Education choices…Does it matter?

GBCBlog

Why does the education choices of families make a difference to you when choosing a camp?

I’m going to be blunt. I get asked “do most of the campers go to private school”? My initial reaction? Does it matter? If I say yes, is it an unwarranted judgement placed on the culture of the camp? If I say no, does it devalue the campers who do go to private school? As girls, young women and adults, aren’t we working towards acceptance of a person based on their qualities? In my opinion, the education choice that parents make for campers shouldn’t enter into the equation. Instead, let’s discuss the kind of girl that is one who typically attends overnight camp.

She is independent (she left her family after all!). She is willing to take risks. She is willing to put herself into a community where she may not know anyone. She is willing to meet new people, despite having been there for years. She is a leader. She is a follower. She has hidden talents that are only seen at camp. She is a team player. She enjoys solitude amongst nature. She needs a lot of sleep. She doesn’t need much sleep. She shares her clothing willingly. She eats all of her tuck at once and then longingly stares at her cabin mates while they savour their tuck days after. She masters a skill she has been working on all session. She gets up on stage in front of the camp to sing. She decides not to get up on stage to sing. She cries because she is homesick. She comforts another camper because she is homesick. She endures a long day of paddling on a canoe trip. She celebrates her friendships and accomplishments at finale banquet.

I could go on and on with the list. You can be assured that during all of the above, campers don’t generally think, I am successful doing these things because I go to “blank” school. In fact, we hope while they are at camp, they aren’t thinking about school. It’s summer!