Let your Explorer Join Camp Q (Quarantine)

>>> Enter to win one week of Camp Q here! <<<

It was Thursday, March 12 and I was awoken by the synchronous sound of an early morning text landing, the rare ring of our landline, and the footsteps of my daughter running down the hall to my bedroom to excitedly announce that schools were closed for the next 8 days!  

The rapid changes continued to fly into our lives with stay at home orders, social distancing, and an immediate re-calibration or desperate quest for routine, predictability, and structure.  Imagine the speed at which those corners of homes were cleared of clutter and an immediate camera-ready office was created! I giggled picturing that just outside the borders of a webcam sat a pile of what once was… now occupied with a pristine home office within my Zoom window.  Maybe an inspirational photo or quote in the background added for effect.

I was not immune to the global and national adaptation to the realities and changes and found myself on a rollercoaster of emotion ranging from crippling dread to deep gratitude.  I vividly recall being in a moment of dread when that transformational email landed in my company inbox on March 23. It read “If you are considering running virtual camp, please let us know. Thanks!”  We were on the phone the next day and I was inspired. It was clear this mother and her two sons had spent the evening before preparing for this call and the ideas were flowing and I was filled with gratitude, hope, and a little anxiety. 

Before approaching my team at Adventure Links, I reached out to a keynote speaker I had met years earlier named Mike Maddock- author of “The Idea Monkey” and “Plan D: Lessons from the World’s Most Successful Disruptors.”  And- beyond my wildest dreams- he had the time to schedule a call with me! He began with a profound question: “Anna- what are you in the business of?” I answered, “connection and courage.” I quickly came to realize that our nation and especially our school-aged youth were unapologetically thrown into a state of isolation and fear.  The “snow day” was over and I needed to dig into my own courage to see through the obstacles COVID-19 was creating for social connections. I realized I was being called to disrupt the silence and the image of Camp Quarantine lit up my brain and my heart.

Admittedly, I had spent the evening before my team meeting brimming with excitement and possibilities and potentially came across to my team a little “strong…”  But, when my team of outdoor educators, facilitators, summer camp instructors, and leaders began to brainstorm and co-create, the excitement built the first itinerary for Camp Quarantine (Q) and we launched the following week!

Fundamental Elements of Camp Q

The most important design element to Camp Q was social connection.  The abundance of online information and gifts that organizations were providing online was incredible, inspiring and generous.  However, we saw something missing- kids wanted to connect with other kids! The second factor was the infusion of adventure and stimulus into their days that allowed for independence.  The demands of one or both parents working from home pulled at our heartstrings. The appreciation of teachers blossomed online and the jokes about parents’ trials in home schooling kept spirits light.  

It was important that every day of Camp Q provided a child friendly activity that was easily accomplished without significant oversight from the parent.  It was also critical that every single afternoon, the campers were provided the platform to informally and formally connect and interact.  

And it began… Day One was Shelter Building (or fort building if you didn’t have access to a backyard).  The photos began rolling into [email protected] and the anticipation built as we approached our first online camper experience at 2pm!  The camp instructor logged in early and welcomed our Camp Q inaugural founders to week 1! We welcomed campers from 3 states and spent our first week exploring, connecting, and breaking the pause the nation had experienced.  Yes, we can be physically distant but let’s stay socially connected. The week was peppered with engineering projects, explorations, teambuilding, and the finale was Camper Awards on our Friday session!

Our design team went to work on an Earth Week itinerary, Suburban Survival Camp, and we have weeks of adventures and connections planned.  

The rewards came in the form of parent emails:

“THANK YOU- we are so grateful.”

“I really wondered how this could work and I couldn’t believe how engrossed my son was in every day of camp.  I was able to work from home knowing he was excited about HIS camp while having a kind and caring Adventure Links’ instructor online every afternoon to create a connection.”

“Our kids camped out in their shelter on Monday night!”

“We’ve already signed up for the next 2 sessions of Camp Q- thank you so much.”

We are more convinced than ever that we are in this together and when we can align resources with the needs that this global situation has created, we can emerge connected, inspired, and grateful.

Join our Next Camp Q Adventure NOW!

Since Camp Q will be entirely online, a good internet connection and digital device will be vital. After registering, your camper will be placed into their virtual team, where they will remain for the entirety of the session. Campers will be able to communicate with their teammates throughout the day via Google Hangouts and get some much-needed social interaction. Facilitators will check in with their teams via Zoom to discuss their day’s events and see what the teams have come up with.