This morning, I got an unexpected email.

About one month ago, a longtime camp advocate flew me to Pennsylvania to tape a “webcast”. He had seen a keynote I gave at a conference in which I argued that camps are more relevant now than they have ever been. In it, I suggested that camp helps addresses three challenges that face children today: test-centric education, “over-parenting” and excess technology (especially social media and gaming).

I thought that it would take all summer for them to pull together the video, but it arrived today.

Let me start by saying that it is long. They plan to break it up into 4-5 separate videos. I am not sure if anyone (even Susie Ma’am or my mother) wants to see 45 minutes of me.

But Susie Ma’am encouraged me to share this with you, so I am doing so. Please let me explain the structure.

1. Introduction of panelist and discussion of important skills needed to succeed and listing of 3 challenges that are affecting young people today.

2. Challenges arising from Test-Centric Schools

3. Challenges arising from “Over-Parenting” and

4. Challenges arising from Technology (social media and gaming)

Here is the link: https://vimeo.com/275154083/676b0309df

Before I close, I want to stress one of the reasons I love camp. Children certainly learn important things, but in an amazingly fun and emotionally satisfying environment. Campers do not feel like they are learning, but they feel that they are growing.

Steve Sir