Why Accreditation is important to Foley

The American Camp Association is a community of camp professionals dedicated to enriching the lives of children through the camp experience. ACA Accreditation means that Camp Foley voluntarily submitted to a thorough review of up to 300 standards by the American Camp Association (ACA) — from staff qualifications and training to emergency management. American Camp Association collaborates with experts from the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Red Cross, and other youth-serving agencies to assure that current practices at the camp reflect the most up-to-date, research-based standards in camp operation. 

Camp Foley and ACA form a dedicated partnership that promotes summers of growth and fun in an environment committed to safety.

As a leading authority in youth development, the ACA helps all accredited camps provide:

• Camp communities committed to a safe, nurturing environment
• Caring, competent adult role models
• Healthy, developmentally appropriate experiences
• Service to the community and the natural world
• Opportunities for leadership and personal growth
• Discovery, experiential education, and learning opportunities
• Excellence and continuous self-improvement

Camp Foley is proud of its long history of accreditation but more proud of providing a quality experience for the campers and families that we serve.

Make this experience a reality - Register Today! 

Thinking About Summer Plans? We Know We Are!

Our mission here at Foley is, 'We partner with parents to drive campers to grow, gain grit, investigate, and build independence.' But what does that truly mean for me (the parent)?

As parents, you are probably starting to get to the end of your summer planning and beginning to finalize all the plans for the family. Why not make camp a part of those summer plans?! Summer camp is a benefit to your child's growth and development, but it's also a benefit to you - the parents!

You might be thinking: "So what do I, as a parent, get out of this summer camp thing?"

Your kids are experiencing an intentional, individualized, structured few weeks away from home that gives you (the parent) the benefit of having more independent, confident kids. The article above has a great link for parents on how to prepare both themselves and their children for summer camp. The list has applicable ways to get ahead and lay the groundwork for a successful time away.

A safe environment for kids (and parents) to take risks is proving to be a much needed aspect of our lives. We know that homesickness is natural, but so is kid-sickness. Parents, you are definitely going to miss your kids, but it's a great opportunity for you to also take the risk of sending your child to a place that positively shapes them. Sending your child to a place where they are safe, cared for, and encouraged to take risks allows that room for growth and independence that we at Foley strive for.

The article, Anxious Parent? Sending the kids to camp can be great for you, too, from the Boston Globe goes into more depth regarding the benefits of summer camp for both you and your kids.

Parents, including our own Beth Foster, consistently see a difference in their kids when they return home after time spent in camp.

So, as you finalize those plans, think Camp Foley. Give your kid the gift of camp, complete with lifelong skills, friendships, and memories. Give yourself the gift of risk-taking growth, practice coping, and time doing what YOU would like to.

Register today for Summer 2019 and experience the benefits of camp for you and your child!

Making 'Thank You' a Habit

Now that we're about halfway through National Thank You Month and a couple weeks into our New Year's resolutions, (keep it up!) we want to encourage saying 'Thank You' beyond just the month of January. Did you know it takes 66 days to form a habit? With that being said, how can we stick to this resolution (let alone our own personal resolutions)? Here a few tips to continue having 'Thank You' and gratitude as part of your daily routine.

1. Start Small! 
• You don't have to say 'Thank You' 100 times a day (maybe a future goal?). Find one or two things to explicitly say thank you for each day. Make a point to say it, write it, or creatively show it. You'll probably find that you have a lot more than two things to say 'Thank You' for. You can eventually work your way up to saying it more and more!
2. Write in a Gratitude Journal
• Bullet Journaling is becoming incredibly popular these days. It takes only a few minutes to write down a few quick things about your day, and it's a great opportunity to take the time to write down what you're thankful for! This could be that someone held the door open for you, it was extra sunny, or just positive things about your day in general. Looking at these bullet points helps you hold those moments a little bit closer, and it can boost your mood when you flip back through previous days. 
  
3. Volunteer, Give Back
• Take the time to do something for others - it's shown to help you also feel good about your own strengths! You can volunteer for various causes or keep it as simple as taking the time to listen to a friend, smile at someone you don't know, hold the door for somebody, and MORE. The list could go on and on! 
4. Schedule Spontaneity and Do it Regularly
• We all love receiving notes and gifts at random, and we can make saying 'Thank You' a random act! Turn this into a habit by scheduling that spontaneity into each day to go out of our way to appreciate someone. The big takeaway of this point is to do it regularly. Whether you're verbally saying 'Thank You' to someone, sending a gift, or finding joy in the small things of life - it's the mindset of being thankful. Take nothing for granted, and enjoy the little moments that make your day brighter. 
  

We can make saying 'Thank You' and expressing gratitude part of each and every day! We hope you continue to incorporate gratitude beyond this month. Again, it can be a small gesture or acknowledgement of someone - it's always the thought that counts.

Bravery Is Learned

In Caroline Paul's Ted Talk "To raise brave girls, encourage adventure," Caroline discusses the importance of guiding our daughters to develop bravely, rather than foster the growth of fear in their everyday lives. Why should girls be any less brave than boys? I don't believe that.

The issue is that adults are willing to encourage our boys to go out and try new, "dangerous" things, while we pause at the door with our daughters and tell them to be careful or not to go on an apparatus at the playground because we as adults have fear.

Wouldn't it be great if we were out there actively guiding both our young boys and girls to develop these brave characteristics?  This is part of our mission at Foley. We partner with parents to guide campers to grow grit and investigate their independence. Of course our staff are encouraging, coaching, and ensuring overall safety, but we are allowing children to grow in confidence and ultimately become braver individuals.

"Bravery is learned, it just needs to be practiced." - Caroline Paul

Check out the full Ted Talk below! Caroline's words make us even more excited for the adventurous summer ahead.

5 Reasons Why...

First steps toward investigating
independence. 

As a parent, it is important to know you have a support system backing you as you take on the beautiful task of raising children. Our mission at Camp Foley is to partner with parents to guide children to grow grit and investigate their independence in a safe, kid focused environment. Parents, we have your back.

Time in the muck with your besties?
Yes, please. 

Some of the best, and maybe hardest, acts of parenting occur when a child is provided the opportunity to branch out and experience life without a parent's immediate guidance. A longtime ACA member and camp director, Audrey Monk, wrote  5 Reasons Why Great Parents Send Their Kids To Camp. This is an incredible post that simply puts 5 of the major benefits of camp into words. Click the link to read why allowing a child to develop independence, experience outdoor childhood fun and adventure, relax, unplug, and become better at making and keeping friends could be the best decision you make as a parent all year.


If that article speaks to what you desire for your children, grandchildren, or neighborhood friend - REGISTER THEM TODAY!

Thanks to Camp

"Let's face it. The impact of camp can be hard to explain. We know it's more than s'mores, games and crazy costumes." - Canadian Camping Association

Here's a shout-out to our neighbors to the north. The Canadian Camping Association put together an incredible video, "Thanks to Camp", that beautifully portrays the wonders of summer camp.  Individuals from across Canada submitted their iPhone footage which was ultimately compiled to create this masterpiece, and let me tell you, it just warms your soul.



If this video inspires you, please create your own #thankstocamp and post to our Facebook wall. We would love to see and hear how Camp Foley has impacted your life.

Growing Grit at Camp Foley

We've been throwing around the word GRIT for a few years now at Camp Foley. The definition, according to Google, is: courage and resolve; strength of character and is synonymous with courage, tenacity and perseverance. Foley-GRIT is defined as: courage to take risks without fear of failure; unshakable spirit; resolve. 

At Foley campers learn to take risks, try their best, and if they fail, to try again!

In the May/June edition of the American Camp Association's Camping Magazine there was an article for camp directors about how camps can work on developing grit in their campers. The article, "Eleven Tips to Building Resilience with Campers," is a good one for camp directors AND camp parents. 

11 Tips to Building Resilience with Campers

1. The Benefits of Failure

From the article: "True competence and self-esteem develop when we face difficult challenges and realize we can find a way to get through them."

2. Encourage Effort and Improvement

3. Do All Kids Deserve Trophies?

From the article: "Campers need 'realistic' pictures of their strengths and weaknesses so they can develop truer pictures of themselves based on fact."

4. Instant Gratification Does Not Build Frustration Tolerance or Equal Accomplishment

5. True Self Esteem and Confidence

From the article: "Where does confidence come from? I bet it comes from facing difficulty and finding a way to succeed." 

6. Is Every Camper a "Superstar"?

From the article: "All children can be their own superstars if we help them find ways to feel good about themselves. We need to encourage our campers to evaluate success for themselves - not based on our ideas of what is good for them or their parents' ideas of what is good for them." 

7. Points of Contact

8. Teaching Inclusive and Not Exclusive Behavior

From the article: "Children will feel good when they stand up to do what is right and make a contribution to include others' they will feel rewarded for reaching out to be inclusive."

9. Boredom, Frustration, Disappointment, and Patience

10. Are You Ethical and Fair?

11. Encourage Positive Thinking and Optimism

From the article: "Having resilience means you are able to find a sliver of something positive even when going through the roughest times."

We strongly encourage reading the entire article online to learn how campers benefit from summer camp by growing grit and building resiliency.