MIAMI, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) — More than 14 million children will say goodbye to their parents for day or sleep-over camp in the next several months. So how can you be sure these time-away-from-home trips are great experiences for your sons and daughters?
Like a lot of kids, Hunter Ramo wasn’t always a big fan of summer camp.
“I realized I was bored sometimes and that would really suck because I could have been at home.” Ramo said.
Camp expert Karen Meister says all camps are not created equal when it comes to different children.
“Are they outgoing, are they athletic, are they interested in the arts, are they shy, what is your child like?” Meister questioned.
If the match is a good one between children and camp, it’s a great time for them to enjoy their independence and pursue their talents.
Meister explained “This is the time to give your children wings.”
Once kids hit their teens, traditional camps may lose their appeal. That’s why Meister started P2P, or the Passion to Proficiency program.
“We like to explore a passion that they may develop. Then let’s dig deeper, let’s go into becoming proficient at it.” Meister told Ivanhoe.
She says these older kids can use internships and travel to create unforgettable memories.
“You may go overseas and be doing research or making the world a better place.” Meister said.
Ramo shared, “I’d always love the ocean, spent as much time as I could at the beach.”
So Meister made sure his first summer experience was scuba diving in the British Virgin Islands.
“You go through all the eco lectures and learn about the coral reefs.” Ramo said.
That led to summer programs in Australia and Fiji, and a passion for marine life.
Ramo said excitedly, “Right now I’m studying biology and I really like it.”
A big improvement over Ramo’s first summer camp.
Ramo had the results of some of his research published in a Maui scuba magazine! Now he is a freshman at the University of Southern California. Meister says a summer experience can range from under two thousand dollars up to 13 thousand bucks and runs four to eight weeks. Her services are free to the families because the camps pay her a finder’s fee. For more information check out www.campexpert.com or Facebook/camp-experts.
Contributors to this news report include: Janna Ross, Producer; Judy Reich, Videographer; Bob Walko, Editor.
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