A week at Camp Shalom should be the first thing you schedule when you put together your kids’ summer itinerary. Here’s why:
- The Camp Shalom experience is screen-free. It is a sad fact of life that almost all of us are addicted to our devices, and there is almost no place you or your kids will go where a screen isn’t fighting for your attention. Summer camp is one of the few exceptions. We do not allow campers to bring electronics of any kind to Camp Shalom, and “unplugging” even for short periods has been linked to improved sleep quality, stress reduction, and better interpersonal communication. A week without screens will do wonders for your child’s mental health!
- The Camp Shalom experience builds resilience. In a world like ours, it is hard to let our kids out of our sight. Yet, space to learn and grow on their own is also essential to their development. How do we balance safety and healthy independence? Camp Shalom is the answer. We provide campers a safe environment to interact with each other, make new friends, settle disputes, make group decisions, and overcome challenges, all guided by our staff. The result is resilient kids who understand failure is not the end of the world.
- The Camp Shalom staff are great role models. Every parent wants their kids to be safe, loved, and surrounded by people who help them make good choices and become better people. Our staff are the finest high school and college students you will find anywhere. Every summer they create a radical camp culture in which everyone, no matter how weird or silly, no matter how shy or nervous, is invited to grow in love for God and each other. This is why so many of our campers say Camp Shalom is the one place they can be their true selves, uninhibited by anxiety or social pressures.
While family vacations, sports, and other activities are important and encourage some of the same outcomes we strive to achieve at Camp Shalom, there simply is no substitute for summer camp. Please give your child the gift of a week at Camp Shalom next summer!
Ben Carlson
Operations Director
Content:
- The Case for Camp from the American Camping Association
- 7 Important Reasons to Unplug by Joshua Becker (Becoming Minimalist)
