Choosing the Best Summer Camp or Summer Adventure for Kids and Teens
This is the first in a series of posts addressing this question from five different perspectives: outdoor adventures, service programs, language programs, environmental studies and academic programs.
But before I get into the details of how we structure our hiking trips to be both challenging and supportive, or how our language immersion programs guarantee hours a day of instruction and conversation (and do so in places as beautiful and exciting as Barcelona and Paris) let’s just look at the process of choosing a summer camp or summer program.
My advice to parents? Give your son or daughter the Overland catalog and ask him or her to have a look to see what looks interesting; then talk about his or her interests. In the ensuing conversation you’ll likely be surprised by some of the things you hear (my daughter surprised me by being eager to head west as a sixth grader; my son surprised me by saying that his interests were largely centered on hiking rather than biking).
Then consider your family’s summer schedule—if your family’s schedule is like mine, it’s a jigsaw puzzle of competing interests. Since most of our 40 programs have multiple start dates, you should be able to find a program that fits.
At the end of this conversation, size up where you are in the process. Everyone’s on board and ready to go? Send your application and deposit in right away. Not quite ready to commit? Take your time, think it through and call us with your questions or concerns. We’re always happy to help… and we want you to help your family find the best summer camp or best summer adventure: what works best for you, excites your child’s imagination and will produce memories that will last and influence a lifetime.
-Tom Costley, Founder
