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Camp Kern-A Life Changing Experience For Youth

21 May 2018

By: Jamie Kaun

Last summer, my barely 8-year-old son had the opportunity to spend a week at a YMCA camp. As you can imagine, I was nervous and not quite ready for my firstborn to be away from home for a week. Despite my reservations, I was incredibly excited for him to go on this journey and have experiences that would last a lifetime. That’s just what happened – camp allowed him to try new things, build his leadership skills, make new friends, make his own decisions, and so much more.

 

Children ages 5-16 years old can experience a lifetime of memories at the Dayton YMCA’s Camp Kern, which is situated on 485 acres in Warren County. It offers programs for campers with activities specifically designed for each age range. Regardless of what camp they attend, campers will experience:

• Diversity – Staff and campers are from all over the world, exposing one another to different cultures, experiences and socioeconomic levels. They will learn more about themselves and each other over dinner, campfires, while helping one another achieve goals and more.

• Adventures – Zip lines, horseback riding and archery are just a few of the possibilities for new experiences. Exposure to a variety of activities helps increase confidence and expand kids’ interests. Their time at camp is “unplugged” which connects them to nature and “getting back to basics.”

• Independence – Maybe for the first time, kids have control over things that are typically predetermined. They can decide what activity they want to do, what they want to eat, whom they hang out with, etc.

• Character building – Campers will experience human emotions such as homesickness, team work, frustrations, success, friendships…the list goes on and on! Camp makes kids resilient and may even give them an “edge” on college admissions!

 

My son talked non-stop about his camp adventures for weeks (which is a lifetime to a young child). His enthusiasm encouraged us to participate in the Y’s Labor Day family camp. Our family of five slept in cabins, ate in the dining hall, swam in the lake, sailed down the zip line (even our nearly 3-year-old) and so much more – just like our son did during his week at camp. It was such a wonderful experience spending quality time with our family and other campers that we will be doing it again this Labor Day weekend. At this time, Camp Kern’s family camps are sold out, but you can be added to a waitlist.

 

Summer can be a busy time for many families with vacations, sporting activities, exploration of local attractions, and days spent at the pool. While these activities are wonderful, Camp Kern provides memories that are hard to find elsewhere. Visit their website and register today!

 

All children are welcome at Camp Kern! To make camp more affordable, you can arrange payment plans and financial assistance is available. For more information, call Loretta at (513) 932-3756.