Cell Phone and Electronics Policy
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ELECTRICITY AND WIFI ACCESS AT CAMP
There is VERY limited access to wifi and electric plugs/outlets at the camp. In addition, cell phone coverage for most companies is very poor. KODA Camp's strong recommendation is that no electronic devices should be brought to camp. Items left in the Lodge, for instance, tend to go missing or may be damaged. Please consider leaving it all home! However, KODA Camp acknowledges how important music is to campers and the love of listening and sharing it has always been a great pastime so below are the guidelines of what’s ok and what isn’t.
The Electronics Policy is designed to:
Encourage your children to spend more time in the outdoors
Promote socialization between campers
Remove the divide between “the haves and the have-nots” in each cabin
Reduce the stress associated with the damage to and theft of electronics
Give your children a much needed break from the world of technology
Allow your children to fully embrace and “plug into” the connections they make with other campers as they “unplug” from their electronics
Ensure that your children are not exposed to age-inappropriate material
Ensure that your children does not spend too much time posting their camp photos on the internet
Ensure that your children are not focusing on situations revolving around their friends at home
Prevent your children from hearing about situations and incidents concerning home and family before their parents have a chance to communicate with them
CELL PHONES – NO (during camp)
It is KODA Camp Midwest's long-standing policy that campers are NOT PERMITTED to have a cell phone at camp. KODA Camp Midwest believes that being at camp is an opportunity for your child to experience a world beyond home. This allows children to develop autonomy, independence, and a stronger sense of self. It allows them to make new friends, take responsibility for themselves and their teammates, problem solve, and mature a bit. These things cannot be achieved when parents are only a phone call away. Campers can bring their phones to registration and hand it into the counselors during the registration process. Campers will receive their phones back on the last day.
LAPTOPS, NETBOOKS, iPADS, eREADERS – NO
None of these, or similar electronic devices, will be allowed in camp. Please send books. Sharing books is a great pastime of camp!
GAMEBOYs, PSPs, NINTENDO DSs – NO
Electronic hand-held game devices may be allowed in camp. KODA Camp will not be responsible for any damage to the devices or missing. KODA Camp has board games and card games available for campers. These games, not hand-held electronic games, allow campers to socialize, interact with one another, and build community within the cabins.
iPOD/MP3 Players – YES
If your child must have his/her music at camp, please send an inexpensive mp3 player or an older generation iPod that does not have a touch screen. We will not allow any mp3 players/mobile devices with touch screens. This way we will ensure that our campers cannot watch videos, TV shows, movies or access the internet. As such, KODA Camp will not allow any Smart Phones, even if the SIM card has been removed. Camp appropriate (i.e. screen-free) iPods can be found on eBay for as little as $10.
MORE ABOUT CELL PHONES
Although cell phones have been strictly prohibited at camp for many years, many campers seem to “accidentally” pack a cell phone and sometimes even two. The consequences of this are disastrous. Cell phones can:
Lead to conflicts within the cabins.
Allow campers to focus on their friends at home rather than their friends at camp.
Enable campers to call parents when they need advice instead of turning to their peers, counselors and directors.
Enable campers to call parents when they are sick or don’t feel well instead of alerting our Directors and Staff/Counselors.
Enable campers to call friends from home when they need advice instead of turning to their counselors and peers at camp.
We feel cell phone use at camp runs counter to the values we teach and uphold at KODA Midwest and interferes with an important peer aspect of the overnight camp experience.
We need your support and help so please do not allow your child to break the rules and take a cell phone to camp.
To send a very clear message about how strongly we feel about having cell phones, we have a zero tolerance cell phone policy. If we learn that any camper has a cell phone in camp, we will take it away and store it in our camp safe until closing day. Please take the time to discuss this policy with your child. In the past, campers have hidden their cell phones in their bags without their parent’s knowledge.
ONE LAST WORD ON ELECTRONICS
We have spoken to many campers, staff and parents about the policy and have taken your thoughts from our post-summer camp evaluations into consideration. A very large percentage (at least 90 %) recommend that your child powers down, unplugs, and takes, what we’re certain is, a well-needed break from the world of electronics. Please be respectful of the usage and content limitations we have in place. If you have any questions or want further clarification, please contact me at 608-234-5049.
VERY LAST NOTE
Every parent will receive several emails consisting of pictures and blurbs about the activities at the camp. This will help communication between the camp and the parents.
Visit Us
MacKenzie Center Camp Address:
W7303 County Rd CS-Q Poynette, WI 53955
To get to the camp, you must be on County CS, NOT the King Road that GPS might tell you. CS runs between Hwy 51 and Hwy 22 north of Hwy 60. Sometimes GPS DOES NOT work.