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Our Philosophy
We use a wide variety experiences and activities to help our campers learn to make choices and decisions for themselves, interact positively with other campers and staff members and enjoy all the great opportunities we offer. Through discovery of the great outdoors, skill development, and guidance in the importance of building healthy relationships campers leave with a renewed sense of achievement, belonging, confidence and courage to try new things. Camp Kidwell is an inclusive organization that welcomes all persons regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, religion or disability. |
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Safety is #1, Always
The health and safety of our campers, staff, volunteers, and families is always our #1 priority. Camp can not happen if our campers and staff members do not feel safe. As we serve children and offer a huge variety of activities, we can not eliminate risk altogether. That is the simple truth of living life, but we do everyone in our power to minimize risk as much as possible. Here are a few other details we use to minimize risk.....
We work very, very hard to minimize any risk, seen or unseen. Our activities are chosen to be age-appropriate. We work to eliminate as many obvious risks as possible and to lessen the effects of risks that can't be eliminated. Example: horses are a huge camper favorite, but they are one of the highest risk areas at camp.....So we do everything we can to limit those risks. Campers wear helmets, long pants, heel-footwear, staff is trained, horses are tested, emergency plans are reviewed and practiced and much more. This doesn't mean an accident won't happen, it simply means they will be few and far between and if they do happen, we will be ready to handle them in the most appropriate way.
Our staff is carefully selected, trained, supervised and coached. Our staff members go through a rigorous character-based interview process. They are carefully screened through the highest standards of child safety practices, including background checks and reference verification. Each staff member is selected for their personality traits, hands on skills and concern and care of our campers. Professional program staff work directly with counselors to provide guidance and support. All staff are certified in first aid and CPR. We are accredited by the American Camp Association and licensed by the State of Michigan.
The health and safety of our campers, staff, volunteers, and families is always our #1 priority. Camp can not happen if our campers and staff members do not feel safe. As we serve children and offer a huge variety of activities, we can not eliminate risk altogether. That is the simple truth of living life, but we do everyone in our power to minimize risk as much as possible. Here are a few other details we use to minimize risk.....
We work very, very hard to minimize any risk, seen or unseen. Our activities are chosen to be age-appropriate. We work to eliminate as many obvious risks as possible and to lessen the effects of risks that can't be eliminated. Example: horses are a huge camper favorite, but they are one of the highest risk areas at camp.....So we do everything we can to limit those risks. Campers wear helmets, long pants, heel-footwear, staff is trained, horses are tested, emergency plans are reviewed and practiced and much more. This doesn't mean an accident won't happen, it simply means they will be few and far between and if they do happen, we will be ready to handle them in the most appropriate way.
Our staff is carefully selected, trained, supervised and coached. Our staff members go through a rigorous character-based interview process. They are carefully screened through the highest standards of child safety practices, including background checks and reference verification. Each staff member is selected for their personality traits, hands on skills and concern and care of our campers. Professional program staff work directly with counselors to provide guidance and support. All staff are certified in first aid and CPR. We are accredited by the American Camp Association and licensed by the State of Michigan.
Our Commitment to a Welcoming Camp Community
Creating a Welcoming Camp Experience
Camp Kidwell is committed to creating a supportive environment where all participants can feel safe, respected, and included. We provide appropriate accommodations and guidance so campers with different needs and backgrounds can enjoy a positive camp experience. We encourage open communication with families so we can prepare in advance and best support each camper. While everyone is welcome to be themselves, all participants are expected to respect the space, comfort, and perspectives of others. By working together with kindness and understanding, we ensure camp remains a place where everyone belongs.
Why Camp Kidwell Emphasizes Welcoming Everyone
Camp is a place where people come to grow, connect, and enjoy shared experiences. For this to happen, individuals must feel safe, respected, and valued. At Camp Kidwell, we recognize that people arrive with different life experiences, beliefs, and ways of expressing themselves, and we view those differences as an important part of a healthy camp community. Welcoming everyone means creating an environment where individuals are encouraged to be themselves while also respecting the comfort and perspectives of others. By setting clear expectations rooted in kindness and mutual respect, we help ensure that every person who comes to Camp Kidwell can enjoy a meaningful and positive experience. We are committed to creating environments where young people and adults, each with their own backgrounds, abilities, beliefs, and experiences, can come together to interact, learn from one another, and enjoy camp in respectful and collaborative ways.
Creating a Welcoming Camp Experience
Camp Kidwell is committed to creating a supportive environment where all participants can feel safe, respected, and included. We provide appropriate accommodations and guidance so campers with different needs and backgrounds can enjoy a positive camp experience. We encourage open communication with families so we can prepare in advance and best support each camper. While everyone is welcome to be themselves, all participants are expected to respect the space, comfort, and perspectives of others. By working together with kindness and understanding, we ensure camp remains a place where everyone belongs.
Why Camp Kidwell Emphasizes Welcoming Everyone
Camp is a place where people come to grow, connect, and enjoy shared experiences. For this to happen, individuals must feel safe, respected, and valued. At Camp Kidwell, we recognize that people arrive with different life experiences, beliefs, and ways of expressing themselves, and we view those differences as an important part of a healthy camp community. Welcoming everyone means creating an environment where individuals are encouraged to be themselves while also respecting the comfort and perspectives of others. By setting clear expectations rooted in kindness and mutual respect, we help ensure that every person who comes to Camp Kidwell can enjoy a meaningful and positive experience. We are committed to creating environments where young people and adults, each with their own backgrounds, abilities, beliefs, and experiences, can come together to interact, learn from one another, and enjoy camp in respectful and collaborative ways.
Goals and Outcomes
Providing an EXTRAORDINARY CAMPING experience to EVERY child who attend Camp Kidwell is important to us. To achieve this mission, we have created several specific goals with detailed outcomes. We use these goals to guide our planning and the outcomes to evaluate our success level. An extraordinary experience not only means fun activities and positive memories, but also learning and growth.
G Provide a unique, exciting, fun-filled and growing experience to all campers.
O Campers learn personal strengths and weaknesses, and how to use them.
G Convey to each camper the feeling that he or she is a unique and worthwhile human being.
O Campers become more confident and outgoing and are able to express themselves more clearly.
G Each camper is a winner if he or she does the best they can with the abilities they have.
O Campers develop willingness to try new things.
G Provide experiences for cooperation and close relationship with campers and staff members.
O Campers develop a healthy respect and interaction level with adults.
G Provide a caring community so campers and staff work together and enjoy each new experience.
O Campers show concern for others and willingness to help each other solve problems.
G Expose campers to activities with which they may not be familiar.
O Campers develop interest in new activities.
G Offer skillfully taught and thoroughly organized individual, small group, and large group activities.
O Campers demonstrate ability to be productive members of any size group.
G Challenge children to treat each other with respect and promote positive communication skills.
O Campers think before acting and work through issues in positive and appropriate means.
G Provide challenging co-educational experiences, promoting a positive feelings and interactions for all campers, staff, parents and guests regardless of gender.
O Campers demonstrate positive, meaningful relationships with all other campers, staff, parents and guests regardless of gender.
G Maintain and build meaningful Camp Kidwell traditions through songs, activities, and camping.
O Campers want to become members of staff and continue to share the positive camp experience.
G Provide a quality overall program in which campers and families are excited about and want to return.
O Campers will want to return year after year.
Providing an EXTRAORDINARY CAMPING experience to EVERY child who attend Camp Kidwell is important to us. To achieve this mission, we have created several specific goals with detailed outcomes. We use these goals to guide our planning and the outcomes to evaluate our success level. An extraordinary experience not only means fun activities and positive memories, but also learning and growth.
G Provide a unique, exciting, fun-filled and growing experience to all campers.
O Campers learn personal strengths and weaknesses, and how to use them.
G Convey to each camper the feeling that he or she is a unique and worthwhile human being.
O Campers become more confident and outgoing and are able to express themselves more clearly.
G Each camper is a winner if he or she does the best they can with the abilities they have.
O Campers develop willingness to try new things.
G Provide experiences for cooperation and close relationship with campers and staff members.
O Campers develop a healthy respect and interaction level with adults.
G Provide a caring community so campers and staff work together and enjoy each new experience.
O Campers show concern for others and willingness to help each other solve problems.
G Expose campers to activities with which they may not be familiar.
O Campers develop interest in new activities.
G Offer skillfully taught and thoroughly organized individual, small group, and large group activities.
O Campers demonstrate ability to be productive members of any size group.
G Challenge children to treat each other with respect and promote positive communication skills.
O Campers think before acting and work through issues in positive and appropriate means.
G Provide challenging co-educational experiences, promoting a positive feelings and interactions for all campers, staff, parents and guests regardless of gender.
O Campers demonstrate positive, meaningful relationships with all other campers, staff, parents and guests regardless of gender.
G Maintain and build meaningful Camp Kidwell traditions through songs, activities, and camping.
O Campers want to become members of staff and continue to share the positive camp experience.
G Provide a quality overall program in which campers and families are excited about and want to return.
O Campers will want to return year after year.
