About ACA

 Benefits of Camp From ACA

Overview

The camp experience enriches lives and changes the world.

Camp provides children with a community of caring adults, who nurture experiential education that results in self-respect and appreciation for human value. All of the outcomes - self-identity, self-worth, self-esteem, leadership, and self-respect - build personal competencies. These personal competencies are reflected in the four "C's" of the camp community: compassion, contribution, commitment, and character! For years, campers' parents have reported that when their children return home from camp they are more caring, understand the importance of giving, are more equipped to stand up for what they know is right and are willing to be more responsible. These are the qualities that will help build a successful nation and a civil society.

Children are at less risk at camp where they have a sense of community, develop intergenerational relationships, and learn through first-hand experiences. Trained, caring adult role models help children feel loved, capable and included. Camp provides children with a safe, supervised, positive environment, which helps children grow.

Camp Professionals have enormous power in conveying simple teachable moments.special moments of passing experiences touched by the human spirit. These fleeting moments of time build three significant ACA values that are reflected in the benefits campers derive from camp.

ACA values people. The moments that result in the camp experience repeatedly express the value of people. We demonstrate that value through respect, honesty, caring, and sharing. Through the camp experience, young people learn to understand the strength of mankind. They also develop an appreciation for the qualities required to protect the fragile relationships needed to protect these relationships.

ACA values the natural world. We seek and appreciate what is real, genuine, and non-artificial. In seeking those qualities in people as well as in the actual world, we foster understanding of the importance of human connections for survival and of the critical connections to our physical world. Campers realize the need to protect not only one another, but also the environment in which they live. Our intent is to preserve and share that legacy with the next generation.

Finally, ACA values a sense of contribution. Our contributions are both obvious and subtle. The benefits of our work are both immediate and slow to emerge. Most significantly, although the experience itself is often fleeting, our impact on the human spirit lasts a lifetime. Children who attend camp develop connections with the world.

We never underestimate the simplest lesson or the briefest wink of time. It may be a star in someone's horizon for all eternity.

Benefits and Anticipated Outcomes of the Camp Experience

Social Skills Development

• Leadership
• Communication
• Participation

Self-respect and Character Building

• Responsibility
• Resourcefulness
• Resilience

Community Living/Service Skills

• Caring
• Fairness
• Citizenship
• Trustworthiness

Top 10 Reasons to Give the Gift of Camp

From the American Camp Association  April 17, 2009

As summer vacation gets closer, many parents—in fact, parents of more than 10 million children— make the decision to send their children to summer camp. While some families have already decided on a camp, others are still exploring their options. For these families, it can be difficult to choose – especially when the diversity of camps today reflects the diversity of America. There is truly a camp for every child, every interest, and every budget. The American Camp Association® (ACA) recommends that parents ask the following questions to get a better feel for which camp experience best suits their child:

1.What is the camp's philosophy and program emphasis? – Each camp has its own method of constructing programs based on its philosophy. Does it complement your family’s philosophy? Does the camp focus on learning through competition, or through cooperative learning? How does the camp handle homesickness and other adjustment issues?

2.What is the camp director's background? – ACA recommends directors possess a bachelor's degree, have completed in-service training within the past three years, and have at least sixteen weeks of camp administrative experience before assuming the responsibilities of director.

3.What training do counselors receive? – At a minimum, camp staff should be trained in safety regulations, emergency procedures and communication, behavior management techniques, child abuse prevention, appropriate staff and camper behavior, and specific procedures for supervision.

4.How are behavioral and disciplinary problems handled? – This is where the director's philosophy comes through loud and clear. Do they use positive reinforcement? What are the rules and consequences?

5.How does the camp handle special needs? – For a child with special requirements, parents should ask the camp director about needed provisions and facilities. Is there a nurse on staff? A designated place to store insulin or allergy medicine? Are special foods available for campers with restricted diets? Every question is important.

6.What about references? – Parents shouldn’t be afraid to ask for references. This is generally one of the best ways to check a camp's reputation and service record.

7.Is the camp accredited by the American Camp Association? Why? Why not? – ACA-Accredited® camps meet up to 300 health and safety standards. This does not guarantee a risk-free environment, but it's some of the best evidence parents have of a camp's commitment to a safe and nurturing environment for their children.

About ACA

The American Camp Association® (ACA) works to preserve, promote, and enhance the camp experience for children and adults. ACA-Accredited® camp programs ensure that children are provided with a diversity of educational and developmentally challenging learning opportunities. There are over 2,400 ACA-accredited camps that meet up to 300 health and safety standards. For more information, visit www.ACAcamps.org.

We leave the decision making of trips up to the campers as to what trips they want to go on. We don't do a pre-registration of trips because many kids change their minds while at camp for several reasons. For instance, they might make a new friend at camp and want to go on trip with that friend or they may decide to try something new that they hadn't considered before. We work with each camper to make sure that they are happy with their experience.

Each week the camper chooses which trip he/she would like to go on for the week. Some trips are limited to a certain number of campers. So to best accommodate the campers we ask the campers for the top 2 trips they would like to go on while at camp. This gives us a good idea of what trips we need to offer the following week. The number of trips we run in a week varies depending on campers interests, resources,staffing,etc. Campers who stay only two weeks to get first priority on trips first, because campers staying longer will have the opportunity to do what they want later on in the season.

We try our hardest to accommodate every camper in their wish list for trips. As long as the camper does not care what order they go on the trip we usually can accommodate their wishes for certain trips.

For example: If a camper has a wish list of say a horseback riding trip and a rock climbing trip and they are only at camp two weeks, we try our very hardest to make sure that camper goes on both trips. So we will offer a horseback riding, biking & kayaking trip one week and a rock climbing, backpacking, horseback riding & waterskiing trip another week.

Another example: Now lets say a campers wish list is kayaking and mountain biking, but they are staying four weeks. We may offer a horseback riding, mountain biking, waterskiing & backpacking trip the first week. A mountain biking, rock climbing & waterskiing trip the next week. A rock climbing, kayaking & horseback riding the third week, and a kayaking, backpacking, waterskiing & rock climbing trip the fourth week.

(Note: the above examples are just examples and not the necessarily the order of trips that are offered for this summer. We do not have a set trip schedule for the summer only a tentative one incase campers change their minds. That is why we do not post the trip schedule.)

Navajo Trails Adventure Camp offers 2 week, 3 week, and 4 week camps for kids ages 9-16 years old. Choose your own adventure, you decide what adventure you want to go on for the week, then come back on the weekends and hang out, play games, and so much more. Adventures include: Horseback Riding, Kayaking, Mountain Biking, Wakeboarding & Waterskiing, Backpacking, Rock Climbing, and more.

Navajo Trails has a camp for just about everyone!

Navajo Trails is a summer camp for girls and boys ages 7-16. It was started in 1966 by Don Sampson & Mont Ellet. He was a really neat guy. He loved the outdoors, adventures, and helping kids. He had a dream ever since he was in middle school to open his own summer camp and made his dreams come true in 1966. Now the camp is owned and operated by his son Dan Sampson and his wife Jenny Sampson. Dan grew up at the camp, now him and his wife raise their 4 sons at the camp in the summer. Along with raising their kids and running a summer camp Dan works at the U of U and Jenny runs her own floral shop.