Transcript of our interview with Julie, Camp Oconto: Parent Interview with Julie

What were you looking for when searching for camps?

I was interested in a camp that offered different activities. I was also quite interested in the staff-camper ratio, just kind of the philosophy of the camp in general.

I went to Camp Oconto myself, and so I was very, very aware of kind of what the camp was and what it stood for. But then, leading up to sending my own kids, we did look at some different camps and ultimately just kind of kept coming back to Oconto because it really lined up with kind of what we were hoping our own kids would experience through camp.

What was unique about Camp Oconto that made you want to enroll your children there?

I think first and foremost, Camp Oconto has such a low camper-staff ratio. You have about four girls, four campers, for every one staff member, which really kind of allows for quite a strong connection between the campers and their counselor.

I also like that instead of some camps where it's kind of 10 or 12 campers in a cabin, at Camp Oconto they're in much smaller groups. So it's four or five girls in their own little kind of gazebo or cabin. And again, that's nice for just being able to kind of form some good bonds. I think it's also a little easier, if conflict arises, to kind of work through it in a smaller group.

I also appreciate that it's all girls. I think especially at a summer camp, it's nice to just go and be completely free. And part of the camp really stresses the importance of being yourself. And so I think with an all-girl environment, it really helps to create an environment like that.

What would you highlight about Camp Oconto?

The staff has all been campers themselves, which I think is nice. It means that they also understand what it means to be a camper. Every single year, with each of my three girls, they've always come home saying, "I had the best counselor yet." I think the way the camp is structured really allows for deep connections with their counselor, which is so important for girls, to be able to kind of have those positive role models outside of parents and babysitters from home.

All three went, and all three came back just having a great time, and my older two have been going for years now, and my eldest is actually a staff member there. So it's been a very, very positive experience, even though all three got homesick and kind of went through all the normal things that a lot of campers experience. Again, I think the camp just takes such a nice approach to how they help kids kind of manage through some of those feelings, and the girls themselves really kind of develop good coping mechanisms for that.

I think there's a focus on activities and levels. And so even if kids are there for two weeks, they can still kind of achieve levels to give them a sense of accomplishment, which I think goes a long way to help with their confidence.

Learning to live with others in a very small shared space gives you skills that will serve you well for the rest of your life. And I think with Oconto, even though it's large, there are lots of campers; there are lots of staff, somehow everybody seems to know everybody else. There's a real kind of family sense to it. So it's a very loving, nurturing, fun environment.

What do your children like best or find most exciting about Camp Oconto?

It is slightly different for each of them, which I think is kind of interesting. My middle child really loved the activities and kind of working through levels and was quite keen. My eldest was really about some of the camp friends that she made and that she still has in place to this day. My youngest just came back raving about fairies. They do a special fairy event at the end of the session. For her, that was just the most magical experience.

I remember my eldest once making a comment, "Mom, you are your best version of yourself at camp." And for me, that really summed up so much of what they love.

How and when did you know that Camp Oconto was the right fit for your children?

When you arrive at Camp Oconto, the attention and the excitement really set an atmosphere of excitement. They have people kind of cheering in the parking lot. There are staff everywhere that are available to answer questions.

The events, the communication leading up to it, when you arrive, you're instantly reassured that this is a great place, it's a safe place, a happy place. And then you get the odd letter home with funny stories, and then when you pick them up, they're usually crying their little eyes out about leaving. So I think there are so many different times when you're just kind of reassured, yes, this was the right decision.

Was there any change or noticeable personal growth in your children after their time at Camp Oconto?

I would say first and foremost, there's confidence without a doubt and independence. They kind of go in there living on their own, taking care of themselves. So I would say definitely a confidence in them, an ability to laugh at themselves, which is important.

Certainly, my eldest, I would describe maybe as a little bit more introverted or shy, but camp quickly brings out a different side in them. And I think it's just that kind of emphasis on being yourself and living so closely with other people. It has really kind of brought out a different side in her. It doesn't force them out of a shell, but they're comfortable to come out of the shell.

As a parent with teens especially, I think the fact that they go and they're not on their screens for the entire month is just a really, really nice break that's so important for them. Even just kind of watching them come back and slowly try and integrate back into the world of social media is kind of interesting to watch because when they're at camp, they don't miss it. They just talk about how their days are filled with so many other things.

I think camp really kind of nurtures something different in each of my kids. But I would say most importantly would be the confidence that I've seen kind of build over the years.

How can a parent support their child to get the most out of this camp?

I think reminding them to try new things. I think that's one of the things I love about camp is they actually have the opportunity to learn to build a fire, to canoe, or to—there's so many opportunities to learn. And so it's always encouraging them, "Just try." Maybe you didn't like an activity the previous year; it might be different this year.

Learning how to kind of work through differences, I think, is really important. And the camp has such a great way of helping campers kind of work through some of the challenges when they're all living so closely together.

I think it's just, get ready for a great adventure.

How would you describe Camp Oconto to another parent?

It is an incredibly loving, supportive, fun environment. It's been the same family managing it for years and years. You trust the system. The directors have been at this for many, many years. I've actually taken parenting advice from them on certain different situations because they really kind of have seen so many different campers and experiences.

I would say their ability to navigate through COVID this past summer really kind of demonstrated their ability to keep what was so important about camp while still finding a way to respect health measures. For me, it's just knowing that I have complete and absolute trust in the owners and the staff and everybody involved with the camp.

What do your children say about Camp Oconto?

Once they start, they won't stop. When there are school projects, Camp Oconto is always the subject of whatever writing assignment or presentation that they need to do.

Time at Camp Oconto really does have a huge impact on them in a number of different ways. I don't think there's a week that goes by in this house where there isn't some reference to camp, always in a positive way.