Camp Teen - A Counselor's View
Peter's View
My name is Peter Humphreys-Loving and I have been attending and working at Camp Manito-wish in Boulder Junction, Wisconsin for a 13 years. I work in the Leadership Program which plays host to Camp Teen Angel twice a year and I would like to offer my perspective on the opportunities Camp Teen offers.
When teamed with the Manito-wish facilities and facilitators, the experience Camp Teen Angel provides is a duality of challenging atmospheres juxtaposed by a completely relaxed environment where participants can play and simply enjoy each others company at their own leisure. During all the activities they have the safe, loving support of Lolly Rose, Kathy Mathie, and the omnipresent Camp Teen Angel counselors who provide help and encouragement 24 hours a day. These adults are all amazing role models and open their hearts in ways you would expect from Angel On My Shoulder.
As soon as the campers step off the bus they know they have at least one thing in common with everyone around them: they are all affected by cancer through loved ones. That commonality is one very large part of their lives and affects them in different ways. Some of the campers are used to being labeled “the teenager who’s sibling/parent has cancer”. That teenager is every teenager at camp so they immediately have to find a different way to define who they are.
The process begins on the bus and continues in the woods of Boulder Junction. Participants play name games and do goofy activities that break down inhibitions to get them comfortable with others. The activities encourage the participants to have fun and remind them that they are here to have a good time.
In recent sessions of Camp Teen Angel we started playing more awareness games. Cancer changes lives and Angel On My Shoulder was founded and is supported by people who look out for and realize the needs of others and are aware of the strength in love and support. There are many different activities that ask participants to be aware of their surroundings, use all of their senses, and think outside the box. At camp we use these games to spark discussion about being aware of assumptions and pre-judgments you may have about people and the world around you. It encourages campers to continue the tradition of AOMS by making them aware of others thoughts and feelings. This gets kids to start thinking more about how their actions affect others and how others actions affect them.
Camp Teen Angel participants get a chance to challenge themselves on Manito-wish’s High Challenge Course. In the trees 20-45 feet about the ground, this high ropes course creates realizations about the strength of will. Participants can traverse wires from tree to tree, climb to the top of a telephone pole and jump off, and fly through the air on the Flying Squirrel. These elements teach kids that, with support, they can do more than their mind tells them they can. They can push themselves physically and emotionally beyond the mental limitations they create. The ropes course is a metaphor for the challenges the campers have experienced and those that lay ahead. Our hope is they can draw on their experience of climbing higher or going further while dealing with school and family experiences upon their return.
All of these activities are intended to provoke thought while engaging the teenagers to interact with each other in a fun environment. These teenagers have been asked to grow up faster than most kids. They have been put in very adult situations and expected to confront ideas like disease and death much earlier than their peers. Cancer tends to draw attention and energy to the cancer patient and asks family members to be strong and put their life on the back burner. Camp Teen Angel gives these teenagers a break from that part of life and just be teenagers. They can indulge in fantasy riding the high seas on pirate ships, play football with others on grassy fields, and stay up late dancing to live music. They are given shirts, temporary tattoos, toys, snacks, and stickers; an entire bag of treats upon arrival. The campers are the focal point and they can just kick back and enjoy all of the activities.
The experience closes with thanks, hugs, and the exchanging of phone numbers, email addresses, and screen names. Campers hopefully leave understanding themselves and others a little better. They have been asked to challenge themselves, physically and mentally, but the experience they’ve had provides them with a foundation for getting past obstacles in life and, most importantly, a support network of new-found friends to back them up.
