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Why Camp Courant is Important to the Children of Hartford
Almost everyone can remember childhood summers at camp. There were many outdoor activities, mosquito bites, and, of course, new friends. Unfortunately, many underprivileged children cannot recall such experiences. These children may not even partake in summertime activities. Some are left on their own or with a caregiver. Studies show that students that participate in summer camping programs, such as day camps, form positive identities, self-confidence, and interpersonal skills that stay with them longer than more traditional school programs.¹ This is due in part because the children are removed from their normal environments and encouraged to engage in activities they have never before experienced. Camping challenges children. The lessons they learn will stay with them for a lifetime. Being out-of-school does not mean children should stop learning during the summer months. Children ages five to 15 that participate in summer day camp programs often increase their self-perception and social skills.² Research also shows that students that attended summer camp, either residential or day, improve their critical thinking, problem solving, and decision-making.³ For at-risk students, defined as poor attitude toward school, low achievement/grade point average, attendance and truancy problems, poor self-concept/self-esteem, low aspirations/goals, and difficulty with peer relationships,⁴ summer camp helps them identify their strengths through new experiences and nurturing from caring adults. One-quarter of Connecticut’s school children are considered to be overweight, the problem being the greatest among the urban poor.⁵ In the city of Hartford, over one-third of families with children live in poverty.⁶ In low-income communities, there is a higher incidence of obesity, poor diet habits, lack of exercise, no leisure-time physical activity, and sedentary lifestyles.⁷ Safety is an issue that inhibits physical activity among urban children. Some inner-city neighborhoods may have sidewalks and be located near shopping and schools, but crime and violence concerns often keep children indoors.⁸ Children do not get the fresh air and opportunities to play with others their age while they remain in their neighborhoods. A trip to a summer camp affords them the opportunity to be children, eat nourishing foods, and get the exercise they need to help their bodies develop. During the teen years, children are most vulnerable to peer pressure. This is true for children from all socio-economic backgrounds. It is peer pressure that drives them toward inappropriate behavior and failure in school. According to research reported by Lennox Associates, a Connecticut-based nonprofit management consulting firm, “Providing quality, affordable, accessible care, enrichment, tutoring and recreation for Hartford children and youth is one of the most effective means of preventing children from failing in or dropping out of school, becoming a teenage parent, joining a gang, abusing drugs and alcohol or becoming involved in criminal and violent activity.” Camp Courant provides these preventive activities for Hartford’s most at-risk populations.		Here is a snapshot of what Camp Courant provides to our campers: Free transportation to and from camp for six weeks · Each day, between 70 - 100 children participate in the Early Learning Center which focuses on the development of early literacy skills in the areas of reading, writing, speaking and listening · Healthy Choice program offerings are presented to over 800 children each day · A partnership with the Hartford Association for Retarded Citizens results in an increase of special needs campers being mainstreamed into our regular program. · Approximately 35 youngsters aged 13 - 15 work as Counselors-In-Training · Over 600 campers receive basic computer skills · Graduating Counselors-In-Training are employed as full time counselors · Up to 60 children participate in fitness training as part of the "Healthy Choices Club" · Over 500 children take part in a yoga program designed to promote self awareness, stress management, and concentration · The Camp's Health Team provides on-site care to over 1,000 campers · The Dental Team screens over 500 campers Families identified as not having health insurance are sent information on the HUSKY Health Insurance Program. What children experience when they are young often determines their outlook on life in later years. As the National Camp Association states, summer camp is “a child's Shangri La. A place to learn, grow, make friends, and have fun. Simply put - the experience of a lifetime for a child!”⁹ For many underprivileged and at-risk boys and girls, summer camp offers much more. The experience provides these children the opportunity to meet new friends, learn new skills, appreciate nature, create positive memories, identify role models, experience self-growth, and, if nothing else, camp gives them a break from their often stressful lives. Children in stressful situations are often denied the opportunity to grow to their full potential.¹⁰ Take a child out of a stressful situation and place them in a fun-loving environment where caring and sharing are given freely and a transformation takes place. Without such nurturing, these children can turn their negative feelings and stress into hostility, anger and resentment that will affect them the rest of their lives.¹¹ Community Partnerships Relationships with the University of Connecticut Health Center and The Connecticut Children’s Medical Center assure that all children are treated or referred for pediatric or other health problems. A full time social worker is on staff to assist the campers, their families and the staff in dealing with emotional and social problems. During the summer months Hartford’s Camp Courant serves as a primary health care provider and source of free day care for children and their families. Camp Courant collaborates with community-based groups to enrich our programs and expand our resources. They include the Hartford Public Schools, the Hartford Association for Retarded Citizens (HARC), Hartford Hospital, UConn Health Center and Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, Golf USA/First Tee, The Boys and Girl’s clubs, and the Appalachian Mountain Club. Our 115-year-old summer program clearly addresses the needs for enrichment, health care and skill building that poverty often produces. Research has shown that children who are engaged in positive activities that foster their sense of self-worth and respect for others have a better chance for success in later life. Camp Courant has never said no to any Hartford city child between the ages of 5 – 12 who wanted to attend our regular summer program.

¹ Dickey, M.R. Efficacy of a Summer Day Camp Program Intervention on Social Skills. Doctoral Dissertation, Boston University, 1996. American Camp Association. www.aca-camps.org/research/bib/ ² Ibid. ³ Ibid. ⁴ Wells, S.E. At-Risk Youth: Identification, Programs and Recommendations. Englewood, CO: Teacher Ideas Press. 1990. ⁵ Childhood Obesity Expected to Dramatically Increase Connecticut’s Health Care Burden. Unvieristy of Connecticut Health Cetenr. November 14, 2005. www.uchc.edu/ocomm/newsreleases05/nov05/childhoodobesity.html. ⁶ Hartford, Connecticut. American FactFinder, US Census. 2000. www.census.gov. ⁷ Community Health Assessment. (Omaha, NE: Professional Research Consultants, Inc.) 1995. Page 42. ⁸ Research Facts and Findings. ACT for Youth Upstate Center of Excellence. Cornell University Family Life Development Center. June 2003. www.human.cornell.edu/actforyouth. ⁹ National Camp Association, Inc. 2004. http://www.summercamp.org/guidance/ ¹⁰ Moote, Gerald T., Wodarski, John S. “The Acquisition of Life Skills through Adventure-Based Activities and Programs.” Adolescence. Libra Publishers Incorporated. Spring 1997. ¹¹ Ibid.