that foster maturation and independence?
Answers to all of these questions are YES at Camp Highlander. We believe it is important for your child to build character through the life skills taught through our cabin unit at over 40 amazing activities at camp. Each camper leaves camp with more confidence as they learn to overcome challenges, accept failure and celebrate success. We let each camper set their own personal goals and push themselves with the support and love of their counselors and cabin mates. Campers at Highlander gain the life skills such as conflict resolution, time management, communication, and responsibility while enjoying camp. Parents are always amazed at the growth and maturity they see in their child, while the camper is unaware because they were focused on cool activities and FUN.
Last, and the most important thing when looking for a camp, make sure your child will be safe. Know what policies the camp has in place to ensure the physical and emotional safety of your child. Find out their hiring procedure, making sure enough emphasis on staff character and background is stressed. Find out how the staff is trained. Find out about inspections of camp property to make sure it is all safe and up to date.
At Camp Highlander, we pride ourselves on the intentional culture of safety that we have established. Safety is our top priority, and it all starts with the staff. Camp Highlander staff are thoroughly screened and vetted with background checks, interviews and references prior to being hired. We hire good people with a passion for making a difference in the lives of our campers, and then we train them extensively on how to be a good counselor or a good teacher. All activity counselors who lead our activities are certified or educated in their particular area. Every staff member from kitchen to cabin staff are trained on the philosophy, culture, safety, standards and procedures of Highlander in our staff orientation.
Our cabin unit reinforces our culture of safety with our campers. From the first day of camp, counselors establish an emotional and physical safe place for everyone in the cabin. Campers experience unconditional love and true community of the cabin. With two counselors in the cabin, we are proud of a 1:5 counselor to camper supervision ratio.
Many of our activity areas are inspected and certified annually, and we are inspected by the American Camp Association to maintain our accreditation. We also conduct our own daily safety inspections, and campers and staff are encouraged to report things to our S cube. Our safety council meets to discuss safety concerns or suggestions and respond with an immediate action plan.
Although choosing a summer camp seems like a daunting task, it will be an investment that will shape your child into becoming a responsible, caring adult. One that may change the world! We are honored that so many of you have chosen Camp Highlander. I look forward to the summer and to adding more life-changing stories to my collection of unforgettable memories. These memories are my reminder of Why Highlander!
About Gaynell Tinsley
