I hope that this monthly installment of our newsletter finds you happy and healthy! Our spring sessions are in full swing and summer is just around the corner!
We are putting into place several new things that I think will help to improve the camp experience.
New Additions for Camp this Summer Include:
--A transportation shuttle service to and from camp
--New field trips for bowling and the movies
--Additional Parent Meetings
--A new registration that will be much more user friendly than our last system and allow for signups by smartphone and tablet
--Additional staff to assist with the administrative details of camp
Summer Dates: July 7 to August 14
Please Click Here to View the Summer Calendar
REGISTRATIONS BY APRIL 15TH WILL RECEIVE $200 OFF SUMMER CAMP COSTS!
This issue of our newsletter features an article regarding how camps can teach children the skills considered critical to be successful in the 21st century. At Quest, we are proud to provide an innovative treatment program through our therapeutic summer camp and school year therapy groups that have been proven to reduce problem behaviors not only at camp, but in school, at home, and in everyday life. We hope that our newsletter will be a source of support and applicable information to improve the lives of the amazing children and families in our community.
Sincerely,
Jodie Knott, Ph.D.
Director and Licensed Psychologist
Quest Therapeutic Camps of Southern California
Developing 21st Century Skills Through Summer Campby Nicole Wurm,
Head of Counselor Services
What are 21st Century Skills and why does it matter?
According to the American Management Association (2013) employers reported that companies with many job openings were unable to hire applicants due to lack of higher level skills. These skills are called 21st Century Skills which include creative solution development, ability to function as a team to solve problems, critical thinking, communication, flexibility, adaptability, social skills, leadership, and much more. The companies that formed the Partnership for 21st Century Skills asked for schools and youth development organizations to begin developing these skills in their students. The development of these skills is critical in preparing children for their adult life and career. Schools are beginning to use 21st Century Skills to develop these skills in conjunction with the new Common Core standards. These skills are an important part of being a well-rounded individual and a capable leader in business or the workforce.
For more information on the 21st Century Skills framework or skills please visit:
http://www.p21.org
http://www.p21.org/storage/documents/1.__p21_framework_2-pager.pdf
How can 21st Century Skills be Built?
The use of experiential learning is an effective means for developing 21st Century Skills. Experiential learning is the process of learning from experience. Summer camps use experiential learning to develop these skills. Quest camp has taken the lead in developing and preparing children with the skills that will be in high demand for future jobs. A person begins developing these skills by experiencing team building initiatives that draw out the need for these skills. In order to successfully complete the tasks children must work as teams to create innovative solutions. During and after the experience they must reflect on the problem and what methods they can use to create a solution. They are building new knowledge and understandings through reflecting on the process they engaged in during their experience. Although these skills are beginning to be integrated into schools, camps have been developing these skills in children for decades (Brody, 2013). Summer camps and other outdoor adventure experiential learning facilities are at the forefront of fostering these skills (Hattie et al., 1997; Henderson et al., 2007; Thurber et al. 2007). Quest camps purposefully create its curriculum to foster the development these skills among its campers.
How Quest Builds 21st Century Skills?
The games, activities and social interactions that Quest Camps utilize are developed to provide students with the opportunity to experience situations that need these skills. We build these skills up by starting with simpler experiences and construct a scaffold for students to build the knowledge and skills upon. Team building activities occurs several times throughout the week requiring students to work together to solve a problem; the objective of the exercise maybe to develop improved communication skills, teaching methods of problem solving or fostering creative thinking skills. Other experiences are designed to develop leadership, flexibility, social skills, responsibility and adaptability. Quest also integrates some of the information, media, and technology skills through the use of video game making week and movie making week, as well as, creativity, collaboration, communication, innovation etc. Leadership is highly encouraged within our program as campers develop the necessary skills and confidence and their abilities. Quest Camp uses experiential learning through the games, activities, and social interactions to develop the skills they will need to flourish and succeed in the 21st Century workplace and their lives.
**Information in this article is from Nicole's Thesis from California State University, Fullerton.
