More summer camps are plugging in
Jen Oiler loves that her two daughters spend a week every summer unplugged from their phones and internet connection while visiting Camp Akita in Logan, Ohio. But she also appreciates that the camp takes full advantage of technology to help parents feel connected to their children’s experience.
Each evening that her girls are away, she goes online to view photos that the camp has posted of the day’s activities.
“I think not being able to communicate with them is more of a challenge for me than them,” says Oiler, of Dublin, Ohio.
While kids are often unplugged at summer camp, the camps themselves are harnessing technology in new ways, for promotion and to enhance the camp experience, from posting photos and videos for parents and alumni to connecting campers in the off-season.
It’s a delicate balance, keeping parents informed and happy while not losing sight of camp’s purpose, said Tom Rosenberg, CEO of the American Camp Association, headquartered in Martinsville, Ind.
“I find that parents today need more communication than our parents did when we went to camp,” he said. “It’s a learning experience for us.”
Many camps ban cell phones for campers but engage with parents by posting daily photos, letting parents email their children, and creating annual videos featuring campers and activities. Some camps encourage kids to stay in touch year-round by having them share phone numbers, email addresses and social media information. Many camps maintain Facebook pages and Instagram accounts for campers to connect.
After years of reading teacher blogs and classroom newsletters, parents have grown accustomed to having a window into their child’s day. Many camps have responded by hiring a staffer to take photos and post them online every day.
Camp Kanata in Wake Forest, N.C., for example, provides daily photos along with updates about the weather, activities and meals, said executive director Shane Brown. “We feel that it’s important for parents to have an idea of what is going on at camp,” he said.
Capturing the experience in photos is too important and time-consuming a task for counselors, he added: “I don’t think it can be secondary. We hire a person to be the eyes and ears for parents all day, every day.”
In addition to posting photos, Camp Fitch in North Springfield, Pa., creates weekly videos for parents. The videos also allow campers to relive the fun times later, and they provide an opportunity for the camp to reach new audiences, says Matt Pose, executive director.
While photos occasionally lead to a parent calling because their youngster looks “mopey,” they typically have a reassuring and positive effect, he said. Parents can see their kids trying new things and making new friends.
“The upside is parents feel a lot more engaged in the experience and become even more evangelical” about the benefits of camp, he said.
Tanya Hummels never sent her three children care packages or letters while they were at Camp Tecumseh, in Brookston, Indiana, but she regularly emailed them. Many camps encourage letter-writing by parents but do allow them to send emails, which are printed out and delivered to campers once a day. If kids want to write back, however, they usually must rely on pencils, paper and stamps – although some camps will scan handwritten letters and email them to parents.
Hummels liked the ease of composing a few lines each morning on email with tidbits about the family pet or updates on sports news.
“The kids said they always looked forward to it,” said Hummels of West Lafayette, Indiana. “It was a little dose of home.”
Hummels’ daughter Abby never objected to leaving her phone at home, but did insist that her mom bring it on pickup day so she could add hew new friends’ contact information.
Abby and her camp friends have arranged several reunions and visits outside of camp. The friendships would not be as close if it weren’t for technology, said Abby, who started going to sleepaway at age 8 and is now 17.
After booking her week at Camp Fitch, 14-year-old Eleanor Ziance of Bexley, Ohio, shared the information on her social media channels to see who would be there at the same time. That laid the foundation for new relationships and made her look forward to camp even more, she said.
Poese, Fitch’s director, said that ability to connect to fellow campers year-round solidifies friendships and the connection to camp, which is good for kids and camps.
“We see a lot of kids communicating through Instagram and other platforms,” he said. “It definitely intensifies the experience.”