Summer Camp 2018 By The Numbers
There's a concept called "Camper Voice" that we are crazy about at NaCoMe. This is the idea that every camper will have the opportunity to influence every activity during his/her participation. Even activities like Human Foosball that have set rules can use Camper Voice. What if campers decided that kicking a ball out of the court didn’t mean a goal for the other team, but instead that the team lost a player? We allow our campers to influence their own experience. We hear their voice - and we hear that voice in more ways than just the activities.
At the end of each camp week we ask the campers to complete a brief survey. NaCoMe exists to serve and hearing from our campers allows us to do that better. When asked what would make camp better last summer, campers said a slide at the swimming hole. We got one. Constant improvement is a cornerstone to our philosophy here. And that improvement starts by listening to our guests. Here's what they said:
The Foundation:
97.72% Felt accepted by their counselor and their group.
96.80% Made new friends at camp.
98.17% Felt closer to God at camp.
These questions are the bedrock of a NaCoMe camp experience. We work to build a community of acceptance for all campers, fostering dynamics that encourage making new friends. If a camper doesn't feel accepted, it will be impossible to reach them on a deeper level.
The Program:
99.54% Enjoyed the activities at camp.
96.35% Tried something new at camp.
91.78% Liked getting away from technology while at camp.
These questions tell us about the nuts and bolts of our schedule and are pretty straightforward (except for the last one). Last year, we included a technology question honestly expecting to get low scores. A high percentage of campers enjoyed unplugging last summer and an even higher percentage liked it this summer! In a day and age where we feel we are losing more and more kids to their screens, it's refreshing to know that not only can they exist independently from their phones, but they actually enjoy doing it.
Taking It Home:
94.98% Said camp is the best or one of the best weeks of their summer.
95.43% Grew in their faith at camp.
95.43% Said they want to grow closer to God at home because of their camp experience.
The camp experience is not designed to be an insular, one-time thing. We want the sparks of camp to inspire change in campers’ lives back home. These questions are - to us - the most important. The power of camp is that it’s sticky - it lasts long after the week of camp is over. Our goal is always for 100% agreement on these questions. Maybe we will get there someday. But we're proud of the summer we had and how close we came to that mark.
Here are some of our favorite answers from the survey:
What would have made camp better for you?
Warm up the swimming hole!
I would say not losing my voice, but that means less screaming and singing, and I like to scream and sing. So I don't know.
If it was longer. Like another week or year longer.
It can't be better :)
What was your favorite part of camp?
In our skit I got to pour water on our counselor and she didn't like it.
Everything.
Worship was so fun!!!
I didn't think I would do the zipline, but I did and it was so much fun. Everyone in my group clapped too. That was cool.
That I came alone, but never felt lonely. I loved my family group!
These are just some that we thought you might enjoy the most. Every summer we are surprised at the insight our campers offer us. We are listening, and we can't wait to make those improvements next summer.
Until the next chapter at NaCoMe,
Ryan “Flash” Moore
Director