Great Work in the Great Outdoors

Here's a great short video from Stomping Ground about the benefits of working at summer camps. After many years working for and around camps in just about every capacity, we can say they're absolutely right. Whether you've gone to camp as a kid, or never attended one in your life, the joy of camp continues on staff. Learn leadership, problem solving, and how to work with people - while having a great time to boot. Find out more about joining our team at http://campchippewa.com/join/staff.

A Difference of Opinion: New Authority Figures at Camp

Camping legend Dr. Michael Thompson (no, not that Michael Thompson) wrote a great article about the benefits kids can receive from different authority figures in their lives. Dr. Thompson praises the ability of camps to provide a wide variety of role models for kids – from counselors to CLTs and older campers – and gives kids a chance to learn outside of the (often tired) environments of school and adults. Check out his take on new role models here.

First Times at Camp

First time campers open the door to a whole new world of experiences. Cody Hill’s account of his first year at summer camp illustrates the profound effects of a child’s first exposure to camp. Even years later, Cody vividly recalls his first days at camp, and the way his counselors and fellow campers helped turned his anxieties into successes. The “secret ingredient” is simply camp’s role as an enabling force in the lives of children. Chippewa brings boys into the woods of Cass Lake and Hudson Bay, and lets them find the wonder of the world around them, and ability they didn’t know they had. You can read more about his experience here, and to learn about how to start the journey, please visit our website at www.campchippewa.com. 

150 Days and the Importance of Play

In just 150 days, Cass Lake will be open for business, and the first group of campers will be taking a dip after the opening game of scatterball.  Get excited: Summer '17 is on the way!

As we look ahead and plan for the summer, we're finding more and more research that supports what summer camps do.  Take, for example, this article from the American Camping Association:

http://www.acacamps.org/resource-library/imagine-child-tree-fertilize-unstructured-outdoor-play-character-development

This article from the ACA describes the benefits of unstructured playtime as researched by the Let’s Inspire Innovation n’ Kids (LiiNK) project. LiiNK found that increasing the time children had for free play during school hours, socialization, emotional maturity, and creativity were all increased, along with stronger physical development and appreciation of the outdoors. The multifaceted benefits of free play translated into more efficient classroom environments and students who were more open to learning STEM material. 

Chippewa delivers a concentrated, extended dose of free play and problem solving for our campers, chasing the same goals as the LiiNK project. Inspiring campers to play freely from Cedar Island to improvised golf courses on the Canadian trail, Chippewa helps create more creative, confident boys, well equipped for the years to come.

For more information on the LiiNK program, you can check out their website here.  And for more info on how you can come and play with us in Summer '17, please visit our website at www.campchippewa.com.

It's All About the Story

81 years of offering boys the opportunity to discover adventure and discover themselves at Camp Chippewa, has given master story teller JP plenty of material. Clearing the Ivy Bowl. Digging the Cass Lake-Buck Lake canal. Climbing the Sentinel Pine. Paddling through, or around, Lake Winnie. Or crossing the Atlantic in a troop transport ship in WWII. Whatever the story, each passing year, these stories become even more legendary. Whether it's around a campfire (grading hotdogs), in Cass'L, or in Knutson Hall, JP will always be ready to tell a story. 

Show your support with Amazon Smile!

As the holiday season kicks into full gear this week, we'd like to encourage you to consider Camp Chippewa when you do your online shopping.  Camp Chippewa participates in Amazon Smile, a program where a portion of your proceeds is donated directly to the charity of your choice.  When you shop on Amazon Smile, you get access to all of the same great things you'll see on Amazon, plus you get the added benefit of supporting great causes like Camp Chippewa.  It's super easy to setup!  First, go to smile.amazon.com, then select "Camp Chippewa Foundation" as the organization you'd like the support.  Once you've done that, shop to your heart's content knowing that a portion of every purchase you make will go to supporting the wonderful place that is Camp Chippewa. 

We appreciate your continuous support of camp, and we hope you'll take this one small step to continue to support what we do.  Thank you! 

 

A busy week for camp!

This week is jam packed with exciting things for camp! 

First, on Tuesday, November 15th, it's International Camp Shirt Day! Wear your Chippewa gear and proudly represent camp wherever you are! Snap a picture and share it with us on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter!  Make sure you use the hashtag #camptshirtday!

Then, on Thursday, November 17th, it's Give to the Max Day, a great opportunity to support nonprofits who really make a difference in our lives and communities. Find out more information here: https://www.givemn.org/organization/campchippewa. 

Also on Thursday, Mike and Mary and one of our current families will be hosting an open house in the Lincoln, Nebraska area. Stop by, say hi, relive the fun of summers past, and make plans for the summers yet to come!

Finally, on Friday, November 18th, come and visit Mike, Mary, and some of your favorite friends from camp out in Lawrence, Kansas! Share the memories of last summer, and start making plans for the next one! 

You can keep up with these and all of our other events by visiting our website, http://www.campchippewa.com/events, and by checking out our Facebook page.