Beyond Tents and Campfires –
YMCA Camp Weona Teaches Life Skills

When looking at the big picture, families want their children to become happy, balanced, successful, contributing adults. How can families provide the lessons needed for future success? By providing children with the opportunity to learn these life skills now — in an environment created just for them. That's where camp comes in.

Beyond the campfire and tents, a positive camp experience teaches a child critical life skills — important building blocks for the future. Through camp, children learn how to be independent, self-sufficient, and self-assured. They learn a sense of community – learning how to live with others, overcome adversity, and how to respect and appreciate those that are different from themselves.

Camp provides children an opportunity to learn in an experiential classroom — a powerful learning environment that is a critical part of educating the whole child. In fact, camp is comprised almost entirely of "teachable moments" — moments when children are actively engaged and using creativity and cognitive skills. Because of the "hands-on" nature of camp, often those children who may struggle in traditional educational settings excel.

At camp, children gain an appreciation of the environment and a better understanding of the world around them. They grow by learning to take healthy risks, developing authentic relationships with peers and mentors, and learning that "I can" is much more powerful than "I can't."

The American Camp Association® (ACA) family resource site, www.CampParents.org, offers families information and guidance as they search for the perfect camp experience. You may also visit our website at for more specific to YMCA Camp Weona.

This year, YMCA Camp Weona has more dates and flexibility than ever to provide one, two or more weeks of camp to your family. Visit our website today for dates and rates at www.campweona.org

Did You Know?

Every year, YMCA volunteers solicit funds to help children, teens, and families participate in YMCA camping programs. However, our Strong Kids campaign is about more than just money. The purpose of our campaign is to:
- Build a broad base of community support amongst businesses, organizations, and individuals
- Enlist a significant number of YMCA members and friends who will support our work in the community
- Interpret YMCA values of honesty, caring, respect, and responsibility to the community
- Improve and broaden our programs and services for the children, teens, and families who live in our community and are served by the YMCA Camp Weona

Facts about the YMCA:

With your help our YMCA will continue to keep both its promises and be able to offer EVERYONE the opportunity to take part in:
- Quality residential camping programs that give kids the chance to develop physically, mentally, and socially while learning the values of personal responsibility and self esteem.
- All the money raised in the campaign's used to support the YMCA’s programs for children, teens, and families. Last year we raised over $64,000 and awarded financial assistance to over 250 families.
- The YMCA uses contributed funds to ensure that those who are unable to pay the stated fees are able to participate.
- Making good decisions when family members are not around – skills and knowledge needed in a complicated world that enable them to enjoy a better quality of life, learn skills on making and keeping new friends.
- And quality outdoor family programming that helps open the lines of communication, build trust and strengthen the bond between parents and children.
- Provides unique opportunities for children and teens to learn about the outdoors and appreciate the environment through YMCA summer camp and throughout the year.
- Provides teens with the opportunity to maximize their potential through leadership development and life-skills programs in our Leaders-In-Training program. Last year 46 teens participated in our LIT and CIT programs.
- Promotes healthy lifestyles through outdoor experiences that may lead to a lifetime of fitness-related opportunities.