Programs — Camp Omni

What Goes On At Camp Omni?

Camp is a set of inter-locking activity blocks, all working towards the mission. Critical thinking activity blocks are designed to teach\illustrate\provoke discussion of scientific, skeptical or humanistic ideas. Team game blocks help children build team bonds. Critical thinking time reminds kids that folks who ‘think differently’ can impact the world – and might be them one day. Downtime blocks provide kids a chance to unwind and process their experiences internally. Free time blocks give kids a chance to make their own independent decisions about how to use their time. Elective blocks feature progressive skill learning to build self-esteem. Special activity blocks like carnivals, hikes, campfires and stargazing put the icing on the cake, bringing the entire camp community together to create memories to last a lifetime.

Critical Thinking Activities

What do critical thinking activities entail? In a broad sense, they involve fostering curiosity, encouraging questioning, and maintaining a healthy skepticism towards unquestioningly accepting authority. They entail demanding evidence and recognizing the capacity to form independent observations, even when they may lead to differing conclusions. When it comes to the activities themselves, the range is quite diverse, spanning from engaging in scientific games to participating in humanist "life skills" exercises – all designed to be enjoyable!

Each year, we develop a fresh curriculum tailored to align with the camp's theme, with previous activities cycling back in after a few years. Some of our past activities have included:

Verbal Dodge Ball – Navigating interactions with individuals holding diverse perspectives.
Labels and Potatoes – Exploring individual identity and the labels one might choose to adopt.
Paradigm Shift – Delving into the scientific process and adapting to new evidence.
Another’s Shoes – Stepping into someone else's perspective and exploring differences.
What’s Random? – Investigating the presence of randomness or patterns in various contexts.

A Typical Day at Camp

Children are put into similar-age cabin groups and sleep in a bunk in a cabin. (Note: a gender specific cabin is available to parents who select this option. This helps support campers ability to build empathy for others.) Normally there are 8 children and two adults in each cabin, although some cabin groups may be smaller.

We think it is important for campers to have the opportunity for both tight small groups to build emotional connections and confidences and also larger groups where they can connect and have fun with campers who might be older or younger. In our schedule, there is time for both. Teams usually consist of multiple cabins and many activities are done in these team groups like Team Games and Critical Thinking Activities. Other activities are camp-wide like Big Sound Jamboree, our annual service projects and our weekly Big Group Game. Still other activities enable campers to choose. These are not only opportunities for campers to choose what to do but also freedom to mix and mingle with who they want to hang out with. These would include free time and our weekly hike choices. Usually, one meal each day has open seating so campers can spend time talking with campers and staff outside their immediate group.

You’ll notice our free time block is fairly sizable – because we believe that giving children freedom to manage their own time is an important part of growing up. During free time, there are many activity stations available like archery, swimming, canoeing, crafts, the chill zone, ice cream making and rock climbing. And, of course – the opportunity for campers to start up their own games – like pick up basketball or softball.

Here’s a typical day’s schedule:

7:00 Wake up bell
7:30 Breakfast Assembly
8:30 Cleanup
9:15 Team Games
10:15 Water Break
10:30 Critical Thinking Activity
11:30 Lunch Assembly
12:30 Flat-on-Bunk Time
2:00 Free Time (includes pool, archery, canoe, arts and crafts, and more)
5:15 Dinner Assembly
6:00 Cabin Skit Planning/Practice
6:45 Big Sound Jamboree
7:15 Critical Thinking Activity
8:15 Evening Activity
9:30 In Cabins
10:00 Lights Out

Leadership Track

Campers between the ages of 15-17 will love our Leadership Track (LT) program (and so will parents)!

We have customized our curriculum and activities for teenagers to:

Be more challenging
Include leadership and social responsibilities
Provide an opportunity to chart their own course

LTs will embark on an exclusive field trip and campfire, led by camp counselors who are focused on their ages. But they’ll also assist with many of the activities that engage younger campers, including critical thinking experiments and traditional outdoor fun.

As an LT, campers will learn more about themselves, their teammates, Humanism, and Camp Omni than ever before. They’ll have an opportunity to mentor younger campers, resolve conflicts, and be a leader in the world outside of camp.

Objectives

Learning objectives for the LT Program include: calculated risk taking, respect for self and others, a sense of place in a greater community, healthy relationships, listening, taking compliments/critiques, being approachable, and conflict resolution.

Enrollment

To enroll in the LT program, campers need to be an incoming high school sophomore, junior, or senior. They will register as a camper through the regular process.