Summer Camps In Georgia, Nationwide Prepare To Operate Under New Guidelines; Plus, Why Camp Matters

The American Camp Association has laid out guidelines for campers and staff for summer of 2021 in light of COVID-19.

Courtesy of the ACA

If you spent the summer at a sleep-away or day camp, chances are you had a favorite activity. Maybe it was hiking, camping, fishing or arts and crafts.

However, we also know summer camp is about more than just fun and games.

Experts with the American Camp Association say children who get the chance to go to camp develop social skills, such as leadership, communication and resourcefulness.

For many campers, it can be a rare opportunity to learn and explore nature.

However, last summer, this experience was significantly altered due to the COVID-19 pandemic at campsites across the nation, including the 93 ACA-member camps here in Georgia.

Most camps — about 82% — went virtual or were completely reimagined, per guidance from those camps associated with the American Camp Association.

On Thursday’s edition of “Closer Look,” host Rose Scott spoke with Tom Rosenberg, president and CEO of the American Camp Association, about what’s ahead this year.

Then, Scott brought her former camp director, Mary Rogers, and former Sherwood Forest camper, Alice Miller, into the conversation to discuss why camp matters for so many youths.

Guests:

Editor’s note: This post has been corrected to reflect Alice Miller’s correct title.

To hear the full conversation, click on the audio player above.