G.O.D.'s Camp Skillz Gives Campers a Voice

G.O.D. International’s Camp Skillz Interviews a First Year and Last Year Camper to Learn About Their Experiences at Camp

At Camp Skillz, we want every camper to have a fun and impactful time. If campers are unhappy, then we really need to evaluate what we are doing. In order to see how well we were fulfilling this goal, we opened our ears to two campers to see how we were doing, one camper who was brand new to camp (Jacoby Buchanan), and one camper who has been to camp many years in a row (Nanozi Nyago).

Meet this years first year campers! Camp Counselor, Tresa Botzum, helped make their first year of summer camp one they wont forget! Camp Skillz provides summer programming to children 6-11 years old.

Jacoby Buchanan, age 6, first year camper:

Camp: Hey Jacoby! What is one thing you were looking forward to camp this year?

Jacoby: My sister told me about making pancakes and that made me happy.

Camp: Pancakes are delicious, why did that make you happy to know that we made pancakes at Camp Skillz?

Jacoby: Because me and my dad make giant pancakes together and I like to eat them.

Camp: That is so cool Jacoby, I’m glad you look forward to making food at camp Skills, we teach you how to make all sorts of stuff. (That week Jacoby learned how to make spring rolls).

Camp: Jacoby, what is one thing you have loved about camp so far?

Jacoby: The obstacle course creation was fun! It was really cool being able to make things. I made a big plastic thing with tubes and poles and then we put the plastic on, and then when we hit it (tested) it worked!

Camp: Sounds like you are enjoying innovation week! So you were making obstacles for a mega water balloon war at the end of the week?

Jacoby: Yeah.

Camp: That’s so awesome Jacoby, is there anything else that you are really wanting to tell me about Camp Skillz?

Jacoby: I want to win camper of the day!

Camp: You know that you win camper of the day by practicing the daily character focus, you will be recognized if you can show us that awesome character! Can you do that?

Jacoby: yes I can (with a huge smile and big eyes).

Campers are organized in groups based on their age. Here, you see the oldest group working together to make salsa. The camp staff organized a cooking lesson each session for the kids. A favorite activity or all!

Nanozi Nyago, age 11, last year after 5 years with Camp Skillz

Camp: Thanks for taking some time to talk with me Nanozi! In all your time with Camp Skillz, what is one thing that Camp Skillz has allowed you to do that you wouldn’t have been able to do anywhere else?

Nanozi: Camp Skillz helped me to learn my friends in a new environment, they have another side of their personality. We were always doing different fun activities, and we felt comfortable.

Camp: That’s really special, I love hearing that camp was able to give you that kind of space in order to deepen your friendships.

Nanozi: Yeah I will miss being free with my friends, its different from school, there is more freedom in camp.

Camp: Can you think of a specific moment you had and were thankful for in regards to being with your friends? Maybe a stand out moment?

Nanozi: Yeah, when we did bike riding a few years back, I was able to learn how to share my bike (my resources) and not be afraid. My friend Elle helped me to see that I can trust other people with my stuff. It was a big lesson for me.

Camp: Why do you think trust is important?

Nanozi: If you can’t trust other people then it will be hard for you to hear and obey the Lord when he wants you to work with other people.

Camp: Wow, that’s an impressive lesson to learn Nanozi, thanks for sharing that. What is some advice that you would give to a brand new camper starting out in their first year?

Nanozi: My advice to a new camper would be to be yourself, have a good attitude, and put effort into everything that you do. Get off your screens and be with your friends.

Camp: Thank you so much Nanozi, it sounds like you took away some really great moments with Camp Skillz. We have loved having you and wish you all the best as you grow older!

Jacoby’s anticipation about making pancakes shows me that he is excited to learn and practice skills. Jacoby enjoyed making obstacles during Water Balloon Royale. This was an innovation activity that helped kids be resourceful and creative while they designed something fun for other campers to enjoy on Water Day. We were tickled by Jacoby’s desire to want to be a camper of the day. This was developed to incentivize behavior that aligns with the character values taught at camp. Another thing we learned from the interview was that siblings are talking about Camp Skillz at home and it makes their younger siblings excited to come when they're old enough. According to Jacoby, we are a camp where you can practice skills, have fun, and learn character values. This is wonderfully close to what we aim to do as a camp.

Nanozi hit strongly on another important component that camp offers: A safe environment to make friends and feel valued for who you are. Nanozi emphasized that she obtained a broader perspective on her friends because of the activities that were facilitated for them. Her advice to new campers was to be yourself. This is touching because we encourage campers to express their unique personalities and to discover who they are. We are pleased to see that Nanozi’s responses are so near our core mission of making kids feel valued for who they are and helping kids make friends.

After speaking with these two campers, one coming to camp for the first time, and the other ending her time at camp, I see that we have kept our mission at the heart of all our camp efforts. The first thing you see when pulling up our website is the mission statement with a picture of Nanozi on an inner tub during one of our beloved water days. You can see Nanozi’s smiling face and right underneath her is the mission “Providing a fun environment where kids acquire new skills, make friends, and feel valued for who they are.”