Parent Handbook
Camp Wildwood–A Ten Year Program
A camp session at Wildwood lasts just 5 days, but we often talk about Camp Wildwood being a 10-year program.
Why? We focus on having campers come back each year because the research shows increased benefits for campers each year they return, culminating in long-term benefits that will impact campers into adulthood.
What are these benefits? We’re glad you asked!
Welcome, Americorps VISTAs!
This year, Wildwood has been lucky to welcome two excellent Americorps VISTA members, Shannon and Katie! Shannon and Katie will be with Wildwood for the next 12 months, increasing Wildwood’s fundraising, volunteering, programming, and camp recruitment and retention capacity.
More specifically, Shannon will be building new camp programs, leveling up our staff training, and planning new ways to recruit and retain camp staff and campers. Katie will be re-building Wildwood’s volunteer program, supporting individual fundraising through community events, and crafting new PR strategy for Wildwood.
They are both making a huge difference at Wildwood already, and we are so excited to have them on board! Welcome to the team!
(You can send a digital welcome to Shannon and Katie here: https://www.kudoboard.com/boards/fMYnTOzu)
What Campers Gained This Summer
Hello, Wildwood families!
Can you believe it? Another summer camp season has come and gone. It feels like the summer just began and we are already putting away the canoes and closing down camp. For many Wildwood campers, this summer was the first summer away to camp, while for others it was merely a return to a favorite summer spot. Regardless of which was the case for your camper(s), we hope the experience was a fun and memorable one.
As I am sure you were excitedly told upon picking up your child, your camper probably participated in many classic camp activities such as archery, canoeing and giant tag games across our large, open field games.
But there’s a good chance that they got something even more valuable than a chance to catch a fish, hike up a wooded hillside, or try out our zipline — they got to step outside the usual home environment and practice some independence. Campers were responsible for carrying out their own morning and evening routines and chose their own afternoon activities, and, in many ways, designed their own days while at camp. Perhaps you’ve noticed some of this independence seeping into the home life since they’ve come back. (We’d love to hear about what you’ve noticed, via our parent survey, email at kevin@wildwoodctr.org, or at one of our upcoming events!)
Campers also practiced getting along with others. Upon arriving in a cabin with different peers from different backgrounds, campers get to know their peers and go through much of the day with these same peers. Sometimes conflict arises, and there were many instances of campers working through these difficult situations with the support of their cabin staff and gaining a new idea of someone else’s perspective. We’re curious if you’ve noticed any instances of a wider, more open mind since your camper got home.
We hope you’ll tell us about it–the good and the bad–at one of our events this fall! Whether you and your family attend a hike with our hike club, eat with us at Wildwood Family Dinner, or explore Wildwood trails at Electric Night Hike, we can’t wait to hear from you and see you in person!
Sincerely,
Kevin Anderson
Wildwood Camp Director
Welcome to the Team, Kevin!
In 2021, Wildwood began the search for a new Camp Director. After months of searching, Kevin Anderson joined the team in February 2022, and he is already making a huge difference for Wildwood.
But it won’t be his first summer at Wildwood! Kevin worked as a counselor and seasonal staff at Wildwood for several years in the mid-2000s.
What are some of your early experiences in the outdoors? How did you get interested?
I was extremely fortunate to spend many weekends wandering my grandpa’s farm in western Kansas with my cousins or fishing and camping with my dad at the local lake.
There was something special about the feeling of being out at these places and just interacting with the world around me, and I look forward to enabling youth from our community to have similar experiences at camp this summer.
How did you first find Wildwood? What was that experience like?
I first heard about Wildwood from friends at college who had worked here as camp counselors, and I joined them as a counselor myself.
The experience was a blast! I had an unforgettable summer, and it certainly changed my life for the better. Within a few months of leaving WIldwood, I was signed up to come back not only for the next summer, but also live on site and work the spring and fall outdoor school programs.
Can you tell us a little about your background?
For the last few years I have been pursuing a Master’s degree in Counseling from MidAmerica Nazarene University, and I worked at Kids TLC in Olathe for the last six years.
I am beyond excited to be returning to Wildwood! I cannot wait to do my part for Wildwood to continue offering the transformative summertime experiences. that meant so much to me when I first got to be part of Wildwood as a counselor over ten years ago!
What are some of your passions outside work?
When not working, I love to camp, hike a trail, play disc golf with friends, or play a song on the mandolin (badly).
What are you most looking forward to in this position?
A couple of things come to mind: first, I am most looking forward to seeing camp full of kids having fun playing games, catching fish, and splashing around in canoes. I am also very excited to begin the community-building process that starts when our fantastic counselors arrive for their first day of staff training.
The Results Are In–2021 Camper Outcomes
You might already know that we ask campers to take surveys while they’re at camp. But you might not know why.
We ask campers to take surveys for two reasons: so we can improve camp, and so we can make camp as impactful as possible. We want campers to leave Wildwood with a new enjoyment of being outside, enthusiasm for science, and social and emotional skills gained through cabin life.
Here are a few highlights:
At the end of camp,
Other Insights
In addition to what campers learn, it’s incredibly important to us that campers AND parents are happy with the camp experience.
Last year, our parents and older campers (age 12+) also let us know how we can make camp better. Here’s what we learned:
P.S. If you’d like to volunteer as a photographer this summer, please let us know! Email Jane at jane@wildwoodctr.org or text at (913)738-9067. 🙂
A Note About Our Survey Data
In 2021, Wildwood capped overnight camp at half capacity to reduce COVID-19 risks, and served a total of 337 campers. Of those, 66 campers’ surveys could not be matched from pre- to post-, and were excluded from the data.
The remaining 271 surveys were analyzed for camper growth in five areas: environmental literacy (particularly wanting to be outside and feeling connected to nature); responsible decision-making; self-management (being aware of and processing one’s emotions in a healthy way); relationship skills (conflict resolution, feeling connected to others); and social awareness (empathizing with others and reacting accordingly).
Volunteer Spotlight: Justin and Matt
This summer, we were lucky enough to have father-son duo Justin and Matt Dreier create a new outdoor wall for Wildwood. Justin serves on the Wildwood Board of Directors, and Robyn, Wildwood’s executive director, approached him about the project.
Another volunteer–Kyle–had created an indoor wall for Wildwood, complete with led lights, and a fabric-covered logo. (Pictured below)
We loved the piece so much that Robyn asked Justin if he would be willing to take a shot at creating a weather durable version for the main campfire.
Justin and son, Matt took on the project, undeterred by the challenge.
The Wild Robot in the Woods
Wildwood loves summer reading. Research says that kids who read during the summer retain more school-year learning and enjoy reading more.
At camp, kids read everywhere–on rules for fishing, in directions for sunblock and insect repellant, on signs in the cabins.
Reading at camp is more fun and engaging when we add a sense of community to our reading program. That’s why we are so excited to introduce a common read this year, The Wild Robot written by Peter Brown.
Volunteer Counselor–David
Although we haven’t had volunteers on site in the last year or so, we are so so grateful for their work and support. In honor of National Volunteer Week, we’d like to highlight the experience one of our dedicated volunteers, David, had working with campers in 2019.
“My name is David. I work at Cerner. In 2019, I had the opportunity to volunteer as a counselor for a week of camp at Wildwood.
How I Got Involved
You might wonder how I came to spend a week with campers at Wildwood.
I first learned about Wildwood in March 2018 when I was searching for volunteer opportunities. I stumbled across a listing for Wildwood’s fundraiser, Take A Wild Guess, at Boulevard Brewery. Between my background as an Eagle Scout and my fondness for local beer, I knew that this was the perfect volunteer opportunity for me. I volunteered at the event–manning a game station for guests–but I immediately felt I had more I could offer Wildwood than a donation or a few hours of my time.