Wendy Sorrell, now 38, of Hinesburg met her best friend at camp when she was 11, the first year she attended Camp Downer. Today she's a Camp Downer trustee. Although active in everything from club work to international youth exchange programs as a 4-H'er growing up in Grand Isle, it was camp, Sorrell says, that had the biggest impact on her life. In addition to helping her build self-confidence and allowing her to try new activities, it taught her tolerance of the differences in others. It let you be who you wanted to be.
Camp opens kids up to a whole new experience of meeting new kids.
You can have friends at home, but at camp you meet people from different backgrounds and beliefs. In this setting, everyone is more accepting of each other's differences. That acceptance often continues when the kids return to school. Numbers in Vermont are up for 1999. FY-98 For older youth who sign up for the leadership training program, camp also provides a chance to develop strong leadership and communication skills.