1st Timer Camp

Special Program For First Time Campers

Visit: First Time at Summer Campbirdlearn
At long last, parents of children who are going to summer camp for the first time have a choice available that is directly tailored to the needs of their child. After listening for years to parents and children expressing what they feel is important for a positive first time summer camp experience,...........read more
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First Time Going To Summer Camp

Visit: First Time at Summer Camps
bird&jeffAt long last, parents of children who are going to summer camp for the first time have a choice available that is directly tailored to the needs of their child. After listening for years to parents and children expressing what they feel is important for a positive first time summer camp experience, Jeff and Lonnie Lorenz, directors of Swift Nature Camp, have created Discovery Camp, a program designed to meet the specific needs of all new campers and their parents.

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Benefits of Summer Camp

Visit: Minnesota Summer Camps
archery-copyAt Overnight Summer Camps, children are given the choice to take risks and try new things. This voluntary nature makes children more open to new experiences, with personal satisfaction as their motivation. Not only are there opportunities to try new things, but camp offers many areas for children to excel in. At a good general interest camp, the non-athlete can shine at arts and crafts, woodworking, or dramatic programs....

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Summer Camp Safety

Visit: Summer Youth Camp
archeryChoosing a camp is a big decision faced by parents each and every summer. And the summer of 2010 is no exception.
When the last school bell rings, each summer parents want to know: Where to send their kids for camp? It's a choice that shouldn't be taken lightly. Any parent sending their child off better be a little nervous. Before making the decision, put together a list of requirements.
It will include:
You want it to be a safe place
You want it to have caring staff You want it to promote Fun but there is so much more.

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Summer Camp Anxiety

Visit: Summer Camp
001SSummer is on the way and children around the world are flocking to USA summer camps. THis uniquely American institution offers kids the opportunity to gain independence while learning school curriculums, music, sports, dance and acting camps. Yet one of the most popular is the traditional summer camp experience, where children play in nature and learn camping skills.

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Summer Camp — As relevant as ever

Visit: Summer Camp
adventure-1-copyFor many Summer Camp Seems to be an old Fashioned summer activity, Yet writer Josh Noel, of the Chicago Tribune seems to have unique insight that every parent needs to hear. This summer institution is old-fashioned — and as relevant as ever.

Summer camp provides folks with a special place unlike any other, ask anyone who has been to summer camp. Camp is uniquely child centered.Providing an open and friendly place. It’s where you can put aside your reputation from school, avoid a lot of the drama, and just relax into who you really are. That’s a big part of why you make your best friends at camp; you’re not trying to impress or be someone else. It’s just you. All this with some really cool adults providing constant interaction.

Read the article from the Chicago Tribune by clicking on read more.


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First Time At Summer Camp

Visit: Summer Camp Animal-camp__2171
  • At long last, parents of children who are going to summer camp for the first time have a choice available that is directly tailored to the needs of their child. After listening for years to parents and children expressing what they feel is important for a positive first time summer camp experience, Jeff and Lonnie Lorenz, directors of Swift Nature Camp, have created Discovery Camp, a program designed to meet the specific needs of all new campers and their parents.

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Camp for Every Child

Visit: Nature Summer CampPasted Graphic
Often Parents are curious if Swift Nature Camp has specific programs for certain aged children. Are SNC programs better for young children- a first time at camp, middle school- looking for new activities or teenagers- searching for teen adventure. Since we feel we do so well in all these areas let us give you a few reasons why.

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Best Summer Camps

Visit: Nature Summer Camp
Best Summer Camps
5 Reasons to Watch a Summer Camp Video
Best Summer Camps.

So you've decided you want your child to go to summer camp? Before getting camp information you should have a goal in mind. Make a list of things you feel you want your kid to gain from a summer camp experience. Make sure it's not just about activities. What about a camp's physical attributes, like cabins or tents? Is it a small, personal camp or a large camp with loads of campers? Once you have this information, you can create a check list to help compare camps and narrow down your search for the

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The Right Summer Camp Choice

Visit: Swift Nature Camp WebsiteAdventure-Camp-411-pp
THE RIGHT CAMP MAKES A DIFFERENCE

It is being lost! Today less and less children are getting to go to summer camp. The wonderful experience of summer camp has been a way of life for generations of American children. Sleeping away from home and making new friends is a time of increased independence and maturity.For others who did not get the opportunity to go to Outdoor Camp they just don't understand the importance.

In many books and movies summer camp has been the scene. To name a few, "The Parent Trap" and "Indian Summer". Yet, the majority of these movies and books are not realistic. Either they sugar coat the camp experience or they make it just horrible. Summercamp! , the documentary is one of the most realistic true stories about kids at summer camp. Filmed at Swift Nature Camp in Wisconsin, it truely shows how the kids interact and what makes camp so special. During the filming over 300 hours of film was shot to make this charming 90 minute feature. This documentry shows camp like it really is, this is no glossy brochure or promotional DVD, it just shows kids living life with new friends and in new siuations.......


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Reason for Summer Camps

Visit: Swift Nature Camp WebsiteSuimmer camp
Top Reasons for Summer Camp
He was 10 and I knew he was looking for more than a summer of day care and TV shows. So I wondered if SUMMER CAMP was the right place for my son.
My son, currently 15, has attended Swift Nature Camp for four years and we are going to send him back for as long as we can. He loves it. Although, he has ADHD and is very smart, but has trouble at school with attention-seeking ploys.
The counselors and directors at SNC have a great, hands-on approach to leadership, social skills development and confidence-building......read on

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Because of Camp

BOC PSA_billboards[Underwood]
What do Emma Roberts, Lisa Loeb, Blair Underwood, Frank Sesno, Ashlan Gorse, and Lisa Raye have in common? They all believe who they are today is, at least partly, because of camp. Many of todays adults have fond memories of Summer Camp and realize it is about so much more than fun. BECAUSE OF CAMP

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Make a Friend at Camp

Visit: Swift Nature Camp Website
100_3236aCamp is so different than home because often at school children hangout with kids that are homogeneous. Thats right all the same, same age, same gender, same community and more. Opportunities to make friends are not much more than others in class or down the block. However, at Swift Nature Camp kids get an opportunity to spend time with others, both younger and older and from different parts of the country or world. It is interesting how often the older teens become natural leaders for the younger kids, by “adopting them”.Not only is this true with campers but also for counselors as well. Our staff are generally college aged folks studying to be teachers. They truly look at SNC as a learning opportunity. They are camper centered making them great role models for todays youth. Then consider the SENIOR staff at camp...the oldsters do round out a super community which entices children to make new friends.

So when you are thinking about camp it is easy to think about all the activities. However, Summer Camp is so much more! Children’s summer camp is more like the real world, the social benefits of this multiage, multicultural experience are significant.
Research has shown getting children ready for multiage, multicultural world only helps them be more successful in life. Camp provides less competitiveness making it much easier to make and keep your summer camp friends.

Ask any camper what makes Swift Nature Camp so special and they will tell you it’s “the new camp friends”. But ask them why any? And they will tell you it’s because they accept me for who I am often unlike my friends at home. I can do stuff at camp that I can never tell my friends back home about.

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Make a Contribution

Visit: Swift Nature Camp Website
99photo9The Russell W. Hogrefe Fresh Start Fund was established by Russell W. Hogrefe during his tenure as Executive Director of the American Camp Association, Illinois Section. He served in that position from 1979 until his retirement in 1996. Russ spent his entire professional career providing children’s summer camp and other services to families with very low income.
Teachers, social workers, counselors or other professionals refer campers. ACA Illinois Section staff and the person making the referral select an appropriate day or resident camp program. Camps must be accredited by the American Camp Association.
The camper's family is encouraged to pay whatever they can afford for the camping experience. The camp provides a partial campership and the Fund pays the balance.
If you would like to donate fund to help an underprivileged child attend summer camp in 2009 please send a check or make an online donation. Summer camp is an experience that enriches lives and all children should have the opportunity to attend kids summer camp. To learn how
Swift Nature Camp can help your child attend camp visit our website.
donatenowlogo1
Please make check payable to: ACA Illinois Section, Russell W. Hogrefe Fresh Start Fund 67 E. Madison Street, Suite 1406 Chicago, Illinois 60603

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First time at Camp

Visit: Swift Nature Camp Website
100_3325We at Swift realize the importance that campers feel special while at camp. That is why we have created a special First Timer program for children who have never been to camp. Our goal is to help children feel self confident while quite possibly being your child's first extended time away from home.
We do this by having extra staff on hand for each and every camper needs. We are extremely proud of the fact that during Discovery Camp we limit each cabin size to only 8 campers with 2 staff members. That's only 72 campers (ages 6-12) and 26 staff members !
We also have an Orientation Day, when campers not only get a tour of the camp, complete with a visit to the Health Center and the Mail Box, but also go to each activity area learning about safety in that activity. Within the cabin our staff works hard to promote a nurturing and harmonious friendships. This starts with a Respect List for all to agree to and sign and each night ends with a bedtime story. Due to the fact that all campers are new to this camp they are all on equal ground right from the start.

We encourages each child to learn independence in a safe, age appropriate non-competitive environment. Our twelve day program is the perfect length of time for your first time camper to gain autonomy, leaving their homesickness behind, and feeling comfortable with their new-found independence. For many campers the greatest lesson camp teaches is that they can leave home, return days later and very few things will have changed, especially your love for them.

Swift Nature Camp’s Discovery Program is the perfect match for any camper that’s a little concerned about leaving home for the first time. Read More at DISCOVERY CAMP.

For additional information on how to pick the perfect camp for your camper see Summer Camp Advisor

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