Screen Freedom: 5 Tips for Healthy Screen Use at Home
In this brief post, I’d like to celebrate the simplicity that comes from time spent in the wilderness and away from cell service, wall chargers, and the like. I’d also like to give us all permission to release ourselves from the pressure of constant connectivity. Tempted as we are to document everything digitally and upload…
We are a Family: 8 Things That Made Summer ’24 The Best Summer Yet!
Fall is here! After 8 weeks of reflection and cool down, here are some insights about our recent summer operations at Kahdalea and Chosatonga! I write with quite a bit of excitement because, frankly, the summer was one of the best and most impactful summers I’ve ever witnessed. Inspiration for this post is drawn from…
Homefront: Snapshots from the Summer!
From the Directors: CKC is all about connection: connection between campers and their counselors, connection to camp culture and traditions, connection to beauty and the allure of the wild, connection among friends which promotes growth in authenticity, self esteem, and resilience, and connection to God. See some of these connections in full color below in…
We are a Family: “Opening Day” by Emily Kasper
There are few joys in life like the opening day of a North Carolina sleepaway camp. Early that morning, the cabins stand quietly ready, creaking beams impatient for the weight of rambunctious campers to fill them once more with trunks of new stationary and old sneakers. The equipment is readied, the grass mown, the kitchens…
Gratitude: “Privileged Seats” by Emily Kasper
You have such privileged seats- well earned- where you can watch from the front row these young ones become themselves. For these fleeing days and weeks, we too join that privilege. A brief moment earlier this week showed a beautiful example- the lightning flash of becoming. A counselor listens, ponders- during chapel she yields the…
For Parents: “CKC on a Sunday” by Emily Kasper
There is nothing on Earth like a summer camp on a Sunday. The campers are all present after a busy week of paddling excursions, hikes and overnights, and biking or climbing expeditions. Everyone is together- and everything has slowed down. Today we saw counselors pausing to let the youngest campers track a butterfly for longer…
Be the One: “The World Is In Good Hands” by Emily Kasper
Hello Camp Families and Friends! Occasionally, we welcome guests to post on our camp blog, and it is a joy to introduce Emily Kasper as a contributor. Emily has been sending her kids to camp for a few years now, and has offered to share some of her unique perspectives on our platform. A hearty…
For Parents: Antifragile Children: “YOU CAN DO HARD THINGS!”
“Find a sleepaway camp with no devices and no safetyism. Many summer camps offer children and adolescents the chance to be out in nature and away from their devices and the internet for a month or two. Under those conditions, young people attend fully to each other, forming friendships and engaging in slightly risky and…
Seek Challenge - Grow Grit: Wilderness First Responders at Your Service!
Two weeks ago, our year round staff at CKC had the opportunity to take a Wilderness First Responder class with Sierra Rescue, a wilderness medical educational institute. One of our friends over at Camp Carolina who is a Wilderness EMT, Wilderness First Responder, and certified by Sierra Rescue spent eight days teaching us how to…
Adventure: My Next Guest Needs No Introduction: Ellen Tee!
Ellen Tee is someone who I’ve known and admired for years now, and I’m happy to pass on all the wisdom that she has shared with me. If you have ever planned a trip, completed a school project, or just tried keep your room or house in decent order then you know how important good…