At the end of each session at camp, our instructors write letters to the parents of the campers who have shown outstanding dedication at their activity. Most of these are campers who are going for their high class awards, but the instructors write the letters before the high class test has even happened. Partially this is due to timing (the tests happen in the last few days of camp) but more importantly it’s because the result of the test actually doesn’t matter. A camper has still put in the same effort and learned the same things after a summer of working towards an award whether or not they actually GET the award. We adjust the last sentence of the letters to say the result of the test, but that doesn’t change the meat of the letter which is about the PROCESS of working toward the award.

The University of Stanford’s Carol Dweck has been researching this for years. Check out THIS article confirming the power of a tool we’ve been using for years at camp: targeted validation (that is praising the specific behaviour rather than the end result) is a much more powerful tool, both for the child themselves and those around them who hear it too, than simply saying “you’re awesome” or “you’re so smart” or “you’re such a good sailor”.

We don’t do controlled research studies at camp, but the incredible ambition and drive to challenge themselves shown by our campers is an attribute to the success of our strategy.