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Home > KODA Camp Campfire Chronicles > Camp Courage: Overcoming New Camp Parents’ Anxiety
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Nervous about sending your child to an overnight summer camp? Here’s why not to worry!
May 1st 2024
Written by Karen Voss
I get it- you’re worried about sending your child to an overnight camp! KODA Camp Midwest may be a great option, but as a parent you’re worried about if your kid will have fun, if they will be safe, how will you contact them, if they are going to make friends! I felt the same. I sent my oldest daughter to KODA Camp in South Dakota in 2006. I drove her from Wisconsin to South Dakota with her cousins in the car, ready to drop them off, but not ready to say goodbye for two weeks. At this time, the communication with parents wasn’t as strong, I didn’t hear from her other than a letter in the two weeks! I came back to pick her up and she was a changed girl! She wanted to sign, wanted to be with her KODA friends, and was more proud of her Deaf heritage.
According to a study by Dan McCole, Andrew J. Bobilya, Tom Hansen, and Betsy Lindley on a research article Benefits of Summer Camp: What Do Parents Value? (p. 239, 2019), “Results from parents of camp-aged children who have never attended camp indicate that the most important reason they have not sent their children to residential summer camp is that they feel their child is not ready. Cost of summer camp tuition and busy summer schedules were seen as the greatest barriers to camp attendance.”
And I get it. I don’t know if I was ever ready to send my oldest to KODA Camp, but I heard so many great things from my brother in law who sent his child to KODA Camp, I thought it was worth a try.
Many camps have noticed that there are several challenges when it comes to camp enrollment- a busy summer, cost of camp, child’s unwilling to live without their phone, sports camps, and overprotective parents are all examples. (McCole et. al., 2019).
At KODA Camp Midwest, I have certainly seen all the reasons why parents don’t enroll their child(ren) and why so many parents come back and DO enroll their child(ren) at KODA Camp Midwest. From 2023 KODA Camp Midwest parent, they reported, “[My KODA Camper] has been having a challenging year with stuff going on at home. Going to KODA camp I had hopes of him meeting new friends going through similar experiences with navigating through life’s diff stages with me not always hearing everything. I know he gets frustrated and I think camp him show him a new perspective.”
Summer camps in general have many benefits, the article Benefits of Summer Camp: What do Parents Value? wrote some examples on why summer camps have great value- they increase confidence and self esteem, social skills and community building, independence and leadership qualities, willingness to try new things, and decrease isolation.
I’ve seen these outcomes with my own eyes for 17 years and campers have reported it too. From the 2023, KODA Camp Midwest evaluation survey, 95% of camper respondents said that they were proud to be a KODA. 71% of camper respondents reported that they increased their self confidence and 87% of camper respondents reported that they made life long friends.
Benefits of Summer Camp: What Do Parents Value?, conducted a survey of 370 parents of summer camp attendees and 198 parents of camp-aged children who have never attended camp. These findings show that parents value different camp benefits depending on whether any of their children have previously attended summer camp.
The article found that the most important reason the never-been parent respondents had not sent their children to camp was that they did not feel their child was ready (see Figure 1). “However, in the survey there was when the researchers shared the results of this study with camp leaders, there was unanimous suspicion that parents were projecting their own concerns about readiness for camp onto their children.” It is possible that parents genuinely feel that their children are not ready but its also possible that the child(ren) may be picking up on what the parent feels the child(ren) are ready for. (p. 242, 2019).
Graph from Benefits of Summer Camp: What do Parents Value? that lists the top reasons why parents do not send their children to camp.
“The never-been parents were also asked about the most important criteria they would look for if they were to consider sending their child to camp. Of the listed criteria, the most important was “safety and security” (see Figure 2). The second and third highest factors affecting parents’ decision to send their child to camp involved the camp staff, further supporting the importance of quality staff recruitment, training, and management.” (p. 243, 2019). This survey brings up an interesting point for me to discuss.
Graph from Benefits of Summer Camp: What Do Parents Value? that list the top considerations parents look for in a summer camp.
What do parents need to know to send their child to camp? Figure 2 breaks down what most never-been parents look for, so let’s break it down.
Safety and Security
Safety and security is paramount at KODA Camp Midwest. Everything that we do is taken with safety and security in mind. Safety and security starts with the training. Before KODA Camp summer sessions begin, counselors have one week of training that cover everything from how to be a good counselor, how to deal with mental health and sensitivity, how to lead sessions and many other topics too numerous to list.
Riley, KODA Camp Midwest’s staff administrator, has been brought on to ensure the training for counselors is as comprehensive and readiness as possible.
I also have 17 years of experience running this camp, I know the ins and outs of the MacKenzie Center. KODA Camp Midwest has policies and procedures in place for weather emergencies such as tornadoes, thunderstorms, air quality concerns, and heat waves.
Quality of counselors
At KODA Camp Midwest, we are so lucky that we have many of our previous campers and counselors come back year after year. All of KODA Camp Midwest’s counselors are CODAs themselves. We know that our counselors are role models for the young KODA campers. On average, we have about 80% of our counselors that return year over year.
After the application process, lead counselors go through an interview process with previous lead counselors who will not be returning leading the interview to ensure this year’s lead counselors will be prepared for the job. Once lead counselors are hired, the lead counselors take over the interviews for the counselors and CITS for this years staff. Finally, the names are reviewed by me for full final approval. I’m so thankful for all of the CODAs who apply every year to be a counselor and having a wonderful staff every year.
Boy counselor doing a trust fall during training week.
2022 counselors sitting around a table during training week discussing
Camp leaders
Our Lead Staff Counselors (2) and Lead CIT Counselors (2) all have at least 2 years of experience as KODA Camp Midwest staff before taking the leap to lead counselors into the summer of a lifetime. Lead counselors work with me to ensure KODA Camp Midwest is operating safely and successfully.
Access to natural space
KODA Camp Midwest is located at the MacKenzie Center (Poynette), managed by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, with 285 acres of natural space!
The MacKenzie Center features trails, prairies, wildlife and Wisconsin exhibits, and a unique place for KODA Campers to stay. One of the most special reasons why KODA campers love the MacKenzie Center is because it’s a place JUST for them. MacKenzie Center is not shared by other camps during this time. There are certain areas open to the public, but the lodge and dorms section is only for KODA Camp and MacKenzie Center staff. It’s a place that campers can feel truly at home.
Mackenzie Center sign at night with the milky way above the sign.
Exciting facilities /equipment
KODA Camp Midwest does not have a rock climbing wall, or a tight rope, or a jungle gym, but that does not matter to our campers! We certainly have supplies for arts & crafts, PE activities, and team building activities that make camp fun. But one of the reasons why exciting equipment doesn’t matter as much is because our programming is so inclusive and diverse. KODA Camp Midwest focuses on engaging KODAs with each other to develop the belonging that comes from discovering KODAs identity and being with others just like them.
Our facilities host, the MacKenzie Center, features some equipment including: Squirrel Scramble, built in team building activities such as rope activities, a fire pit, a volleyball court, a pond, a fire tower, and a wild life center.
Quality of food
KODA Camp Midwest makes great efforts to ensure the quality of food is up to par and within budget! We feature great cooks who have plenty of real life experience working in kitchens. The menu is worked out in advance with an experienced cook who works in school system.
Quality of cabin
I admit, the cabins could use an upgrade! KODA Camp Midwest is working long term with the MacKenzie Center to determine some of upgrades needed for the facilities.
There are 4 cabins; each cabin has 15 beds. There are 2 cabins set up for the boys, and the other 2 cabins are set up for the girls. Each cabin has the same layout, flipped. Every camper needs to bring their own pillow, sheets, and blanket or a sleeping bag.
Each cabin side holds 15 campers and 4-5 counselors. Includes 2 showers and 2 bathrooms.
Ability to view daily photos of child
Over the years, KODA Camp Midwest has gotten better over the years at providing daily photos of KODA campers. For the past 3 years, my daughter, Maris has volunteered to take pictures of the kids and upload them the next day. Other photos from the counselors are uploaded the next day, however it depends on their schedules and their ability to also take photos!
Parents can always view photos from camp sessions through our website: www.kodamidwest.org/archives. Albums for this summer will be set up and linked to the website right before camp session starts.
Youth boy sliding into first base during water kickball.
Lake Access
At the MacKenize Center, unfortunately there is no lake access, but KODA campers never seem to mind! We make sure we have plenty of water games (the kids always enjoy water kickball). We also ensure that KODA campers get their water time with field trips to waterparks. It’s always a blast for the counselors and the campers.
I hope breaking down why never-been parents might feel nervous about sending their kids to camp can be alleviated some of the worry or nervousness you might have as a parent who’s never sent their kid to camp before. It’s truly a place for KODAs to feel like they belong and enjoy summer camp! From a youth KODA Camper, “I feel normal. There’s more than one kind of normal.”
Youth girl smiling while painting
It’s not too late to register your child! KODA Camp Midwest Summer Camp 2024 registration closes May 31st, 2024.
References
McCole, Dan, et al. “Benefits of Summer Camp: What Do Parents Value?” Journal of Outdoor Recreation, Education, and Leadership, vol. 11, no. 3, 2019, pp. 239–247, https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.18666/JOREL-2019-V11-I3-9672.
About the Author
Karen is the executive director of KODA Camp Midwest. Karen Voss is an extremely dedicated director and mother. She has five daughters (all who have attended KODA camp) and is devoted to continually improving KODA camp to be the best of its program. In Karen’s spare time she likes to garden, interpret, and research her family’s genealogy. She is deaf and from a deaf family herself. An interesting fact about Karen is that she has created a family generational book reaching 15 generations back.
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