By Adam Stone | Senior counselor
Maine has many forests, lakes and streams, and many Summer Camps. Camp Forest is a unique camp. Not only is our programming a full immersion experience in the forest, but also integrates wilderness education, interpersonal relationships and psycho-emotional healing in all the activities. Camp Forest also has the mission to offer this camp experience to low income children. Through the assistance of donors, finances have not been a barrier to camp attendance.
Children of parents limited by physical ailments, opiate addictions, or family tragedy are not uncommon. These children are not often given an opportunity to heal, or experience how the natural world can help them. Holding a frog in her hand and seeing its life, learning to hike and be strong to overcome physical restrictions, spending time playing and being happy brings the opportunities to confidently face life.
Camp Forest has provided a bit of stability for children who are forced to sleep in the vehicle with their single mother, or those with unstable home lives. Occasionally these children would run off and cry to a tree for a while, then return ready to face the world.
We have watched children who have problems with school, gain interest and a passion for learning at Camp Forest. We have watched children who would not listen, grow into amazing, attentive students.
Our low camper to staff ratio, un -walled free learning style, coyote teaching techniques, respect for all life, and peer mentoring is designed to find a child’s own inner passion for learning. We have successfully blended these children with high functioning children from healthy and skilled families.
If you want to help us make a difference in a child’s life, Step up and Do it.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Adam Stone, Senior Counselor
(lightly edited)
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