Dan's Papers - April 25, 2008 - Day Camps: An Important Part of a Child's "Village"

The familiar African proverb, "It takes a whole village to raise a child," expresses the complexities of child development in a simple way. Today, with children spending far less time with parents than in the past, their development is influenced by possibly hundreds of people, including teachers, counselors, professors and coaches.

Raising children properly is a community project, and one in which day camping plays a large role. Like so many other valuable learning experiences, day camps help equip children with skills they need to become happy, successful, contributing adults. Camps strive to develop positive self-esteem and nurture a child's sense of community. By emphasizing doing and learning, not final evaluation, camping experiences show that the act of trying, in and of itself, can be experienced as a success or accomplishment.

Day camps also provide ways for children to express themselves in a non-threatening, nurturing environment through a variety of sports, games, theater, crafts, nature projects, swimming, boating - as anyone who's ever been to a great camp knows, the possibilities are endless. Of course, development is more than physical growth. It is the process through which children mature socially, emotionally, intellectually and morally.

In addition to the many camps in the Hamptons where children can learn a variety of skills and have profound experiences that last a lifetime, a little farther west is the Brookhaven Country Day Camp, now celebrating its fortieth year. In 1968, my cousin Michael Pollack and I were just completing our first year as teachers. Avid campers from the age of seven, we decided to start our own day camp. We found a beautiful 7-acre piece of property on a lake. That has developed into a 24-acre camp with four swimming pools, ball fields, a hockey arena, indoor buildings, a travel program for teens and a child care center and preschool for children ages six weeks through five years of age.

That first summer began with just 35 campers, and ever since the camp's reputation and size have grown dramatically. In fact, Brookhaven has become one of the most respected programs in the camping industry, and its year-round preschool and childcare center has expanded and grown to become the first nationally accredited preschool in Suffolk County.

Many former campers, including those from that very first year, have sent their own children to Brookhaven, and a great number of campers have become counselors - some working with us for over 20 years. Brookhaven provides an atmosphere that fosters the development of skills and friendships, while creating memories that last a lifetime.