Yep, words. On March 21, we’re asking for your voice. A few simple words can change the way kids see themselves, their strengths and even their futures.

Here are five ways you can make a big impact this Absolutely Incredible Kid Day®:

• Match the medium to the kid. Know a YouTube connoisseur? Make a video. A little artist? Draw a picture. An emoji prodigy? Send a text. An enthusiastic conversationalist? Make that phone call. A lover of the written word? Write a letter. Even if it means getting out of your own comfort zone, choose a format that fits the age, habits, and communication style of kid you’re encouraging.
• Go beyond incredible. Admirable. Amazing. Astonishing. Astounding. Awe-inspiring. Brilliant. Extraordinary. Formidable. Gifted. Impressive. Inventive. Marvelous. Notable. Outstanding. Remarkable. Splendid. Stunning. Super. Talented. Unreal. Wonderful. It doesn’t have to be “incredible.” Send a message that’s as unique as the kid you’re encouraging. And highlight more of who they ARE, not just what they do.
• Be specific about why they are incredible. Sure, it’s nice to be told you’re incredible. But it’s even better to know the details. Remember that we help kids develop a growth mindset when we praise their effort, strategies and progress. Instead of just saying “You’re incredible,” we can say, “You work really hard to make everyone in your class feel included.” Or “Your diligence in practicing the piano inspires me to keep practicing my own skills, too.” The more specific you are, the more encouragement you’ll give.
• Make it personal. Why do they matter to you? What difference do they make in your life? What have you learned from them? Is there something you wish someone would have told you at their age that you can pass on? Put some of your own story in the message, and it will mean twice as much.
• Keep it up. You don’t need to wait for next year to make a kid’s day. Put a reminder on your calendar to follow up on the message you sent in a week or a month. Support from caring adults is a key factor in helping kids thrive. Those few simple words of encouragement on a regular basis can literally change a young person’s life.

Learn more about #KidDay and join the celebration!

The post 5 Ways to Make a Big Impact for Absolutely Incredible Kid Day® appeared first on Camp Fire.

In 2021, the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and the Children’s Hospital Association banded together to declare a national emergency in adolescent mental health: “We are caring for young people with soaring rates of depression, anxiety, trauma, loneliness, and suicidality that will have lasting impacts on them, their families, and their communities,” they wrote.     

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, childhood diagnoses of anxiety and depression have been increasing. Nine percent of American kids have been diagnosed with anxiety; four percent have been diagnosed with depression. As children grow into their teen years, those rates get higher: More than a third of teens say that they’ve had persistent sad or hopeless feelings, and 19 percent had considered attempting suicide.¹ 

Unfortunately, those rates increase again if young people’s identities are marginalized. 42 percent of LGBTQ2S+ youth have considered attempting suicide, for example. Rates of depression are highest among youth who identify as having more than one race.  

What can you do to help?  

Long-term, you can connect with and invest in a positive youth development organization, like Camp Fire, or The Trevor Project, or On Our Sleeves. 

But this month, you can take action by participating in Absolutely Incredible Kid Day®. Join millions of people on Thursday, March 16, 2023 and tell a young person why they matter and what makes them amazing.  

(Fun fact: it’s also Camp Fire’s 113th birthday!) 

Why? Your words are powerful and can change a young person’s life. Whether you write, call, text or send a video, it can make an immediate impact. What do the young people in your life need to hear?  

Visit our #KidDay page to get tips, ideas and tools.  

Growing up is hard, and those statistics definitely paint a concerning picture. But we know what else makes a difference in the lives of young people: In addition to professional treatment, there are other interventions that can help foster better mental health, including: 

• Developmental relationships with positive adults lead to young people with stronger social-emotional skills. They take more personal responsibility and less risks. But more than 1 in 5 middle and high school students report they don’t have any developmental relationships. Access to positive youth development programs, where young people can get support from trained adults, is limited. Almost 25 million American children don’t have access to an afterschool program, for example.  
   
• Being in nature can boost moods, lower anxiety, and deliver a wide variety of mental health benefits. But kids spend a large portion of their days behind screens (6 hours a day for 8 to 10 year olds, 9 hours a day for 11 to 14 year olds, and 7.5 hours a day for 15 to 18 year olds³). Access to nature is often blocked for people of color and low-income communities, thanks to decades of structural racism and classism. This disparity is called The Nature Gap. 74 percent of non-white people live in nature-deprived areas, compared to only 23 percent of white people.⁴ 70 percent of low-income communities live without easy access to green spaces.    
   

Thanks for caring about young people with us, and connecting them to the outdoors, to others, and to themselves.  

Sources:  

1. “Data & Statistics,” CDC.gov. Accessed 13 February 2023. https://www.cdc.gov/childrensmentalhealth/data.html  
2. “What we’re learning about development relationships,” The Search Institute. Accessed 13 February 2023. https://www.search-institute.org/developmental-relationships/learning-developmental-relationships/ 
3. “Screen Time VS Lean Time,” CDC.gov. Accessed 13 February 2023. https://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpao/multimedia/infographics/getmoving.html 
4. “The Nature Gap,” Americanprogress.org. Accessed 13 February 2023. https://www.americanprogress.org/article/the-nature-gap/   

The post Growing Up is Hard – But You Can Make it Less Lonely  appeared first on Camp Fire.

When Camp Fire began in 1910, its values were simply “work, health, love.” As we’ve grown and expanded—and as humans continue to better understand ourselves and how we can help each other thrive—our organizational values have deepened. As part of our efforts to refocus on Camp Fire’s why (growing up is hard!), and to wholeheartedly commit to our mission (we connect young people to the outdoors, to others, and to themselves), we also refreshed our values. 

Our values help guide us. They are anchor points along the way as we work toward a world where all young people thrive and have equitable opportunities for self-discovery, community connection and engagement with nature. 

Here’s how we live out our mission and vision:  

Camp Fire works to create safe and inclusive environments, so everyone feels welcome. This means committing to equity, diversity, and access (including breaking down structural barriers to accessing our programs), and addressing the impacts of racism, privilege, white supremacy, bias, and anything else that holds us all back from an equitable and just world. 

Learn more about inclusivity: 

• Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Camp Fire
• Inclusion Statements: Why specificity matters
• Questioning Power & Repairing Harm: Addressing Cultural Appropriation in Our History
• Camp Fire’s National Youth Advisory Cabinet Stands With Trans* Youth

Camp Fire learns from and respects our planet. Spending time in nature has proven health and mental health benefits, which is one of the many reasons why we get young people outdoors, no matter where they may be. Nature-based learning is a powerful tool for youth development, and nature can be experienced by anyone, anywhere (even bringing a leaf, or rock, or plant inside). We aren’t just consumers of nature – we conserve, protect and steward our natural resources. 

Learn more about getting outdoors: 

• Find a Camp
• Camp & Outdoor Education
• Exploring Innovative Nature Engagement Practices
• CAMPER 2.0: Increasing Camp Accessibility for Historically Excluded Groups of Young People

Camp Fire develops supportive cross-generational relationships. Supportive, trained adults are key to our work. We offer guidance and support during each young person’s dynamic journey to become who they want to be. Developmental relationships are the roots that give young people the chance to grow. 

Learn more about prioritizing relationships:

• Developmental Relationships—are we cultivating them?
• Why equity is essential for developmental relationships
• Camp Fire and Developmental Relationships: How strong connections help kids thrive
• Developmental Relationships in Action

Camp Fire believes one of the best ways to honor the power of young people is to share power with them through meaningful participation and decision-making—in our programs and organizational direction. We respect, honor, seek, amplify, center, and prioritize youth voice; we empower youth; we entrust them with responsibility and authority; we encourage young people to find their spark and lift their voice. 

Learn more about empowering young people:

• How Camp Fire Staff Build Youth-Driven Programs
• Teen Service & Leadership Programs
• Camp Fire’s National Youth Advisory Cabinet
• Camp Fire’s National Youth Advisory Cabinet Stands With Trans* Youth

Camp Fire helps young people (and adults!) know themselves. Self-discovery is an adventure. We invest heavily in training and professional development for the adults who serve our youth, because all young people deserve to be supported by skilled, capable, knowledgeable, supportive adult mentors, and because like the youth we serve, we are on a learning journey as well. Staff, board, volunteers, youth—we are all a community that is growing towards thriving, together. 

Learn more about learning: 

• Camp Fire National Staff Continue to Lead in Their Fields
• Growth Mindset: Your Key to Thriving
• 3 Simple Ways to Grow a Growth Mindset

Camp Fire encourages young people to advocate, organize, and work for change in their communities and beyond. This has been a core value since we were founded in 1910; As an organization and as individuals, we can make an impact now. 

Learn more about taking action: 

• Hate Has No Home in Camp Fire
• Celebrate Earth Day: Work for Environmental Justice
• Message from our CEO: Expressing Solidarity with Our Black Youth and Families
• Camp Fire’s National Youth Advisory Cabinet Stands With Trans* Youth

Camp Fire has continually adapted and evolved since 1910 to respond to what young people need to thrive. Each local council has the autonomy and flexibility to customize its programming to best support youth, families, and the local communities they serve; because they are the ones best positioned to listen, learn, adapt, and respond to those needs. 

Learn more about responsivity: 

• New Year, New Vision
• Camp Fire connects young people to the outdoors, to others, and to themselves
• How we moved Camp Fire forward in 2021: Part 1
• How we moved Camp Fire forward in 2021: Part 2

We seek out the newest research, practice every-day innovation, and meticulously measure results—all to help young people thrive in a complex world. We know Camp Fire changes individual lives, families, and communities, so we work to show that data and tell those stories. 

Learn more about making an impact: 

• 2020-2021 People & Impact Report 
• 2019-2020 People & Impact Report
• People & Impact
• Becoming Who We Want to Be

The post Camp Fire’s Values Deepen as We Grow appeared first on Camp Fire.

Camp Fire is part of the

Social distancing has drastically changed everyday life for most Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some families with children are spending much more time together at home. Other parents are spending long hours providing needed community services while family and friends help care for their out-of-school children. Teachers and positive youth development staff around the country are discovering how to keep kids engaged and growing remotely in real-time.   

What hasn’t changed? The fact that kids need us. 

Social distancing doesn’t dim our need for positive relationships. Social scientists say that thriving kids—and adults!—all have one thing in common: strong, supportive relationships. Research shows that children who have a network of stable connections with the adults in their lives have better academic outcomes, higher social-emotional skills and lower rates of risky behavior. 

But not every kid has that supportive web of positive adult relationships. And now that many children are out of school and isolated at home, what web there was may be stretched thin. 

Studies conducted long before the pandemic showed that 22 percent of middle and high school students reported having no supportive relationships with adults in their lives. Eighteen percent said they just had one. 

Caring adults can step into that gap—at a safe distance!—to make sure children are supported during this time. At Camp Fire, we’ve appreciated the Search Institute’s research on “developmental relationships”—or positive, supportive relationships with adults that help kids thrive. True to form, they quickly came out with a checklist of 19 things adults can do to support kids during the COVID-19 crisis. 

Based on their Developmental Relationships Framework, their list is organized by the five elements supportive relationships include: Express Care, Challenge Growth, Provide Support, Share Power, and Expand Possibilities. (Get their handy framework PDF here in Spanish and English!) Inspired by their list, we wanted to add some more ideas of our own:

Here are 10 more ways to #investinkids while social distancing:

Express Care: Show kids that they matter to you.

• Be Dependable: Set up a regular video call with a young relative, mentee or close friends’ kids to check-in. Keep that appointment!
• Listen: Give the kids in your life time to express their concerns, worries and fears about the pandemic and social distancing without interrupting. It’s tempting to cut them off early to assure them everything will be OK. Let them talk through their thoughts first. Let them know you hear them, then reassure them. 

Challenge Growth: Push kids to keep getting better. 

• Hold Each Other Accountable: Have a similar goal to one of the kids in your life? Be accountability buddies! Maybe you both want to draw every day. Or move more. Or take turns calling elderly relatives. Set a check-in time to report your progress to each other, so you both stay on track.

• Reflect: Camp Fire integrates reflection practices into our programs. Reflection is even more important in times of stress and big changes. Model reflection skills—and a growth mindset—by sharing what you’re learning during social distancing. Have you made any mistakes? Have you uncovered something new about yourself or the people you’re isolating with? What are you feeling grateful for right now? Reflect on it all with the kids in your life. You can use these three easy questions to have a reflection conversation. You can also use them as journaling prompts!
  1. What? What happened? What are the facts of your experience? 
  2. So What? What did you feel? What did other people feel? 
  3. Now What? What did the experience mean to you? To other people? What will you change in the future? Is there anything you need or want to do right now?  

Provide Support: Help kids complete tasks and achieve goals.

• Navigate: Kids’ lives are just as disrupted by social distancing as ours are. Help them brainstorm solutions to their frustrations. Are you a freelancer? Share your staying-productive tips with a kid struggling with distance learning at home. Are you good at long-distance friendships? Tell a teen who is missing their friends how you stay in touch with yours. You probably have more areas of expertise than you think—be a guide to a kid during this very weird time. 
• Advocate: Help the kids in your community get what they need. Help out-of-school kids from low-income families get access to healthy meals. Donate to your local food bank. Give to the Center for Disaster Philanthropy’s COVID-19 Response Fund. Keep an eye out for friends’ and neighbors’ pandemic-related GoFundMe campaigns.   

Share Power: Treat kids with respect and give them a say.

• Collaborate: Team up on creative projects: Write a story by alternating writing lines. Make a music video by combining funny phone footage. Mail a growing art collage back-and-forth. It doesn’t matter what it is as long as you’re making it together!
• Let me lead: If you’re connecting with your favorite kids at a distance, let them take the lead in how your remote relationship progresses. Ask them how often they want to connect and what method they want to use. Ask them how they want to spend your time together. Give them a sense of control during an otherwise chaotic time. 

Expand Possibilities: Connect kids with people and places that broaden their worlds. 

• Inspire: Have a sparks conversation with a kid in your life: What are they passionate about? What pushes them to learn? What gives them a purpose? Then go through your contact list to see if you know anybody who can help them (virtually) explore their spark. 
• Broaden Their Horizons: Make your next regular check-in with your favorite kid an adventure: Go on a virtual museum tour together. Explore a national park from your respectives couches. “Visit” a zoo together. Explore space. Go to a show. 

Need more ideas? Check in with our #investinkids partner organizations to see how other positive youth development organizations are supporting young people during this unprecedented pandemic.

The post 10 Ways to Invest in Kids…While You’re Social Distancing appeared first on Camp Fire.

Taijah Boldien is a senior from Mt. Rainier High School in Federal Way, Washington. Taijah is incredible because of her perseverance and growth mindset. She is excited to be graduating in May after spending the past few years struggling academically. She set a goal for herself to graduate with a good GPA and she is well on her way. Taijah also volunteers for Jobs Daughters and World Vision KidREACH tutoring. She is a proud Camp Fire participant.

Aidan Peterson is an 8th grader at The Shipley School in Ardmore, Pennsylvania. Aidan is recognized as the youngest bugler in the country, volunteering to serve veterans by performing Taps at military funerals and events. Aidan also plays cello for patients at the VA hospital as part of their musical therapy program that he initiated two years ago. Aidan attends classes at Juilliard in NYC on the weekends where he is the youngest trumpet major to ever be accepted. After recently losing a veteran friend to suicide as a result of PTSD, Aidan plans to start focusing efforts on raising awareness about mental health issues in veterans.

Promise to tell at least one kid in our life how incredible they are.

Your words will go a long way.

The post Meet our 2020 Incredible Kids! appeared first on Camp Fire.

Teen programming

Across the country, Teens in Action groups are mentored by adults but run by members themselves. Their focus is making an impact in their communities. 

Camp Fire New Jersey’s Teens On Fire program began in 2012 when teenagers approached leaders to ask if they could start a program to mentor middle schoolers. Since then, Teens On Fire has grown significantly.Teens from all across Mercer County sign up for community service and leadership training sessions held twice a week. The council is contemplating adding a third weekly session because demand is so high. Not only are New Jersey teenagers learning new skills, investing in their communities and finding fresh ways to make a difference—they are also connecting with each other. 

“We’re putting people together who otherwise wouldn’t be,” says Jessica Nitti, Camp Fire New Jersey’s Executive Director, of the cross-county cohort of 50+ teen volunteers. “They are learning to make friendships outside of their comfort zones.” 

Through the sessions, teens are serving in soup kitchens, visiting senior citizens, putting together backpacks of supplies for homeless children, recording PSAs at Ryder University, and more. 

“We’re hearing kids say, ‘I never knew this was something I would enjoy, but I love it, and I want to do more,’” says Jessica. “It’s igniting sparks they didn’t realize they had inside of them.” 

Some Teens On Fire members have even gone on to get part-time jobs at the nonprofits they were introduced to as volunteers. 

Camp Fire New Jersey is currently helping Teens On Fire attendees expand their leadership roles by having members design and execute their own community service projects this fall. 

“The program is really strong,” says Jessica. “The kids want to be a part of it. They want to serve. They want these opportunities.” 

FIND A TEENS IN ACTION PROGRAM NEAR YOU

Work + Health + Love

In addition to the collaborative engagement of Teens in Action programs, Camp Fire teenagers can undertake their own self-directed WoHeLo Award projects. The highest achievement in Camp Fire, the award is a three-year long series of inner explorations and advocacy projects that flex the participant’s Thrive(ology} skills: identifying your sparks, having a growth mindset, setting goals and reflection. It takes dedication and commitment to complete. More than 100 Camp Fire teens work on their award each year, but only a few dozen achieve it. 

Nikki McCann was one of those recipients, for her project “Teen Leadership, Education and Learning Compassion Through Service.” 

“I started being involved in Camp Fire when I was three. Every year I would watch the big kids get their WoHeLo Awards at the ceremony,” Nikki remembers. “It was just the most amazing thing ever. I thought: I totally have to do that.”

When Nikki was in middle school, she was in a leadership program. Her early Camp Fire experiences had prepared her for the experience, but she noticed quite a few of her peers were uncomfortable expressing their feelings and afraid of being judged for being different. She decided her future WoHeLo Award project would help her fellow young people get comfortable standing out. 

“I wanted to show people they can get involved and see what a difference they could make,” says Nikki. 

Three years ago, Nikki began working on her WoHeLo Award in earnest. She developed a Teen Leadership Retreat based on the book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens. She put on three retreats with 30 attendees each. From a particularly impactful blindfolded canoe race exercise to the teens-only campfire reflection time at the end, the retreat met the goal Nikki had made years ago in middle school. 

“It was really amazing to see how comfortable participants had become and how open they were willing to be,” she says. 

Nikki followed up the retreat by developing a speech on learning compassion through service that she gave throughout the community. She also organized service projects at school and public libraries. When it was finally time to receive her WoHeLo Award, Nikki said the moment was surreal. “I could see all the little kids looking up at me and feeling the same thing I did when I was their age,” she says. “It was a great feeling.” 

Nikki is now using the leadership skills she’s honed on the National Youth Advisory Cabinet and as a junior trustee on her local council’s board. She wants to study forensics at Vanderbilt or Stanford and run a nonprofit after college. She encourages other Camp Fire-ers to pursue the WoHeLo Award. 

“Definitely go for it!,” Nikki says. “It teaches you what you can do and the power you really have.” 

SEE THIS YEAR’S WOHELO AWARD RECIPIENTS HERE

The post Teens Lead at Camp Fire appeared first on Camp Fire.

Absolutely Incredible Kid Day® counters those messages with an outpouring of positivity on the day itself—and a focus on making encouraging kids a life-long habit.

Positive psychology researchers have studied how our brains are hardwired to respond quickly and intensely to negative messages. It’s how we evolved to survive. But so many of our modern-day negative messages aren’t life-threatening. Just dream-stopping. Spirit-slowing. Soul-crushing. Studies show it takes between three to seven positive messages to counteract the blow of one negative message.

Camp Fire founded this annual tradition in 1997 because we wanted to encourage adults to make encouraging kids a priority. Why? Because words are powerful. They can lead kids to discover their spark, help them cultivate a growth mindset, motivate them to go after their goals, and encourage them to reflect on their progress. But most of all, they can help kids feel loved and teach them to love themselves!

That’s why telling the kids in your life they are important, unique and good enough (right now, right as they are) is so vital.

Not sure where to start? It’s not hard to make a big impact on AIKD. Meet the young person where they are at and communicate in their favorite medium. Make your compliments specific to their strengths, behaviors and character. Tell them exactly how they’ve made your life better. Then repeat. Often!  

Ready to dive in?

• Get more tips and examples here.
• Download our 2020 AIKD letterhead here.
• Join the #AIKD conversation on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
• Tell us who you’re encouraging on March 19 and why!

Will you join us?

On March 19, I pledge to tell at least one kid why they are INCREDIBLE:

The post Use the power of words on Absolutely Incredible Kid Day®! appeared first on Camp Fire.

Here at Camp Fire, every day is about helping kids thrive. But we wanted to take one day a year to really do it BIG. That’s why we started Absolutely Incredible Kid Day® in 1997. Every year on the third Thursday of March, thousands of adults across the country join Camp Fire in lifting up young people…with the power of words.

Yep, words. On March 17, we’re asking for your voice. A few simple words can change the way kids see themselves, their strengths and even their futures.

Here are five ways you can make a big impact this Absolutely Incredible Kid Day®:

• Match the medium to the kid. Know a YouTube connoisseur? Make a video. A little artist? Draw a picture. An emoji prodigy? Send a text. An enthusiastic conversationalist? Make that phone call. A lover of the written word? Write a letter. Even if it means getting out of your own comfort zone, choose a format that fits the age, habits, and communication style of kid you’re encouraging.

• Go beyond incredible. Admirable. Amazing. Astonishing. Astounding. Awe-inspiring. Brilliant. Extraordinary. Formidable. Gifted. Impressive. Inventive. Marvelous. Notable. Outstanding. Remarkable. Splendid. Stunning. Super. Talented. Unreal. Wonderful. It doesn’t have to be “incredible.” Send a message that’s as unique as the kid you’re encouraging.
  And highlight more of who they ARE, not just what they do.
• Be specific about why they are incredible. Sure, it’s nice to be told you’re incredible. But it’s even better to know the details. Remember that we help kids develop a growth mindset when we praise their effort, strategies and progress. Instead of just saying “You’re incredible,” we can say, “You work really hard to make everyone in your class feel included.” Or “Your diligence in practicing the piano inspires me to keep practicing my own skills, too.” The more specific you are, the more encouragement you’ll give.
• Make it personal. Why do they matter to you? What difference do they make in your life? What have you learned from them? Is there something you wish someone would have told you at their age that you can pass on? Put some of your own story in the message, and it will mean twice as much.

• Keep it up. You don’t need to wait for next year to make a kid’s day. Put a reminder on your calendar to follow up on the message you sent in a week or a month. Support from caring adults is a key factor in helping kids thrive. Those few simple words of encouragement on a regular basis can literally change a young person’s life.

Ready to make an impact this Absolutely Incredible Kid Day®?

On March 17, I pledge to tell at least one kid why they are INCREDIBLE:

The post 5 Ways to Make a Big Impact for Absolutely Incredible Kid Day® appeared first on Camp Fire.

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, 20 percent of teens aged 13 to 18 are living with a mental health condition.

Adolescence is a pivotal time in life for mental wellness: 50 percent of mental health issues start by age 14; 75 percent begin by age 24. Too often, teens don’t the the help they need, or only seek treatment when they’re older. Statistically, there’s an average of 10 years between when mental health symptoms emerge and when they are treated.

“We have an epidemic of anxiety, depression, and risk for suicide at younger and younger ages,” says Dr. Amanda Deacy, a child psychologist and associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine. Deacy comments that, similar to overall health, our society doesn’t do the best job of helping prevent mental illness.

“Prevention, in this context, refers to establishing high quality attachment relationships between kids and parents, setting developmentally appropriate expectations for physical and academic performance, and focusing on effort, rather than outcome,” says Deacy, “…and modeling for children appropriate expressions of thoughts and feelings.”

This style of prevention aligns nicely with Camp Fire’s Thrive{ology} framework, especially when it comes to focusing on effort—that’s classic growth-mindset material. But we know it’s just a start. Camp Fire advocates for getting kids the expert help they need, when they need it.

“We would advise councils to seek out community partnerships to support mental health as well as follow recommendations from industry experts like the National Afterschool Association,” says Shawna Rosenzweig, director of program effectiveness at Camp Fire National Headquarters.

What are the warning signs that a child or teenager may be experiencing a mental health issue? The National Institute of Mental Health lists the following:

• Often feels anxious or worried
• Has very frequent tantrums or is intensely irritable much of the time
• Has frequent stomach aches or headaches with no physical explanation
• Is in constant motion, can’t sit quietly for any length of time
• Has trouble sleeping, including frequent nightmares
• Loses interest in things he or she used to enjoy
• Avoids spending time with friends
• Has trouble doing well in school, or grades decline
• Fears gaining weight; exercises, diets obsessively
• Has low or no energy
• Has spells of intense, inexhaustible activity
• Harms herself/himself, such as cutting or burning her/his skin
• Engages in risky, destructive behavior
• Harms self or others
• Smokes, drinks, or uses drugs
• Has thoughts of suicide
• Thinks his or her mind is controlled or out of control, hears voices
• The National Institute of Mental Health: Child & Adolescent Mental Health

If you’re worried about a child or teenager in your life, start by having a conversation.

“Talk, talk, talk,” Deacy says.

“Express interest in your child as a person—not for what they will become, or have been, but for what they are, think, feel, desire now.”

Then seek out additional help, if needed:

• Learn more about child and the mental health at the National Institute of Mental Health,  the National Alliance on Mental Illness, and MentaHealth.gov.
• Talk to your doctor, who can refer you to a specialist.
• Find a good child psychologist in your area.
• Contact a crisis line, if you think a young person you care about might hurt themselves or others.
  • National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, 1-800-273-8255, Free, 24/7. Trained crisis workers are available to help with all mental health crises, not just suicide prevention.
  • Crisis Text Line, Text HOME to 741741. Free, 24/7. Crisis workers are available via text to counsel and connect you to help.
  • TXT 4 Help, Text SAFE and location (address, city, state) to 4HELP. Free, 24/7. Teens in crisis will get directions to the nearest Safe Place site. Reply “2chat” to text with a counselor.

Sources:

“Mental Health Facts: Children and Teens,” National Alliance on Mental Illness.

“Warning Signs,” The National Institute of Mental Health: Child & Adolescent Mental Health.

“For Parents and Caregivers,” MentalHealth.gov.

The post Mental health is a key part of thriving appeared first on Camp Fire.

Camp Fire’s Thrive{ology} framework teaches kids to have a Growth Mindset and Reflect on what they’ve learned. And we like to practice what we preach!

We want to make sure our programs deliver on our promise: to help young people find their spark, lift their voice and discover who they are. That doesn’t happen by accident.

It takes a lot of hard work, a commitment to growth, and honest, deep reflection to track how well our programs are serving Camp Fire kids. The research says just providing programs—and getting kids to show up—isn’t enough. It seems like common sense, but we’ll say it for good measure: It matters how well programs are run. Young people in high-quality programs just do better.

Unsurprisingly, it’s what parents ask for, too. Our research says parents want programs that are fun, yes, but they also want high-quality programs that make an impact.

“Research shows that deeper learning occurs for young people when it is contextualized. Context matters in high quality programs!” says Shawna Rosenzweig, Director, Program Effectiveness at Camp Fire National Headquarters. “The context within which young people are learning makes a difference. And that makes Camp Fire stand out. We’re providing real-life, hands-on experiences that are really true skill-building opportunities.”

Camp Fire works with the David P. Weikart Center for Youth Program Quality to continually test how well our programs are doing. We’ve been using the Weikart Center’s Program Quality Assessment (PQA) tools for more than seven years.

The tool measures how well programs meet a progressive pyramid of standards. First, does the program provide a safe environment, physically and emotionally? Second, is the program supportive? Is it welcoming, encouraging and set up to help young people learn? Third, is the program interactive? Does it give young people opportunities for leadership? Finally, does the program allow for high-level youth engagement?   

Why do we measure these categories? Because studies show programs that progress up the pyramid help kids learn more, stay interested and challenged, and feel like they belong. High-scoring programs also build young people’s Social Emotional Learning skills, including communication, empathy and problem solving.

“It’s not all about the scores,” explains Nikki Roe Cropp, Camp Fire National Headquarter’s Program Consultant. “It’s more about the process. It’s how we are continuously engaging in a practice to improve our programs—and using the PQA data to inform that.”

Camp Fire uses the PQA feedback to figure out what programs should work on—and celebrate! We create improvement plans for things we want to enhance, using professional development and coaching to boost skills, knowledge and practices.

Many of Camp Fire’s councils use the tool for just that reason. We can get a picture of how our programs are doing on local and national levels and build those plans for improvement as needed. We can track progress over time and also see how normal changes (like high staff turn-over at summer camp or launching a brand-new program) affect scores.  

“It’s become part of our every-day approach,” says Nikki. “It’s validated continuous improvement process that we use with all of our programs. It’s that level of commitment to quality that really sets us apart.”  

Want to help keep Camp Fire’s high-quality programming going? Support Camp Fire kids through a Giving Tuesday donation on November 27!

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