Mini Session? Junior Session?? Main Session?!? – Oh My!
Each of our summer sessions is unique and so is each of our campers and families. Which session is right for you can sometimes seem like a daunting question! With several sessions to choose from, let’s talk for a minute about what each one offers so that you can pick the one that best fits your camper and your family.
What all sessions share:
For starters, there are many things that each of our sessions share! Fun, challenging activities, personal growth, and friendships that can last a lifetime. These things are core aspects of a summer at Kahdalea and Chosatonga: no matter which session you choose, you can look forward to them. And of course, let’s not forget our core values! These are role modelled by our staff daily. When it comes to day to day life, each session looks very similar in its daily and weekly structure. Weekday activity periods and rest hours, and special weekend events like Co-ed day, Chapel, Campfire, and Friendship Counsel are mainstays to the rhythm of camp life. Generally, all of our activities from arts and crafts to whitewater paddling are open in each of our sessions. Some new campers attend every session and the closeness of cabin life with 6 cabinmates provides a great space for friendships to flourish. The last thing to point out would be that all of them, even our shortest Mini sessions, are a big investment of time. We know how precious time with your children is – one week can be a long time! – and we see time as a key ingredient in the CKC recipe. Learning new skills, growing in resilience and confidence, forming friendships, each of these things takes time. We are thankful for each moment they’ll be with us here.
Mini Session (~1 week)
At just one week, our Mini sessions are the shortest visits we offer at CKC. These are introductory sessions for our youngest campers and they are tons of fun! The Mini session is open for ages 7 to 9. While these sessions still offer a great amount of choice for the campers, most activities, especially for the first few days, are done with the cabin group. The week culminates in a cabin overnight – a quintessential camp experience – a cabin party, and a trip into the national forest! Like the Junior sessions, the Mini sessions run concurrently within our longer June and Main sessions; because of that, the campers are still able to participate in activities with a larger camp community and be a part of the full span of camp life. It also means that, depending where the session fits within the programming of the longer session, each Mini session is unique since it will share in the special programming (opening day events, closing day events, special theme days) of the longer session.
Junior Session (~2 weeks)
Our Junior sessions are 2 weeks long and open to ages 7 to 12. These are introductory sessions for some of our younger campers and they are tons of fun! Each cabin spends much of the first week together as they get to know camp and each other better. The first week culminates in a cabin overnight and a fun weekend with the wider camp community. After setting some goals with the counselors, and with many activity fundamentals under their belts, the campers have much more freedom during the second week to select the activities and adventures that most appeal to them and pursue those with their friends. For those attending the two week Junior session, this second week offers greater opportunity for self-direction in activity choices and more out of camp adventures! Also like the Mini sessions, the Junior sessions run concurrently within our longer June and Main sessions; because of that, the campers are still able to participate in activities with a larger camp community and be a part of the full span of camp life. It also means that, depending where the session fits within the programming of the longer session, each Junior session is unique since it will share in the special programming (opening day events, closing day events, special theme days) of the longer session.
June session (~3 weeks)
3 weeks (plus a couple extra days) may seem like a long time… but trust us: it is not! The time truly zips by. The June session is open to all campers and Junior Counselors ages 8 to 18 and offers a range of fun special events and the full spread of activities. Three weeks allows campers the opportunity to hone in on the activities that interest them most and begin to work their way up the progression levels and gain true mastery. Whether that is in riflery, arts and crafts, backpacking, riding, or any of our other activities, campers have the opportunity to grow not only in skill but also in virtues like self-discipline and humility that practice and growth often impart. Of course, the most important thing is relationships and growth of character. The extra time that our June and Main sessions offer allows friendships to grow deeper. In any session, the opportunity for fast and durable friendships is present, but the extra time of these longer sessions gives space for deeper connection as cabin mates learn to share life together. The June session is one of our core sessions.
Main Session (~5 weeks)
Main session at Kahdalea and Chosatonga is our longest and in many ways our best session. If it seems like it may be a good fit for your camper, we strongly recommend it as the ultimate camp experience! Just like our June session, the main session is open for campers and Junior Counselors ages 8 to 18 and offers a range of fun special events and the full spread of activities. With nearly two extra weeks of programming to work with there are several special camp occasions that are unique to this session like the 4th of July, Quest, and many of our longest and most exciting trips and adventures, like our week long backpacking trip on the famous Appalachian Trail or the opportunity to paddle on the exciting Ocoee river in Tennessee. For campers who are looking to maximize opportunities to grow in independence, skill, virtues, and friendship, this is the place to be. You will have fun; you will be challenged to grow, and you will make friends along the way!
Full Session (~9 weeks)
The Full Summer Session is the whole kit and caboodle! These campers are usually motivated to try something a little more challenging and to master skills in multiple different activities. This will be an experience to remember! The Full session is open to ages 8 to 18 (though usually these campers are a bit older).
So what’s the right fit?
The choice is yours! You know your camper best and you can have faith as you decide that we are here to help. We’re at your service! We often recommend longer sessions because time is such an asset as campers learn and grow and get to know each other – but you and your camper probably know best how much time is the right fit. Just keep in mind that, in our experience, kids are often far more capable than we think they are. 🙂
– Jeffrey Trufant
