This month has been a beautiful and busy one at CKC and across the United States in all camps travels and adventures. We’ve had showings in Washington, D.C., Ohio and Louisiana, gone to two amazing conferences, and had many projects happening on campus in Brevard.
On the Program Director side of things, Hanna and I have had the chance to travel to two wonderful Camp Conferences where we got to hear from wonderful speakers and build community with camps near and far. The first conference was for Directors of Christian Camping Institutions and was located in Seattle, Washington. Other than enjoying phenomenal views of the Cascade Mountain Range, 250+ foot waterfalls and lush forests, Hanna and I were able to meet an amazing group of people from all over the U.S. (even Alaska!) and share about our love for mission and the great outdoors. Joining a larger community that is so focused on the Christian mission of growing more like Christ in a beautiful outdoor setting that presents challenge and opportunity was inspiring. In a world that can be fast, overwhelming and often times divided, it was a breath of fresh air to be with an incredible group who shares in our goals and craves adventure as much as we do.
For our next journey, the America Camp Association (ACA) Conference, Adam Trufant joined us in a place very familiar to CKC and many of our families and alumni: New Orleans, LA! At ACA we had the chance to take a deep dive into every topic you can imagine surrounding the world of camps. We had a great time soaking in all the information we could, as well as seeing friends from the Seattle Conference and many local camps around Western North Carolina. Some of favorite topics from the conference included talks from Jonathan Haidt, impacts of time away from technology, studies on how nature effects the body and brain, leadership, wilderness programs, STEM activities, behavior, from fear to adventure and so much more.
As an added bonus, ACA finished up just in time for Mardi Gras! We celebrated Mardi Gras in New Orleans with campers, staff, alumni and even some school’s we work with in the off season! It was a joy to be on the parade routes with good friends and bring home a few throws for our summer Mardi Gras bash.
