S’ouvrir au Monde

En tant que parents, on nous incite souvent à préparer nos enfants à un monde nouveau et « global ». Alors que certains expliquent que les fondements des interactions mondiales trouvent leurs origines dans les siècles passés, les technologies électroniques et de transport actuelles rendent les individus à travers le monde encore plus reliés et interdépendants. Ainsi, comment préparer nos enfants et leur transmettre l’expérience nécessaire afin qu’ils s’ouvrent au monde ?

Tout naturellement, les voyages sont une manière évidente d’aider nos enfants à augmenter leur capital culturel ; les colonies de vacances peuvent également les aider à stimuler leur pensée globale et leurs qualités de manière spécifique. La colonie de vacances est un endroit où les enfants de par le monde, et de différentes régions des Etats-Unis, se lient les uns aux autres, établissent des amitiés durables, essayent de nouvelles choses et pratiquent la vie en communauté. À AFSC, par exemple, alors que seuls quelques jeunes proviennent de l’étranger, ils apportent beaucoup à la vie en groupe et à la communauté dans son ensemble. Chacun tire parti d’un mélange varié d’enfants au sein de la collectivité. Les enfants peuvent pratiquer une autre langue, ils s’enrichiront certainement des différentes coutumes grâce aux interactions quotidiennes et auront le temps de bien s’en imprégner. Plus important encore, ils apprendront comment échanger respectueusement avec des personnes aux opinions divergentes, dont la vision des choses n’est pas tout à fait la même de la leur.

Dans son livre, Growing Up Global : Raising Children to Be At Home in the World, Homa Sabet Tavangar indique que la première étape en vue de développer des perspectives globales exige « d’adopter la mentalité pour se faire un ami et pour devenir un bon ami ». Se faire des amis est synonyme de qualités universelles comme la compassion et le respect, et établir des amitiés durables au camp est une partie non-négligeable de toute cette expérience. Nos conseillers et notre personnel sont formés et prêts à aider les jeunes à évoluer en ce sens, à déployer de nouveaux talents si nécessaire et sont de véritables modèles soucieux de leurs prochains. Tavangar explique que différentes versions de la Règle d’or, ou le « Ne fais pas à autrui ce que tu n’aimerais pas que l’on te fasse » imprègnent toutes les cultures et traditions de foi, et s’en inspire très largement dans son livre. Quand les enfants épousent les valeurs universelles consistant à s’occuper les uns des autres, ils ont recours à l’humilité, à la curiosité et à la compassion dont découlent alors de vraies amitiés – et c’est ce qui fait un citoyen du monde.

Ainsi, où que nous allions dans le monde, c’est l’expérience qui consiste à décomposer les éléments de cultures diverses et à voir ce qui les rend semblables ou distincts, qui nous prépare à l’interaction avec l’autre. Pour les enfants, une petite étape vers l’acceptation de nouvelles cultures peut être de surmonter la crainte de nouveaux aliments ou de se trouver loin du foyer, au camp, là où les choses sont « différentes » – après tout, chaque camp et ce, chaque année, possède un caractère ou une culture qui lui est propre. Par exemple, de nombreux jeunes s’unissent pour surmonter la crainte que représentent de nouveaux aliments et c’est ce genre d’expérience qui prépare les enfants au futur.

S’ouvrir au monde n’est pas uniquement synonyme de bizness dans l’économie mondiale. Il s’agit de désirer échanger avec le père kenyan qui entraîne une équipe de football locale, avec un voisin turc dont le style vestimentaire dénote ou avec un Américain qui s’attend à ce que son électricité fonctionne correctement ! En d’autres termes, il s’agit d’être curieux des différences plutôt que d’en avoir peur, de donner de la valeur aux amitiés que nous lions avec les personnes, aussi différentes soient-elles, que nous sommes amenés à rencontrer. Les psychologues associent l’amitié à la santé d’un individu et par là même, à sa capacité à survivre – les amitiés sont donc primordiales pour se sentir aussi bien à l’aise dans notre peau que sur notre planète.

Nos expériences des colonies de vacances sont une composante clé à la sensibilisation des enfants sur le sujet. Les amitiés et l’expérience acquises au camp perdureront ; en effet, les jeunes continuent d’élargir leurs horizons, échangent avec leurs amis dans le temps et l’espace et découvrent leurs passions.

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A Special Place for Girls and Boys

For older campers, one of the most profound and lasting advantages of camp is the opportunity they have to focus on being boys and girls.  Many summer camps also strengthen the safety of the camp setting by offering exclusive programs that help teenage campers gain a better understanding about how to best grasp the transition from being girls to being women and from being boys to being men.  Such programs provide non threatening forums for teenage girls and boys to address sensitive issues and topics as well as help them prepare for their later teen years as they near college and adulthood.  These programs also have their own rites and traditions that serve as progress points for individuals as well as groups and as the basis for the point at which camp friends become a lifelong support network.

Many camps, even co-ed ones, also operate separate programs for boys and girls regardless of age.  They have their respective sides of camp, their respective program areas, and their respective activities.  However, they come together for meals and many evening camp activities.  Many believe this approach is a bit part of why children are afraid to relax and even be silly while at camp.  Being with children of the same gender frees them of stereotypes that may be placed on them elsewhere.  Spending exclusive time with other girls or boys creates a non threatening environment, particularly for adolescents and early teens already going through awkward changes as they begin to maneuver the sometimes tumultuous teen years.  Girls can get down and dirty in an intense game of flag football and boys don’t feel the need to look over their shoulders while bouncing around in the camp’s gymnastics area or putting together some choreographed moves in the dance studio because it’s all just a part of camp.

Sing, Sing a Song

There is something about singing that brings people together.  Perhaps that’s why singing (and music in general) is such an important part of camp.  The silly or sometimes sentimental words of a “camp song” can set a mood, evoke a feeling, and create atmosphere.  Music is a universal language that everyone understands.  Perhaps this is why so many American summer camps open and close their summers with sing-alongs.  Sing-alongs are fantastic ways to say both “we’re together again” and “until next time.”

Ask campers to name some of their most favorite moments of summer camp and, most assuredly, they’ll name more than one that involves singing in some way…that first exciting night of camp, campfires, zany and often spontaneous dining room rituals, fun times with fellow campers and counselors inside the bunk, and saying goodbye at the end of the summer.  More importantly, ask any current or former camper to sing his camp alma mater and he’ll do it as if it’s second nature.  The words of a camp’s alma mater are magical—a way to instantly transport one back to camp and those summers filled with fun and friends.

Many parents say that their children even sing camp songs constantly throughout the winter as a way of remembering their time at camp.  Some of them even admit that they can’t resist the temptation to join in.

Crazy Days and Whacky Nights

Parents, do you ever log onto your computer to check out the camp photos for the day, see your child painted in blue from head to toe or maybe wearing a crazy wig and big nerdy glasses and wonder, ‘What in the world?’  The answer probably has something to do with your summer camp’s special events and evening activities.  For fifty plus nights (and some days) summer camps entertain your children with some of the zaniest games and wackiest contests that they can come up with.  Why?  Because it’s fun to be painted in blue from head to toe…seriously.  Or at least it is when your bunk/cabin is performing a dance to the Smurfs theme in front of the entire camp and you’re Papa Smurf—or Smurfette.  And seeing images of your children and their counselors slipping, sliding, and splashing around in what appears to be multi-colored goo…it’s a camp thing…a really fun camp thing.  Eye patches are always fun.  So is spending a day pretending to be pirates and searching for buried treasure.   Becoming a secret agent and collecting clues to decode a message or pretending to be wild animals is also a great way to spend that occasional non-program day.  From trivia contests to talent contests and everything in between, some of the greatest moments of summer camp happen during the crazy days and wacky nights!

Growing up Global

作为父母,我们常常听到人们预测说我们的孩子们需要为一个新的“全球”世界作准备。但是有些人却认为全球互动的根基在多个世纪前就已经准备好了,我们当前所拥有的电子和交通技术让世界各地的人们更加互相联系和依赖。因此,如何才能让我们的孩子们准备就绪并给予他们能够变得全球化的经验?

诚然,旅行是一种帮助孩子们提高他们文化通货的显著办法。但是,去野营也能够以特殊的方式帮助他们培养全球化思维的技能。夏令营是一个让来自世界各地和美国各地的孩子们互相连结的场所。他们可以在这里建立终生友谊,一起尝试新事物和实践生活。以在AFSC夏令营为例,虽然只有少数露营者是来自国外,但却给露营生活和整个社区带来很多东西。每个人都从露营中的不同孩子们身上得到益处。孩子们可以练习一门语言,而且肯定能在日常互动中了解到不同的风俗习惯并有时间对这些进行吸收。 最重要的是,他们将学会如何尊重有着不同观点的人并与他们相处,这些人做事的方式可能会不同。

Homa Sabet Tavangar 在她的书 籍《Growing Up Global: Raising Children to Be At Home in the World中说道,发展一个世界观的第一步就要求能够 “拥有一个去交朋友和与人成为好朋友的心态”。交朋友指的是练习全球性的品质(如,移情和尊重)。在露营中与别人建立长久的友谊是整个体验过程中的重要部分。 我们的辅导员和员工们都经过培训,随时准备帮助露营者们在露营中得到成长,在必要时能开发新技能并关心他人。Tavangar认为,“黄金法则” 或者“你希望别人怎样对待你,那么你也怎样对待别人”的观点渗透了各种文化和信仰传统,这些在她的书中也有详细说明。当孩子们有着互相关心的普世价值观时,他们就会变得谦虚,有礼貌且具有同情心,从而能够交到真正的朋友 – 这也让他成为一名世界公民。

因此,不论我们去到世界的哪个地方,打破不同文化因素及能够看到让各种文化相似或相异的东西才是让我们为能够彼此相联系做好准备。 对于孩子们来说,在与新文化沟通时向前迈一小步,就能够克服尝试新食物或者离开家来到各种事物都“不同”的露营地的恐怖。毕竟,每年的每次露营都具有其特殊的特点或文化。 例如,许多露营者必须忍受并学会去喜欢新食物,而正是这种经验让孩子们能够为未来做好准备。

Growing up global并非只是为了如何准备好在经济世界做生意。它还与如何能够拥有意愿去与训练了 一个本地足球队的肯尼亚父亲,一个有着与众不同的时尚风格的土耳其邻居,或者一个期望永不间断电源的美国人轻松相联系息息相关。最后,它所涉及的是对不同事物具有好奇心而不是恐惧感,并重视与我们遇见的不同人们交朋友。 心理学家认为友谊与一个人的健康息息相关,并最终关系到我们的生存能力。因此,友谊是让人在个自的领域以及在我们的地球上感觉舒适自在的关键。

我们的夏令营经验是培养具有全球意识和自信意识的孩子的关键组成部分。在露营时所学到的东西和交到朋友在露营结束后能长久持续。因为露营者会继续扩展他们的视野,并跨越时间和空间的障碍与朋友们保持联系,从而找到他们的生活热情。

Let’s Go on a Trip!

With all of the amazing offerings within camp, it’s hard to believe that anyone would want to leave.  But some of the greatest fun children have at summer camp is actually away from camp on one of the many out of camp trips that are arranged throughout the summer.  Some are small, an evening or afternoon, while others are overnight camping or hiking expeditions.  For many campers, the culmination of their camp experience each year is the multi-day trips that take place toward the end of the summer.  Regardless whether it’s one night or many, some of the unforgettable summer camp memories made away from camp include…

Day/Evening Trips
From evenings spent eating hot dogs while cheering on the local pro or semi pro sports team at the ballpark to friendly competition on the bowling lanes, lacing up the skates at a local rink or catching a movie at the cinema, campers enjoy a “night out” a few times during the summer. .  Sometimes instead of nights its days spent relaxing in inner tubes as they float lazily down a river, enjoying the adrenaline rush that comes from riding the water slides at a local waterpark, or braving the roller coasters of an amusement park.  Enjoying some of the most breathtaking scenery in the northeast is always a pleasure on an out of camp hike or nature walk as well.

Overnight Trips
One of the best parts of camp is the overnight camping program….spending a night or two at a campsite in a tent with all of your camp friends!    It’s no secret that campers love to camp!  Tents, campfires, s’mores, hikes, canoes, and a night dedicated exclusively to spending time exclusively with other campers within their own age group are all reasons why overnight camping trips are some of the most eagerly anticipated out of camp trips.

Multi-Day Trips
Campers don’t merely look forward to these trips all summer, they look forward to them from the very first day they step foot into camp as second and third graders.  As campers grow older, the trips get bigger, and each one is a rite of passage that campers anxiously await.  Amusement parks, national parks, and major cities are just some of the places that campers visit on multi-day overnight trips.  Sometimes they travel no further than a few hours from camp.  Older campers venture across the country to places like California or even over international borders into Canada.  Even with such exciting destinations, for many senior campers, it’s the journey with their camp friends and not the place that make multi-day out of camp trips the pinnacle of their camp experiences.
Whether it’s one day or several, some of the most exciting summer camp offerings aren’t in camp at all.  But they’re still very special parts of camp because they’re shared with people who can only be found at camp—camp friends!

A Peek at What’s Happening at AFSC Right Now!

The start of summer 2011 is at hand and the always amazing staffs of America’s Finest Summer Camps assembled this week at their respective camps, excited to be with old friends as well as new and anxious to begin preparing for the campers.   We thought we’d take a moment to share the success of each staff orientation so far…

Fun is the word over at Camp Laurel in Maine: 

“Staff Orientation is in full swing! All our staff is at camp learning the ins-and-outs of being a camp counselor and having a blast. It’s certainly a talented crew! We’ve had a jam-packed week so far with Leadership Training Sessions, Health and Safety Seminars, Typical Day At Camp, Role Playing, Staff Chaos, Campus Competes, Field Night, CL Drafts, Swim Tests, Driving Tests and so much more. We even brought in Maine’s premier Square Dance Caller, Al Hipkins, for a little Hoe-Down last night. Yeehaw! We still have a lot to do before camper arrival day on Saturday but we can’t wait. Only 5 days till camp!!!”

A hop and a skip away, the Laurel South Staff has been enjoying themselves as well:

“Staff Orientation has been amazing and the weather has been spectacular. With counselors now assigned to cabins, we are focused on learning all about our wonderful campers, learning the Laurel South culture, readying the cabins and program areas and bonding as a cohesive unit. Camp looks great. In fact, the only thing that could make it look better is the faces of 400 campers arriving this Thursday!!! We can’t wait to see you!”

In Pennsylvania, it’s all about friends and family. 

Camp Starlight reports:

“ It goes without saying that some things just happen almost by themselves – the sun comes out, the sky turns blue and the red bunks seem to gleam against the impossibly green grass – but that’s just a small part of summer.  Camp just wouldn’t be the same without the amazing people, both campers and counselors alike, who become our friends and surrogate family for just a few weeks.

Our staff this year comes from 39 states and 13 countries – that’s a lot of air miles clocked up just getting here!  Our staff are some of the best in their field and it is testament to Camp Starlight’s reputation that they want to spend the summer sharing these skills with others.  The passion, the drive and commitment of all our staff is evident and unquestionable”.

And Weequahic summed it all up, saying:

“Wow!  Our staff is really working well together.  They can’t wait to see everyone in a few short days!”

With so much fun, new friendships, and memories already, we can only imagine how awesome it’s going to be when the campers’ arrive in just a couple of short days!

Growing up Global

Da genitori, sentiamo spesso previsioni sulla necessità dei nostri figli di prepararsi per un mondo nuovo e «globale». Mentre alcuni spiegano che le radici delle interazioni globali sono state piantate secoli fa, le attuali tecnologie elettroniche e dei mezzi di trasporto danno la possibilità a persone che vivono in ogni parte del mondo di essere ancora più in contatto e interdipendenti. Come possiamo quindi preparare i nostri figli e fare in modo che facciano esperienze che contribuiscano alla loro istruzione globale?

Il viaggio, naturalmente, è un ottimo modo per aiutare i ragazzi ad accrescere il loro bagaglio culturale, ma anche fare campeggio contribuisce a promuovere in modi specifici il pensiero globale e diverse abilità. Il campo estivo è un posto in cui ragazzi provenienti da tutto il mondo, oltre che da diverse parti degli Stati Uniti, entrano in contatto tra loro, costruiscono amicizie che durano tutta la vita, fanno nuove esperienze e sperimentano la vita in comune. Nei campeggi AFSC, per esempio, anche se solo alcuni campeggiatori vengono dall’estero, essi portano tantissimo alla vita e alla comunità del campeggio nell’insieme.
Tutti traggono beneficio dalla grande varietà di ragazzi presenti nel campeggio. I ragazzi possono praticare una lingua e impareranno sicuramente a conoscere usanze differenti, poiché avranno molto tempo per interagire giornalmente ed immergersi in culture diverse. E, cosa ancora più importante, impareranno a rapportarsi in modo rispettoso a persone con diversi punti di vista, che magari hanno modi diversi di affrontare le cose.

Nel suo libro, Growing Up Global: Raising Children to Be At Home in the World (Crescere in modo globale: allevare ragazzi che si sentano a casa nel mondo), Homa Sabet Tavangar dice che il primo passo verso lo sviluppo di una mentalità globale richiede di «assumere un atteggiamento mentale di disponibilità a fare amicizia ed essere un buon amico.» Farsi degli amici significa esercitare qualità universali quali l’empatia e il rispetto, e costruire amicizie durature al campeggio è una parte importante dell’esperienza totale.
I capigruppo e lo staff sono formati e pronti ad aiutare i campeggiatori a crescere in questo luogo, a sviluppare nuove abilità, se necessario, e rappresentano un modello di attenzione verso gli altri. La Tavangar spiega che le versioni della regola d’oro, ovvero «tratta gli altri come vorresti essere trattato tu», permeano qualsiasi cultura e tradizione religiosa, e sviluppa ampiamente questi concetti nel suo libro. Quando i ragazzi sposano i valori culturali dell’assistenza reciproca, impiegano umiltà, curiosità e compassione, e ciò li porta a farsi dei veri amici – e sono proprio queste cose che ci rendono cittadini del mondo.

Quindi, in qualsiasi posto del mondo andiamo, è l’esperienza di analizzare gli elementi delle diverse culture e di vedere ciò che le rende simili o diverse che ci prepara a relazionarci gli uni con gli altri. Per i ragazzi, un piccolo passo verso l’incontro con nuove culture può essere quello di superare la paura di cibi nuovi, o stare lontani da casa, in un campeggio in cui le cose sono «diverse» – dopotutto, ogni campo, ogni anno, ha il suo carattere e la sua cultura speciale. Ad esempio, il problema di imparare ad apprezzare nuovi cibi fa sì che molti campeggiatori rafforzino il loro legame, ed è proprio questo tipo di esperienza che prepara i ragazzi al futuro.

Crescere in maniera globale non vuol dire soltanto prepararsi a fare affari nell’economia mondiale. Vuol dire sentirsi a proprio agio e avere voglia di entrare in contatto con un padre keniota che allena una squadra di calcio locale, con un vicino turco con un suo modo di vestire particolare, o con un americano che richiede una consistente quantità di energia elettrica! In conclusione, vuol dire essere curiosi delle differenze invece di averne paura e tenere a fare amicizia con le diverse persone che incontriamo. Secondo gli psicologi, l’amicizia è strettamente legata alla salute dell’individuo e in ultima analisi anche alla capacità di sopravvivere – le amicizie sono quindi la chiave per sentirci a casa nel nostro pianeta.

Le nostre esperienze al campo estivo sono una componente chiave per allevare ragazzi fiduciosi e globalmente consapevoli. Le amicizie e le lezioni apprese al campo dureranno molto oltre la fine della stagione di campeggio, mentre i campeggiatori continuano ad estendere i loro orizzonti, a rimanere in contatto con i loro amici al di là del tempo e delle distanze geografiche e trovano le passioni della loro vita. Avete in progetto di allevare ragazzi globali e inserire l’esperienza del campeggio all’interno della loro preparazione? Avete letto Growing Up Global (Crescere in modo globale) o messo in pratica qualche consiglio della Tavangar? Ci farebbe piacere sapere in che modo il campeggio ha contribuito a definire la vostra visione del mondo!

Got Communication?

Parents: Camp is near.  You’re packing bags, making last minute preparations, and listening to endless stories with increasing enthusiasm about what happened during the summer of 2010 in eager anticipation for summer of 2011 to begin.  You’re checking and re-checking to make sure all of the paperwork has been submitted and the bag pickups have been scheduled.  So we figure now is the perfect time to talk about the importance of maintaining good communication with your Camp Directors—now and throughout the summer.

Camp is a big deal for your children and for you.  Whether you’ve planned a quiet summer at home or have an awesome vacation planned, we know that your top priority is to know that your children are having an amazing summer.  You can help, simply by being informative.

We’re first and foremost concerned for your child’s safety and well being.  Some of you probably wonder why we ask for photos of your children prior to camp.  It’s so that we can show them to your children’s counselors when we discuss your children’s activity preferences with them so that they can greet campers by name from the moment they step off the bus and have full knowledge of how to make their summer successful.

We can’t emphasize enough the importance of communicating medical issues.  Whether it’s an allergy to certain foods or insects, perhaps a dietary restriction, asthma, a vitamin deficiency, or wetting the bed, your camp directors need to know so that these matters can be handled appropriately as situations relating to them may occur throughout the summer.

We also want to know what your children’s interests are.  If we know your child can’t get enough soccer, for instance, we can make sure that he/she gets maximum exposure to soccer during the summer.  Knowing what your children like only helps us guarantee they have the summer of a lifetime.

Personal family matters are never easy, but if there is something happening at home—a divorce, illness in the family, academic issues, etc. it helps us to know.  Perhaps it’s a positive development.  Your child has landed a new role in a film, has made a particularly competitive athletic team, has earned a special honor at school.  Whatever IS your children’s lives at the moment they come to camp, we want to be able to channel it into an amazing summer for them.  And we’re confident we can.  Otherwise, we wouldn’t ask.  As your child’s “summer family”, we want to know how we can help them be at their best.

If anything comes up between the time you put your child on the bus or plane to come to camp and the time we put them back on the bus or plane to come home that might affect his or her summer, please call us.  We want to know what’s happening.  We want to understand how we can make your child’s stay at our camp effortless and memorable.  Even if it’s minor, if you have any reason for pause, please call us.  We want to be proactive in making your child’s experience memorable.

Going Gaga for Ga-Ga

Something you might not know about summer camp:  It breeds passionate athletes in many different sports, even ones that are little known outside of summer camp, such as ga-ga.  Although it’s not well known in America (but becoming more so everyday!), hoards of campers dream all winter about getting back into the ga-ga pit.  Many camps even have ga-ga tournaments!  Camp challenge weeks even have ga-ga challenges.  There is no doubt that campers are going gaga for ga-ga!

So what is this ga-ga?  It’s a little like dodgeball in a circular enclosed space.  Many camps feature ga-ga pits , but the game can be played virtually anywhere there are four walls or barriers.  As in dodgeball, when players are hit with the ball, they are out.  They may, however, use the walls of the ga-ga court to clear the ball.  As players are struck by the ball, they are eliminated, and leave the pit.  The last boy (or girl) standing wins.  Two primary ways that ga-ga differs from dodgeball is that ga-ga strikes must be at or below the knees and players bounce rather than throw the ball.   Also unlike dodgeball, players may either bounce the ball at other players or against the walls of the pit.  Some camps have adopted rules of play unique to their campers’ style of ga-ga play, while others prefer to stick to the official rules…What?  There are official rules?  Yep.  In fact, there is even an International Championship Tournament held annually in Europe.  More than 30 countries , including the U.S., winner of multiple championship titles, participate.

No one quite knows how ga-ga originated or where it comes from, but rumor has it that the game gets its name from the sound the ball makes during the opening play.  It’s bounced twice in the air and  the players say “ga” on each bounce.  On the third bounce, the ball is in play (some rules call for three bounces with the ball officially in play on the fourth bounce).  So warm up your ga-ga hands and start stretching.  We’ll see you in the pit!