Experiences of a lifetime. Research suggests outdoor programs improve self-esteem, confidence.
This summer, hundreds of local boys and girls will be having the time of their lives camping in Coeur d’Alene. They’ll be canoeing, swimming and splashing, shooting bows and arrows and earning emblems for science education and forestry at Camp Sweyolakan.
But they’ll be building more than sandcastles on the shores of Lake Coeur d’Alene. Research suggests that the social experiences and outdoor programs provided by organizations like Camp Fire play a critical role in developing a child’s confidence and self-esteem, said Sara Matthews, a child development and early childhood education instructor with University of Idaho in Coeur d’Alene.
“Outdoor programs help give children positive social experiences and are a huge contributor to life success,” said Matthews. “Children today are spending less and less time outside. There are a lot of contributing factors to that, but there is some research that suggests outdoor play leads to overall well being, which ultimately leads to higher self esteem and confidence.”
Kim Ellis knows. She has sent her four children to Camp Sweyolakan on Lake Coeur d’Alene every summer for more than 10 years.
“I absolutely love what Camp Fire stands for: service and community,” Ellis said. “Every time they come back, my children are a little more grown up, and a little more mature.”
Ellis said her daughter, Chelsea, was profoundly impacted by the experiences from first grade through 12th grade.
“Camp Fire brought her out of her shell,” Ellis said. “As a first grader, she was very reserved. Today at 23, she is very outgoing.”
Ellis said even her sons who were initially reluctant to go to camp are now gung ho.
“All of my kids had really positive experiences and living in the city, they were able to learn outdoor activities, such as canoeing and camping,” Ellis said. “The first year, one of my sons cried when he had to go to camp. Then he cried when he had to come home and he has cried every year since.”
Registration for Camp Fire’s Camp Sweyolakan is now open. The camp programs are geared for kids ages 5-18. Kids are placed in small groups by age and are given appropriate activities. Camp Fire offers camping sessions ranging from four days to six weeks. It offers programs for children with special needs as well.
“Camp Sweyolakan has something for everyone,” said Poppy White, Director of Camping and Program Services for Camp Fire Inland Northwest. “Being on the water provides a special setting to create magical memories for children.”
Camp Sweyolakan is only accessible by boat. It has more than two dozen themed cabins spread out over 300 acres near Mica Bay. Camp begins in early July and runs through mid-August.
Robin Chamberlain, a senior at Coeur d’Alene High School, has attended Camp Fire summer camps for the last 10 years. She said Camp Fire has been life-changing.
“I have more confidence in myself,” she said. “I love Camp Fire.”
She plans on going back this summer as a camp counselor in training.
“It’s a place where you’re free to be yourself,” she said. “You can let your hair down and be around amazing people. It’s the community. You can’t find people like this anywhere else.”
For more information, https://www.campfireinc.org/
— Written By Marc Stewart
Marc Stewart is Director of Sponsored Content for the Coeur d’Alene Press. He can be reached at mstewart@cdapress.com or 208-664-8176, ext. 2011