Uncovering the Cliff Well, that was fun. Last week, we posted a podcast episode diving into something that we, along with other camp researchers, consultants, and practitioners, have been exploring about the upcoming enrollment cliff that camps across the country will...
There's a shift coming, and it affects camp in significant ways. On this episode, we'll talk about why, how, and when it's coming, and leave you with some ideas to get ahead of it. When you lay out the story thread of camp over the story of demographic shifts through...
My definition for camp is simple: Camp is a set-apart space that facilitates relational encounter between the self, the other, and God. Relational encounter with others is the primary pedagogical tool of summer camp. It is why camp works. Notice that the relational...
We've learned so much about summer camp staff over the past few years. With insights from more than 2000 summer staff members at more than 120 camps in the last 5 years, plus additional data from projects like the ACA Youth Impact Study and more, we know quite a bit...
It is the most important part of what we do. When we center everything on our faith in Jesus Christ, all the other characteristics of camp are transformed and aligned with the coming reign of God. Camp becomes what it is meant to be: a glimpse of God’s kingdom here on...
What a year! As we round out 2025 and look toward 2026, it's a great time to look back at our hopes for this past year. Each year on the Sacred Playgrounds Podcast, we kick off a new year with a set of data-driven New Year's resolutions for outdoor ministry. Before we...
Our Plugged-In World The world moves at a frenetic pace. We all feel it, and social scientists rush to define it. It is a loneliness epidemic. An anxious generation. A lack of grit. A surreal state of being “alone together.” A nature deficit disorder. We are more...
Camp is perfect, right? Right? At least, my camp is... You've thought it. So have we, and so has every camp enthusiast since the beginning of camp-time. And yet, we know that sometimes people have an experience that is less positive than we planned and prepared for....
Promising Strategies for Impacting Youth Development Systems From Christian Summer CampsJacob Sorenson, PhD, Sacred PlaygroundsRachael Botting, Wheaton CollegeKaren K. Melton, Baylor UniversityRob Ribbe PhD, Wheaton CollegeAbstract As research on summer camp continues...
“You are on God’s belay.” My friend and mentor Paul Hill always signed his emails and letters this way. Even in retirement, Paul has always been a self-proclaimed “adrenaline junky,” feeling most at home paddling through a surprise rainstorm in the Boundary Waters of...
Start here. Camp has the potential to be deeply impactful. Many of us have seen it with our own eyes and felt it in our own souls, having had personally transformative or life-changing experiences. Yet, camp doesn’t always have the same impact on everyone. Sometimes...
Welcome to season 5 of the Sacred Playgrounds Podcast! We're back! On this episode, we've got some words of welcome, a quick summer in review from our Sacred Playgrounds team, and what to expect from this season. Then, we dive right into some impactful insights from...
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