Describes why lake hikes practiced at Girl Scout Camp Bonnie Brae (Massachusetts) are an ideal camp activity to teach aquatic ecology and engage the senses. Discusses program benefits: camper/counselor interaction, personal and group challenge, and conflict resolution. (NEC)

Describes the four-day resident Mother-Child Camp of the Portland (Oregon) YWCA for mothers and children from the age of two and one-half and up. Outlines purposes, daily schedule, costs, staffing, and indicates special considerations to accommodate needs of young children. (NEC)

Describes decline in youth fitness, emphasizing role of camping programs in youth fitness education. Describes Michigan camp's fitness program, consisting of daily workouts, fitness education, and record keeping. Describes fitness consultants' role in program. Discusses program's highlights and problems, suggesting changes for future use. Shows…

Summer camps can implement a biomonitoring program that determines water quality through study of aquatic insects. Such a program requires a minimum of equipment and allows campers to explore the natural world and absorb information that will affect their views of science and the environment. (LP)

With imagination and connections, camps can plan enjoyable educational programs on minimal budgets. Primary resources should include counseling staff, camp physical resources, and "special days." Local libraries, Red Cross, YMCA, social services, substance abuse centers, and other human service organizations often provide speakers,…

Blue Star Camps (Hendersonville, North Carolina) used talents of an internationally known architectural artist to emphasize a world peace dimension in their 1985 eight-week coed summer program. Past creative programs have included mock United Nations sessions, mock presidential conventions/elections, lunar landing salute, bicentennial celebration,…

Describes nine-day residential camp for Michigan teenage mothers/babies to enhance personal growth and develop responsible social skills. Outlines goals, pre-camp planning, staff, activities, evaluation. Reports 31 teen moms (ages 13-21) and 35 babies attended in 1986. Indicates participants were in therapy, experienced abuse, had low self-esteem,…

Camp Kingsmont, a weight reduction and fitness facility for boys and girls located near West Stockbridge, Massachusetts, traditionally celebrates International Day each July. Campers design costumes, prepare native dances and songs, enjoy an outdoor feast, stage an "International Beautyless Contest," and gather around a bonfire to view a…

Describes strategic planning model as means of dealing with social and economic factors affecting camp programs. Details model's five steps: organizing for planning, situation analysis, determining strategic issues, developing plan outline, and implementation and evaluation. Recommends planning process of six months to one year. (TES)