We are a group of genuine child-enthusiasts existing to plan, organize, and lead camp experiences in a way that:
• Creates a safe environment physically, emotionally and spiritually
• Promises extreme fun and life-long memories
• Trains future servant-leaders and host community camp leaders
• Fosters long-term, mutually beneficial relationships
• Respects diversity and bridges cultural differences
• Champions instruction and expectations for good-citizen character and behavior
• Instills the pillars of a peaceful planet as modeled in the Bible: service, gratitude, humility, encouragement and forgiveness
So that The Swamp camp culture will perpetuate in the host community for generations to come.
Our strategy is packaged in week-long overnight camps with activities, classes, and interactions geared towards teaching skills, behaviors, and methods related to the key pillars of a peaceful planet: service, humility, forgiveness, gratitude, and encouragement, all in a manner of extreme fun. While the camp agenda is dynamic from week-to-week and/or year-to-year, the following elements are fixed into each week for maximum effectiveness while staying true our mission:
Participants are assembled in teams by age to augment peer-to-peer relationships. (Below: one of our boys teams)
One or two student-counselors are assigned to each group to lead, train and care for participants. (Below: younger girls and counselors)
Each team is given work assignments for two purposes: 1) to fulfill the daily duties required to keep the camp running smoothly and 2) to conduct an improvement activity for the camp facility or local community. (Below: Trash Off - picked up trash around the entire facility)
Daily age-appropriate classes are offered with a curriculum emphasizing character enrichment.
Daily games are planned to encourage teamwork, strategy and physical education.
Two assemblies are devoted to public expression centered on gratitude and encouragement; this allows children chances to learn confidence in public speaking and to develop feedback skills helping them to understand the importance and impact of positive reinforcement. (Below Left: Boys Expressing Gratitude, Below Right: Girls Expressing Encouragement)
One session is held under the stars as we discuss various facts regarding our solar system, the distances of stars and the vastness of our universe helping children to understand that there is no other place or species known like us and that they are special and have a unique and sacred role to play in all of nature. (In previous surveys, this is consistently listed as a top session. Below: Waiting for the Stars.)
One session is dedicated to the power of forgiveness and the destructive nature that hate, anger, disharmony, and selfishness has on us individually and collectively in our relationships and societies in general. (Another top rated session especially for older children.)
