Camp Arowhon
Camp News
Bullying Awareness Week is November 18 – 24
Members of the Arowhon family know about our camp commitment to stop bullying. We know from experience that the vast majority of bullying incidents are caused by problems kids are having in their relationships – so our commitment at Arowhon is first to know what’s going on in kids’ relationships and second to give them the help […]
ContinueNew-school leadership can be summed up as LBSA: Leadership By Serving Around
A former Arowhon Program Director – who grew up at camp and grew into being a great leader, emailed me the link to this Globe and Mail article on leadership, with the comment: “We were doing this at camp in 2001, Glad it’s caught on.” http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/careers/leadership-lab/old-school-leadership-is-out/article15398192/
ContinueThe tallest tree in camp goes down
We regret to announce that camp’s sole remaining first growth white pine tree died this year. Yesterday we took it down. (It had to come down, for safety.) This year we saw the passing of two important symbols of Camp Arowhon – the tallest tree and the Main Lodge – and we are sad to […]
ContinueIn Homesick and Happy, Michael Thompson writes about a study where people were asked about their happiest childhood memory; more than 80 percent name a parent-free moment.
My Daughter Went Away to Camp and Changed By John Dickerson Children in summer camp can be their essential selves, not worrying about how their parents might react.Photo by Christian Science Monitor/Getty Images When I look at my phone, I see my daughter leaving for camp on my home screen. She stands at the bottom of […]
ContinueWhat did you do when you were 15?
I heard an interview with Malala Yousefzai on the radio the other day. After being shot in the head by the Taliban for going to school, the 15 year old has gone on to become a world-famous advocate for girls’ education. She spoke more confidently and articulately than I (with my Ivy League grad degree […]
ContinuePreparing kids for college? Does camp help?
What’s Needed to Prepare Your Child for the Future? The Answer May Surprise You…. from the Huffington Post by Todd Kestin Since Junior’s birth, you’ve been socking away savings from every paycheck to ensure he has money for college. After all, that’s what responsible parents do, right? Making sure he has the education to prepare […]
ContinueKids and Friends: Who Gets to Choose?
I sent my daughter to UTS so she would hang out with smart kids and not do drugs, drink or have sex. I sent my son to Upper Canada College so he would be influenced towards better work habits and the pursuit of excellence. My daughter managed the trifecta (and then some) and my son […]
ContinueWhy We Don’t Sugar Coat
The hardest part of my summer job is supervising the LIT (Leader In Training) Program. The mission of the program: to grow our oldest campers into capable staff members. Arowhon’s mission of social and emotional safety depends entirely on the staff’s ability to make it real, so we hire very selectively. Most of our LIT’s […]
ContinueLetter from a camper mom
Hi Joanne, Somehow I missed opening up one of our recent envelopes from Camp A until last evening…. out tumbled a swimming badge, some awards and an extraordinary letter from Adam Ruzzo. We know that Elliot (Schrider) is very musical and, although he only started playing guitar at the end of January, his progress has […]
ContinueWhy we don’t let campers sneak out at night
I’ve had a few parents calling me in the past week about campers sneaking out of their cabins at night at other camps. Apparently it’s the cool thing to do at some camps. Which makes me sad. I know what kids do when they sneak out to visit the opposite sex in the middle of […]
Continue