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What’s New for Summer 2008?

It can be a daunting task to choose a camp, however, with over 11,000 camps in the United States. And, even if you were an 8-week camper as a kid, there are trends that have changed the face of the camping industry in the last few years. If you are aware of these trends, it can be helpful in guiding you to the right program for your child.

CAMPS

Shorter sessions & more oversight. Many full season camps have moved to 2 shorter sessions and many camps now offer 2 week sessions to allow parents to fit in a residential camp experience around their many other activities. In addition, most longer term camps are now offering short, introductory sessions for younger kids that could last anywhere from 3 days to 2 weeks. In many cases, this short term “taste of camp” is as much for the parents’ sake as for the kids. Some camps have relaxed their communication policies, allowing phone calls or on-line sites to view camper pictures. For some parents, these new approaches make the decision to send a child to camp a little easier.

Allergies & Medications. With the rise in allergies, camps have responded in a couple of ways. Some camps have moved to a peanut free environment to eliminate the risk completely. (So much for those kids who used to go away to camp and live off of peanut butter and white bread as an alternative to the hot meals!) There are even gluten-free camps for kids with Celiac disease. Many camps are relying heavier on outside companies to package camper medications in daily dosages and then send them to the camp for distribution. With so many children on “meds” these days, shoring up camp medication policies has been a focus for many camps.

A Camp within a Camp. You still want the feel of a traditional summer camp, but you want your child to improve their horsemanship, tennis backhand, or make the school basketball team in the fall. There is a movement in summer camps toward specialty camps WITHIN traditional camp settings. With so many camps in the United States and parents researching camps by search engine, camps must differentiate themselves in ways that they never have before. In addition, parents are looking for specialized programming at a younger age. To meet this demand, you can find specialties such as culinary arts, fencing, science, foreign language, horseback, tennis or golf within a traditional camp session. Circus Arts has become the “new gymnastics” and so popular that camps are spending thousands (maybe millions) of dollars erecting trapeze courses and tight ropes and indoor pavilions dedicated to this “high-flying” activity. Circus Arts gives kids a safe, “extreme” sport, while giving them impressive new abilities and teaching them an original form of creative or performing arts. Where gymnastics appeals only to girls, circus arts gives co-ed camps a leg up in attracting boys as well.

Specialty Camps. If parents weren’t campers themselves, they might not know the benefits of a long-term, traditional camp experience. In addition, many parents feel the need to fit in as much as possible during the summer, not unlike the year-round focus to shuttle kids from one after school program to another. Therefore, specialty camps have sprung up all over the place in offerings such as rock music, creative writing, aviation, sports broadcasting, skateboarding or robotics. Specialized programs in the culinary arts have also become more and more popular. And, of course, there are specialty camps for almost every sport, whether your child is trying to build an interest in a particular sport or trying to perfect a sport for a fall tryout.

Enrichment programs. For many years, there have been pre-college programs for high school kids, but more recently there has been a rise in enrichment programs for younger kids. Starting in 4th grade, a child could spend 1 – 6 weeks in an enrichment program where they would live at a boarding school or college campus in a dorm room, eat in a community dining hall, take classes of special interest, participate in recreational activities and take part in organized field trips. The type of “academics” the kids are exposed to in an enrichment program is far different from the rigor of the school year: how often does an AP track kid get to take a workshop in Lego engineering or the Science of Superheroes? Unusually these programs allow both for the child who needs remedial coursework to help with a learning deficit or a challenge course to supplement a different child’s quest for knowledge.

Special Needs. Kids with ADD & ADHD used to be labeled as “special needs” kids. Now, every camp has kids with ADD and those directors do not even consider it an accommodation. Today, many mainstream camps will admit blind kids, deaf kids, kids with Asperger’s and cerebral palsy. They see a benefit to the other campers learning compassion and learning how to accommodate a child with differences. If a parent doesn’t want their child to stand out, however, there are also dedicated camps for kids with all sorts of differences, like Prader Willi, Williams Syndrome, Downs Syndrome, and more severe forms of autism.

Summer opportunities can help your child develop new interests, open their mind, choose a new direction, or make lifelong friends. As a parent, you need to ask yourself what your child needs over the summer and then you can match them with the appropriate program. Perfectly matched summer programs can have a profound impact upon your child and help them develop life-long passions. But, these programs are not inexpensive. So, when choosing, know all of the options and make a wise choice for your child.

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Trends for Teens

When it comes to summer camps and teen program trends, parents seem to be driving the train. Whether it is “helicopter parents” demanding more communication with their children while they are away or parents demanding peanut free environments, camp and teen trip directors must adapt to a changing society. In the last 15 years, summer programming for teens has become a very competitive industry. Each program must differentiate itself in some way and stay one step ahead of the curve. By this time, program directors have evaluated what worked best for their participants last summer and are now busy trying to be on the “cutting edge” for next summer. Teen program directors walk the fine line of trying to use the “build it and they will come” philosophy, while appealing to both parents’ wishes and those of the teens.

So, what are the trends that are driving the teen summer program industry? There is a demand for shorter programs to accommodate the schedules of busy teens. Programs have to be planned around summer school, sports commitments, or family vacations. Parents want more “bang for the buck.” While programs abroad used to be strictly delineated between language programs, community service, or adventure travel, today your teen could choose one program in which she could do all three. Program directors are starting to plan their itineraries to attract more boys, because girls tend to dominate the travel industry. One director planned more trips to China because boys are interested in ancient Chinese warriors. Here are some other trends and unique programs for summer 2008 to help you and your child think outside the box:

TEEN PROGRAMS

Options for “Tweens”. Kids may skip the whole traditional camp experience and seek a non-camp experience later. Because teen program directors have realized that middle school age kids are looking for new and exciting programs, these “tweeners” have a world of options open to them now. Most language requests used to be for Spanish and French, now there are language programs for Chinese, Japanese and Arabic. Spanish may still be your child’s passion, so how about a community service program in Costa Rica? If your 7th grader is interested in saving the world, there are marine science sailing programs in the British Virgin Islands where they can participate in turtle conservation. Most adventure travel programs that used to be dedicated solely to high school students, now offer the same types of experiences to 6th, 7th & 8th graders, customized to their maturity level and educational experience.

Community Service. How do we teach our children the value of “giving back,” of appreciating what they have? Or, more pragmatically, how do we complete those high school community service requirements? This is no small task for a parent, but more easily accomplished through a quality community service program. Your child can assist in the construction of new classrooms in India or work with orphans in Russia. Your child can work on hurricane reconstruction on the Gulf Coast or teach tennis to underprivileged kids in urban areas.

Internships. Does your child have a specific interest in a career path? Do you want them to gain experience in that field? If so, this is the option for your child. In an internship program, your child can work side by side with professionals in their area of interest – from Archaeology to Fashion Design, from Medical Research to Strategic Studies. Up to now, this type of internship experience has been organized mainly in England, but now they are springing up in large U.S. cities, like New York City, Boston and Philadelphia, run by reputable teen program directors. After their daily “work,” the staff organizes evening activities, weekend excursions and college visits for the participants. They are housed on safe college campuses.

Language programs. Though learning a foreign language is not a new concept, combining it with other interests in clearly a new phenomenon. Plus, your teen can dabble in rare languages, like Arabic, Modern Greek, or Swedish right here in the U.S. Many language programs abroad incorporate a home stay, where a student is matched with a family in order to reinforce the language of study while enriching the student’s experience through cultural exchange and community service. Some students will forego the home stay experience to focus on another interest. Perhaps your child wants to study painting, photography or cooking while learning Italian. Or, maybe your child wants to study architecture in Switzerland while learning French.

More Exotic & Intensive Teen Travel. The travel programs are responding to the fact that parents want a bigger “bang for the buck.” Now a child can live with a host family in a rural village, hike to ancient ruins, and help build a school for kids — all in a 4-week trip. Teen travel programs used to focus on traditional destinations like Western Europe or Central America. Now, there is a trend to the more exotic. It is not uncommon to find teen programs that travel to Senegal, Bolivia or Cambodia. While these programs used to be about visiting busy tourist attractions, some have morphed into mini think tanks, undertaking the study of global issues. One such program for next year will take students and turn them into global awareness “action corps” groups. They might study health care and global health care issues in Ghana, or community development in El Salvador, or biodiversity in Madagascar. While in those countries, they would participate alongside local friends and experts before returning to the U.S. to develop and present plans for continuing action.

College Campus Academic Study Programs. Whether purely for enrichment or college credit, academic programs are much in demand. They give high school students a taste of what it’s like to live on a college campus. In addition to academic study, each program offers SAT Prep, college tours, leadership programs, a range of sports programs, visits to local attractions as well as weekend excursions to nearby cities. The directors of these programs are always looking to provide unusual course offerings. Course studies range from architecture to advertising, economics to environmental science.

Gap Year Programming. U.S. students are one of the few countries in which kids follow a traditional path from high school to college to graduate school to profession. Our students are finally mirroring the desire of their foreign counterparts and taking some time off between high school and college. They now even have a name for it – “the Odyssey.” Your graduate can sail around the world or live with a family in a rural village in Kenya, help teach in the village secondary school, offer extracurricular activities and initiate and participate in community service projects. There are summer programs for graduates and programs that range from 3 months to a full year of study or travel. These are great for the graduate who does not start their college experience until January, too.

Summer programs can provide alternative and enriching opportunities for kids of all ages. Whatever type of program you and your child choose, you want it to be a well-run, well-supervised, enriching experience. With all of the choices available, it can be helpful to talk to a camp and teen trip consultant to help you formulate the right questions and guide you to the right program. Happy camping!

About the Author

For further information contact: Co-directors of Tips on Trips and Camps, Carey Rivers 202 337-3451, carey@tipsontripsandcamps.com or Eve Eifler 410 337-8645 eve@tipsontripsandcamps.com. Tips on Trips and Camps is a 37 year old advisory service helping families find just the right sleep away summer programs for their children, ages 8-18. Advisors are located in New York, Westchester, Connecticut, Princeton, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, DC Metro Area, South Florida, St. Louis, Chicago, Los Angeles and Paris, France.