Saturday, October 24, 2009

Camp Anokijig- Life Skills Factory




The environment at Anokijig offers these teens and young adults a unique experience that may be as close to parenting as many of them will get, until they decide to have their own children. Many young people may work as babysitters or in youth programs in their home towns, but very few get the opportunity to spend extended periods of time with younger children.

It's one thing to spend one evening with a child who misses their parents or even an entire workday. It's something entirely different when our staff are put in a position where they spend a week or even longer around a large group of younger children. When they are at Anokijig, our staff essentially lives with these children.

There is no timeclock here and for the time these campers are at Anokijig, our staff serves as the closest thing to parents that these children will have, on-call day and night. That gives them a unique perspective few of their peers are able to experience. They teach, lead, encourage, console, discipline, mediate, guide and mentor these kids. In turn, our campers teach our staff important life lessons in patience, dedication, persistence, honor, altruism, integrity, and a host of other parenting skills.

What does this mean in the long-run? Feedback from our former staff indicates they left Anokijig with a much greater appreciation for what it means to be a parent and be responsible for another human life. That's never a bad thing.

If you have a high school-aged son or daughter, that you think might be interested in volunteering at Anokijig and learning these valuable life skills, call Camp today at 920-893-0782.

1 comment:

Ellen said...

From the perspective of a parent of a camper for many years and, later, the parent of two staff members, I know that one of the most special things about Anokijig is that it is one of the few places left that believes in the power, potential, and abilities of teens and young adults. By doing so, Anokijig provides enthusiasm and excitement to its campers and role models that stand them in good stead. It also supplies the teens and young adults with a belief in themselves and skills that last a lifetime. Thank you, Anokijig.