"The Power of Camp" Seeks to Provide Positive Life Experience for Kids Across the U.S.

Contact: Katie Powell Bell, 731-803-9056, katie@iconmediagroup.com

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., Feb. 17, 2015 /Christian Newswire/ -- Research has found that summer camp experiences help children feel good about themselves, gain more self-confidence, show more leadership skills, increase their friendship skills, and gain in their adventurousness and willingness to try new things. To promote these benefits and increase the number of children receiving them, Christian Camp and Conference Association (CCCA) has launched The Power of Camp, a national initiative to raise awareness of the many benefits and varieties of summer camps, and to provide camp scholarships to underprivileged children.

"The summer months contain so much hope, so much promise toward the development of a child. Many parents are unaware of the ways a summer camp experience can benefit their child. We want for parents, youth leaders and kids all to truly understand the value and power of camp, including the unique fun, excitement and adventure it provides. We also want to come alongside those who want this experience for their child but may not be able to afford it," said CCCA President and CEO Gregg Hunter.

More than 800 CCCA member camps throughout North America provide high-adventure activities like ropes courses, water sports, horseback riding, and other experiences that help build self-esteem and confidence. Through The Power of Camp, donors can send an underprivileged child to a CCCA member camp for as little as $125, but donations of all amounts are welcome. To donate, visit www.ccca.org/ccca/Give_a_Gift.asp.

With a wide variety of camps available for kids, teens, adults and families, including special camps geared toward anti-bullying, children with special needs, and children from military families, CCCA members have developed camps that are so much more than a week of fun outdoor activities—they unplug the camper from their busy world and put them in the great outdoors surrounded by positive mentors. The Power of Camp seeks to provide a welcomed getaway from the daily stresses children face, time to experience adventure, new friendships and grow opportunities for every child. For photos please visit thepowerofcamp.com/media.

Facts to Consider:

• On average, children spend more than a whole day a week on sofa-bound activities, but just two-and-a-half hours outside. (i)
   
• 65 percent of U.S. parents see it as a serious problem that kids are not spending more time in nature—equal to their concerns about bullying, quality education and obesity (Nature Conservancy).
   
• Children between the ages of 8 and 18 spend 7.5 hours a day on media devices. (ii)
   
• 63 percent of children who learn new activities at camp will sustain an interest in those activities after camp is over. (iii)
   
• More than half of the achievement gap between lower- and higher-income youth can be explained by unequal access to summer learning opportunities. As a result, low-income youth are less likely to graduate from high school or enter college (Alexander et al, 2007).

Hunter is available for interviews and can discuss:

• Why parents should be planning for summer now
   
• The life-altering benefits of a camp experience
   
• The many varieties of camps available to families including specialty camps, high-adventure camps, camps catering to children of active-duty military, campers with physical limitations and foster kids
   
• How camp helps bullying victims find freedom and friendship
   
• How camp transformed his life at age 17

Gregg Hunter is the CEO/president of Christian Camp and Conference Association, an association of more than 800 camps in the United States serving about 5.5 million campers a year. Hunter has spent decades in leadership at nonprofit organizations and corporations. At age 17, a woman in his hometown paid his way to go to camp. As an angry teen with a chip on his shoulder, he discovered a new world at camp. He gained confidence and felt accepted. A transformational time for him, he describes camp as the best week of his life. It's his vision to help kids have a summer camp experience, regardless of their ability to pay.

i: www.telegraph.co.uk/news/health/news/9398661/Children-spend-10-times-as-long-watching-TV-as-playing-outside-survey.html

ii: life.familyeducation.com/computers/television/65248.html#ixzz3QuVwrbh0

iii: http://www.parents-kids.com/index.php/current-issue-v15-2/archive-v15-126/149-parents-kids-magazine-february-2012-issue/987-long-term-value-of-summer-camp-facts-and-figures