More Relevant Than Ever Owning the Power of

More Relevant Than Ever Owning the Power of Camp Steve Baskin LOM Conference November 6, 2018 steveb@campchampions. com

An Odd Irony • The world is changing at an accelerating pace • Summer camp is over 150 years old. . . • . . . and has barely changed • A recipe for obsolescence? • No. Our outcomes are more critical than ever.

Focus on Outcomes • Success • Faith • Community “Magic” of Camp Love of Nature Fun

What Parents Want

st 21 Century Skills

What Businesses Are Saying?

Spiritual Success

What is Success? God Family Career Community

3 Challenging Trends Technology Inundation Reduced Faith “Over-Parenting”

Reduced Faith

Faith is Dropping 7. 00% 5. 00% 4. 00% 3. 00% 2007 2. 00% 2014 1. 00% hi es t At st ic Ag no er an Lu th et h od i st 0. 00% M % of US Population 6. 00% Pew Research Center

Churches Struggle to Engage Youth • Secularism of media • Myriad of entertainment options • Obsession with youth (less veneration of older generations) • Traditions seem inaccessible

Over-Parenting

Grit and Self control

Safetyism

Anti-Fragile

Technological Inundation

Disturbing Usage 60+ 53 Hours!

First Concern: Skill Development Personal Professional

Skills Require Practice

Second Concern: Emotional Impact Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation? More comfortable online than out partying, post-Millennials are safer, physically, than adolescents have ever been. But they’re on the brink of a mental-health crisis. - Jean W. Twenge (September 2017 issue)

Major Change in 2012 • Year > 50% of Americans had smartphones • Social media expands • 1 st Wave - Facebook (2004); Twitter (2006) • Pinterest, Instagram and Snapchat all in 2010 • Widespread expansion on R&D $8, 000 $6, 000 $4, 000 $2, 000 $0 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Powerful Summary “Teens who spend more time than average on screen activities are more likely to be unhappy, and those who spend more time than average on nonscreen activities are more likely to be happy. There is not a single exception. All screen activities are linked to less happiness and all nonscreen activities are linked to more happiness. ”

Increased Loneliness

Teen Suicides • Drastic change between 2007 and 2015 • 15 -19 year-olds • Boys up 30% • Girls up 100% • 12 -14 year-olds • Boys up 100% • Girls up 200% (Three times more than 2007!)

Third Concern: Impact on Faith 7. 00% 5. 00% 4. 00% 3. 00% 2007 2. 00% 2014 1. 00% hi es t At st ic Ag no er an Lu th et h od i st 0. 00% M % of US Population 6. 00% Pew Research Center

Camp Addresses these Challenges

Camp Helps and Protects Skill Acquisition Address Digital Challenges Faith Formation

Teaching Skills • Engaged, non-parent role models • Rich, challenging environment • Active problem solving • Facilitated, active learning • Adults encourage faith & reflection

Engaged non-parent adults

Rich, challenging environment

Problem Solving

Facilitated, active learning

Adults Encourage questioning/reflection

Antidote to Digital Addiction Face-to-Face Active/Engaging Low Tech Social Non-Tech Role Models

Face-To-Face Friends

Tech Free and Fun

Challenge and Strength

Camp Is The Only Place Where children will be tech free AND happy for over 24 hours.

Faith Formation at camp Foundation of Jewish Camp Sorenson

Christian Faith at camp Jake Sorenson

Faith-Centered

Relational

Different from Home and Participatory

In Nature - Awe

Family Camp And Retreats

Bringing Faith Home

Leaving with Hope

Thank you!