Building awareness of our campers
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Transcript of Building awareness of our campers
Building awareness of our Building awareness of our camperscampers
Building awareness of our Building awareness of our camperscampers
““It is impossible to watch out for trouble It is impossible to watch out for trouble and have a normal childhood at the same time.”and have a normal childhood at the same time.”
-Doris Sanford-Doris Sanford
How are our campers different from most of us?
They are children; we are adults.Our campers have:• Greater racial, ethnic, and cultural
variation• Greater diversity of religious and non-
religious backgrounds• More diverse and less favorable family
backgrounds• More mobility and disruption of family
life• A background of abuse and neglect
(Only 1 out of 100 children have a DSS substantiated case of abuse. RFK campers have that in common.)
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How are our campers different from other children?
Children with nurturing, non-abusive families tend to display:
• Trust in others• Self-worth• Self-control• Willingness to try new things• Socialization skills [table manners,
getting along with peers, sharing, taking turns, respect for authority3]
• Normal developmental skill levels [reading, swimming and other play skills]
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RFK Campers: Developmental delays and asynchrony
Some campers will be delayed in virtually all areas of their development [mentally, physically, emotionally, socially]
Some campers will exhibit developmental asynchrony [i.e. normal or advanced in some areas but delayed in others]
For example:• Body of teenager and sexually experienced
with emotional age of a five-year-old• Small for age, but gifted mentally• Normal appearing but behind in school
with zero self-confidence
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The “parentified” child
Some campers have been thrust into parental roles prematurely
• Caring for younger siblings• Looking after an addicted parent• Having premature exposure to
“adult” life [sex, drugs, crime]
They may appear “mature” but they are still children
They need to let go of responsibility and be “children” at camp
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Accelerated development
Children inherently display the ability to “bounce back” from adversities:
Consider this example:• Twins are smaller and have lower
birth weights than single babies• This is due to limited resources and
overcrowding in the mother’s womb• At birth, unlimited resources are now
available• At birth, twins grow faster than
normal and catch up
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Accelerated development at camp?
How is “accelerated development” relevant to our campers?
• Our campers have been in neglectful environments – not conducive to their physical, social, mental and emotional development
• RFK provides a positive environment conducive to growth
• When campers trust us and engage with the program, they may gain more from the week than so-called “normal” children
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“I’m an artist!”• In 1995, Andy almost didn’t come to camp.• His mother was reluctant to send him because he
was “uncontrollable”• Andy’s counselor happened to be an art teacher• Andy soon bonded with his counselor and began to
try his hand at “art” in some of the activity centers• In chapel on Thursday, when campers were asked
what they learned this week, Andy jumped up and proclaimed, “I’m an artist!”
• In the last activity session of the week, Andy rapidly made pipe cleaner creations while checking how many minutes remained.
• It was Andy’s “time to grow” and he was making the most of his opportunity
• In 2007, at the age of 20, Andy is enrolled in college and studying graphic designRFK Inc. 2012
…also known as…
child resiliency
Accelerated development or “bouncing back” is known in research literature as “resiliency”
[defined] -- The ability of every child to overcome adversity if important protective factors are present in one’s life. (Patterson, 2001)
Although resilience may be inherent in children, it can also be enhanced by what we do at camp.
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Resiliency factors
Years of research on resiliency have identified many factors that enhance child resilience
These can be summarized with three words:
• Milieu• Mentors• MessageCreate the milieu, enlist the mentors and
frame the message properly and one can create “turning points” or “moments that matter” for children
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Milieu:The camper’s internal and external environment
External milieu • How can one structure the ideal
environment for abused and neglected children to “bounce back” and to “grow”– Residential camp – Create positive memories– Two to one ratio– Cooperative interaction that limits
harmful competition– Consistent, well-structured
program
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Milieu:The camper’s internal and external environment
Internal milieu • What can one seek to structure
internally or “inside the camper”– Build trust– Build self-worth and esteem– Foster skill development– Help campers develop proper
boundaries– Help campers to plan and to
solve problems– Give campers “tools” to help
themselves
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Mentors:Recruit, train, and support good role models for campers
Mentors• The staff and counselors are the catalysts
who engage campers with the program– Determine what qualities are most
important for mentors to possess [empathy, love, listening ear, role models, etc.]
– Select volunteers who already possess these qualities
– Train volunteers to enrich their abilities to succeed with abused/neglected children
– Support volunteers during the week of camp with timely assistance, regular breaksRFK Inc. 2012
The Value of Empathy?
• Mentors are most helpful not so much when they pity children and see their suffering, but when they see and affirm their potential and foresee their healing. (Quinn, 2002)
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Message:Help campers to frame experiences in ways that heal
and move them forward
Getting the “message” acrossWe need to help children• Enlarge their world• Frame experiences more
constructively• Acquire healthy expectations and a
sense of hope• Sense purpose and meaning to life• Use personal faith as tool for
understanding and recovery
“You havea royalheritage!”
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On reframing bad experiences…
“While you cannot change the past, you can change the way you understand it. You can frame your story around themes of your resilience or themes of your damage. You can find reasons to be proud in some of your worst memories, or you can let yourself be overwhelmed by the harm of it all.” (Wolin and Wolin, 1993)
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The “premium” blend
As local RFKs seek to create a “premium blend” of milieu, mentors, and message they will provide “turning points” or “moments that matter” for children.
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RFK and the “premium blend”
• Framing the message = ROYAL• Envisioning, empathic mentors
= FAMILY• Internal milieu
= KIDS• External milieu = CAMP
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3 FOR 3
Before we move on…
Let’s have three questions about this section. AND / ORthree Take-a-ways
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