Why You Never Outgrow Camp

Keep Going & Keep Growing

The programs that guide campers and staff on their journey to adulthood

For our youngest campers, the camp experience is all about fun and trying new things. It’s often their longest time away from home, and their first time having so much independence and so many opportunities to try a variety of new activities. As they get a little older, campers begin to return for different reasons — for the friends they’ve made or for the skill progressions in their favorite activities. But what about when campers reach middle school and high school? Are there still things teenagers can gain from camp?

We’re glad you asked. As it turns out, as campers mature into their teens, responsibilities and opportunities for leadership around camp increase, giving them even more benefits and experiences.

This is why we created our FLINT, STEEL, and DASH programs for young men entering the 11th grade, 12th grade, and first year of college. The FLINT (Forging Leaders INTentionally) and STEEL (Summer Training Encouraging Emerging Leaders) programs build off a camper’s existing camp experience, and help transition him toward college, work, or to return as a counselor at Falling Creek.

Following the STEEL summer is a staff employment opportunity for rising college freshmen, called DASH (Developing A Servant’s Heart). Members of our DASH team work for 5-week blocks at either the first-half or second-half of the summer, and have a mix of responsibilities, including kitchen shifts, activity teaching, and covering cabins. They can work “behind-the-scenes” in the kitchen at camp, gain activity teaching experience, and learn what it means to be responsible for others as a cabin counselor.

The Older You Get, The More You Gain

What is it like to follow this progression program from camper to counselor? John Allen is one of the few in our camp community who has completed the full experience, as a member of the FLINT, STEEL, and DASH programs, before finally returning as a cabin counselor and then Assistant Outdoor Adventure Director during the 2023 summer.

As a teenager, John felt the pressure that many high school campers do, when they start to hear that camp is just for kids, or that they would benefit more from staying home with a summer job. However, John knew from experience the kind of growth he could receive through camp. “When you get into high school, you feel a little bit of pressure to get a summer job or go somewhere different. But a big part of what kept me coming back was knowing that being an older camper gave me opportunities and ways to grow in leadership.”

Initially, John came to camp as a young boy to just enjoy the activities, as most young campers do. Over the years though, he returned for the friendships, growth experience, and leadership opportunities, especially within the paddling program, which he focused much of his time on. “As I got older the biggest shift I saw was in responsibility. When I would go on out-of-camp trips or in-camp activities, I would get to have a role and help out in the activity, or even practice instructing and teaching in certain things.” John would still have time to work on his own progressions and go on all the trips he wanted to as an older camper and Man of STEEL, but he enjoyed the opportunity to teach and share his knowledge. “Specifically in paddling, there were different safety briefings or gear checks that I got to do on river trips. Especially in the advanced or intermediate groups, a lot more responsibility was given to the campers, with the counselors’ oversight.

“I remember when I was younger and I would see these 16-year-olds out in the lake on a Sunday afternoon, going out in their kayaks looking all cool and stuff. That’s the impact you get to have as an older camper at 16 or 17 in the FLINT or STEEL program — you get to be that older person that gets to run a canoe prep or help a counselor run a role clinic, teaching younger campers the skills that you were taught by someone. Getting the opportunity to teach in a structured way like a counselor does, while still being in that camper age, was a lot of fun for me. Being able to teach some basics and be a part of that instruction in paddling was ultimately one of the reasons I knew I wanted to come back on staff, just because I had already gotten the opportunity to play into that role a little bit as a camper.”

John described having a deeper mentor relationship with his counselors as he grew older too and could appreciate having someone closer in age to look up to as a teenager. “I remember I would always love to be in the Dining Hall at the table with my counselor, because at that point he wasn’t like this counselor telling us rules or what to do. He was like a friend that I got to know and was just a few years older than me, and honestly it was a lot easier to relate to him. He could not only be the ‘cool friend,’ but also like a mentor.

“I realized I really enjoyed teaching and instructing others through that, but also being an older camper and being closer in age to counselors, I enjoyed getting to work alongside them more. I got to see how much fun they had together as staff, and I kind of got to be a part of that as an older camper.”

Invaluable Opportunities

James Singhal is another former camper who returned for the FLINT, STEEL, and DASH programs before working on staff in 2023 as a photographer. James says that working with a camper cabin during his STEEL summer helped him learn caring responsibilities and conflict resolution. “Even though it was difficult at times, the patience and determination it teaches are invaluable in life outside of camp,” said James. He also gained leadership experience during his time teaching woodworking. “Beyond the cabin, I taught project brainstorming, design, and execution in the woodshop, which allowed me to share my passion with others,” James said. “Combining the learning of being a counselor with the fun of still being a camper made STEEL a perfect finale to being a camper at Falling Creek.”

John says that the FLINT and STEEL programs helped him “transition from being served in camp to serving others in camp. It seems negative since a lot of the world tells us that it’s better to have fun than to work, but I learned through the FLINT and STEEL programs the positivity of getting to serve the rest of camp. It started with just being held to a higher standard as an older camper,” said John. He was able to translate his camper experience into the counselor experience and see both sides. “I was able to see my own leadership qualities and service qualities grow.”

James also recalled the idea of “giving back” being one of his main reasons for returning as he got older. “Falling Creek is a magical place for campers, as they are the people receiving the service of the counselors; however, it was hard to imagine how much more impactful serving the campers as a counselor would be. As a counselor, you are put in the place of the person all the campers look up to, which is a position of high responsibility and high reward. I think all campers should return as a counselor for at least one year, see the impact they have, and learn from counselors around them. Counselors, especially those who were previously campers, will see how little Falling Creek seems like a job and how much it feels like a growth-filled escape.”

John says that he’ll be relying on the skills he learned at camp as he moves into the next stage of his career after college. Discipline is one of the main skills he mentioned. “Just waking up each morning at the same time and starting off by not being lazy or sitting around in bed.” Things like keeping the cabin clean, being on time to meals and activities, and sticking to a schedule helped him practice discipline.

James echoed this, and said, “One of the biggest lessons I learned from DASH that I still use today is fitting in health to a busy schedule. While working in the DASH program, I had to learn to fit staying healthy and exercising into working in the kitchen and taking photographs around camp, something I didn’t develop in high school. Being at camp, surrounded by supportive and friendly people allowed me to teach myself that skill quickly, and I’ve carried it forward into my gap year.”

As John transitioned into the role of counselor, he remembers being given more and more responsibility in camp, and having a greater emphasis placed on his personal conduct. “I remember that was one of the first things Ben Williams mentioned in training, that as the oldest campers and later as the staff, we would be setting the example for the rest of camp.” John said that learning those skills at camp has given him the confidence that he’ll be prepared in any work environment he enters in the future. He said he values the development he’s gotten through the DASH program as much as any other professional experience he’s had, especially in terms of developing leadership, discipline, and responsibility. As John said, the leadership programs at camp are “such a cool staircase that you get to go up, and a great way to spend those last years of high school.”

The reasons teenagers return to camp are varied — some want to improve their skills in favorite activities, grow as leaders, learn how to be counselors, or keep up with close friendships. Regardless of the reason, camp is designed to grow with you, shepherding the journey of personal growth right into young adulthood.