Summer Camps For The Indian Youth
Why Must Indian Children attend Summer Camps
Indian children are amongst the most protected with parents taking even the smallest of decision for them. In large classrooms too, they remain part of a herd, going mostly where their peers lead. Between an immensely academic focussed education system and helicopter parenting, many get few opportunities to establish independent thinking skills. Research has shown that our youth though amongst the most hardworking and intellectually able lacks self-initiative and innovative thinking. Even current employers feel that the youth emerging out of the top institutions of the country is producing a future generation that is great at taking exams or with knowledge about only about their subject area. Holistic personalities with inventive, original thinking and independent out of the box solution is taking a back seat.
That’s where a camp steps it with its vast array of benefits to help strengthen the foundation during the character-building years of the young adults They help meet the gap between the strong academics taught at school with the personal development tools so important for a holistic personality.
Independence – Children and especially Indian children have a hard time separating from their parents as they are highly dependent on them emotionally and otherwise and the support system around them to meet every need. Adventure Camps give a child a safe opportunity to emotionally grow up and find independence.
Confidence & Conflict Resolution – When children start to make their own decision without the parents around to decide and have to solve little problems by themselves it boosts their self-esteem and their conflict resolutions skills.
Character Building – One of the hardest facts for children to face is that they will not be good at doing all things. Accepting that and working with strengths and understanding weaknesses is what builds character and lets them explore new things. Children will develop the “I can do attitude.”
Self Esteem – “The building blocks of self-esteem are belonging, learning, and contributing. Camps offer unique opportunities for children to succeed in these three vital areas and even beyond home and school”
Leadership – In our systems, we are all taught to be followers to blend in but at camp leadership skills unknowingly get enhanced in the children in the entire process of participating in camp activities. A leader isn’t always the loudest person in a group, or the most active. Many leaders share a range of skills and qualities that help him or her take charge.
Innovations and creativity in decision – making are amongst the many other traits that unknowing get ingrained via the multitude of tasks & activities during camp
Team Work – In camp one often has to work with other participants to perform or complete an activity. That builds in-group bonding, and in that process, children learn to have some voice within that group or how to be persuasive.”
Non Judgemental Environment Brings Out the best – “What makes camp a special community is its focus on celebrating effort. In this less pressured atmosphere, children learn more readily how to deal with mistakes face challenges with their own abilities and thus connect with their own strengths.
Internationalism – Many children from India are headed overseas for higher education. Having been brought up in protected environments at home, they can have adjustment issues. International camps help to provide exposure in a protected environment and help prepare for a global world.
Les Elfes has been working with young adults from India for over 25 years in making them emerge as stronger confident holistic individuals. We have been working with the youth to arm them with the right skill sets and developmental tools to build strong holistic personalities that can adjust in any environment and take on any challenges ahead and thus build a strong future generation.
