JULY 19, NATIONAL CAMP KINDNESS DAY!
Today, July 19th, we have a special treat for National Camp Kindness Day . We have had the incredible opportunity to interview some of the kindest, most camp-loving people we know - you! In this article, we have gathered valuable insights and stories from these remarkable individuals who embody the spirit of camp and spread kindness wherever they go.
So, sit back, relax, and prepare to be inspired! As you read through these interviews, we encourage you to take a moment to admire the kindness within yourself before stepping out onto your campus or into the world to spread even more goodness. This is a celebration of kindness, and we are thrilled to have you join us on this journey.
WHAT IS KINDNESS?
Kindness is being nice, being friendly, showing that you care, and being aware of how you treat others. Camp is all about kindness.
- Karen McCann, Director Auxiliary Programs, Sidwell Friends School
At its best, kindness is genuine and intentional acts of care, support, and connection. Camp is a community with a climate (how we create a physical setting) and a culture (how we behave and interact) that almost has its own definition of kindness. For most people, camp IS kindness because it can be such a different way of life from "normal" society. While kindness is sometimes considered "extra" in the real world, it is the baseline expectation at camp. Camp promotes it by being a place where we strive for everyone to belong - and you can belong in lots of different ways.
- Kristi Jacobi, Director of St. Mark’s Summer, St. Mark’s School
HOW DOES CAMP HELP PEOPLE BE THEIR BEST SELVES?
The kindness of camp is abundant across the country because it is a nurturing environment where all parties involved are encouraged to participate in positive growth. Camp provides campers with the opportunity to create healthy relationships with counselors, camp staff and other campers. Counselors are positioned to change the lives of campers everyday by being a positive role model to their group. Camp experiences guide campers through how we can express kindness through things like sportsmanship, generosity and friendship. Camp will continue to be the perfect place for kindness to be spread daily.
- Travis Walker, Director of Auxiliary Programs, All Saints Episcopal School
Camp offers children an opportunity to explore their hobbies, passions, and talents in a fun, organized, and enriching environment without the pressure of grades or strict curricular guidelines as required during the school year. Campers can meet new friends, connect with returning or old "camp friends," engage with a variety of instructors and content areas, and try new things in a low-risk environment!
- Katie Peterson, Director of Auxiliary Programs, Breck School
When you combine campers from different schools and different parts of the region with staffers from diverse backgrounds and in various stages of their personal and professional development, you have an environment that is ripe for new experiences and new connections. Thanks to the uniqueness of this environment, summer camp inherently pushes people out of their comfort zone in a positive way. These new relationships and experiences expose campers and counselors to new ways of thinking and engaging with others, ultimately resulting in personal growth that primes individuals to evolve toward their best versions. It's a very powerful experience!
- Michael Carmody, Auxiliary Programs Director, Fort Worth Country Day School
HOW DOES YOUR CAMP PROMOTE KINDNESS?
At Fort Wonder, we incentivize and reward kindness! We have a Bottle Badge program, where campers can earn collectible "badge" stickers for their water bottles for various activities and character traits. We create a special Bottle Badge for our five Camper Core Values, including "Kindness." By tangibly reinforcing campers' acts of kindness at camp, campers receive immediate positive feedback for expressions of kindness, increasing the likelihood of future acts of kindness.
- Michael Carmody, Auxiliary Programs Director, Fort Worth Country Day School
HOW DO AUXILIARY DIRECTORS CASCADE KINDNESS?
Directors of Auxiliary must not only excel in their role’s logistics and task skills but, even more so, they must excel in interactions with people. Every Auxiliary responsibility relies on collaboration with other people or parts of the school. The currency of kindness helps Auxiliary Directors "pay the bills" when it comes to the necessary demands placed on other departments during Auxiliary events or needs. While it's easy to assert that "it's their job" to collaborate and support the requests of Auxiliary, kindness - particularly in the forms of gratitude and personal connection - can make these relationships and collaboration a rewarding and mutually-supportive process instead of a siloed or resentful situation.
A good Auxiliary Director will develop and lead their team with kindness and expect it without exception.
- Kristi Jacobi, Director of St. Mark’s Summer, St. Mark’s School
HOW CAN COUNSELORS CASCADE KINDNESS?
Counselors cascade kindness by showing all the participants - and their peers - that it’s okay to try new things and to fail. They support campers by giving hugs, high-fives, and smiles. And they show that it’s okay to be silly, to have fun, and show emotion. Staff can cascade it by initiating welcoming behavior such as:
Greeting people with BIG smiles at carpool
Going up to the kid who’s not doing an activity and maybe needs a new friend
- Karen McCann, Director Auxiliary Programs, Sidwell Friends School
WHAT DOES YOUR CAMP STAFF DO TO PROMOTE MORE KINDNESS ON CAMPUS?
This year, we have adopted Bottle Badges into our camp program and are seeing significant and positive changes in our camper conduct. Bottle Badges are custom stickers designed to be proudly displayed on campers' water bottles. They commemorate good behavior and notable accomplishments during the camp season. We have noticed campers arrive with the mindset of contributing to the greater community where they can earn their helping hand, sportsmanship, teamwork, or kindness badges. This small tweak in our programming has quickly become a signature piece of our day camp that we will continue for years.
If your staff is coming to work each day, excited to be there, spreading sunshine and kindness, that will quickly trickle down to the campers to build a camp culture centered around kindness, inclusivity, and belonging.
- Katie Peterson, Director of Auxiliary Programs, Breck School
At Fort Wonder, we incentivize and reward kindness! We have a Bottle Badge program, where campers can earn collectible "badge" stickers for their water bottles for various activities and character traits. We create a special Bottle Badge for our five Camper Core Values, including "Kindness." By tangibly reinforcing campers' acts of kindness at camp, campers receive immediate positive feedback for expressions of kindness, increasing the likelihood of future acts of kindness.
- Michael Carmody, Director of Auxiliary Programs, Fort Worth Country Day School
We model kindness through good love, healthy choices, and second chances. We also love to share kindness by celebrating campers’ birthdays, which is emphasized by including an inflatable cake in our lobby!
- Laura Walker, Director, Summer Day Camps, Charlotte Latin School
The verdict is in; camp and kindness go hand in hand. As we have heard from the contributors in this article, camp provides a unique environment where kindness is not just encouraged but is the foundation of the camp culture. It is through the dedication and passion of SPARC members like you that this culture thrives. You create the programs, build the staff, and invite the campers, all while infusing each step with kindness. Auxiliary and Summer Directors, we SEE you.
We would like to thank Karen McCann, Katie Peterson, Michael Carmody, Kristi Jacobi, Travis Walker, and Laura Walker for their valuable contributions to this article. Your insights on kindness in various settings have provided valuable perspectives and inspired us to foster kindness in our own communities.