About Starfish

The Starfish philosophy, which provides 1:1 support
for campers, is based on engaging campers in a
variety of well-structured traditional summer camp
activities in a safe and predictable environment. According
to consistent survey responses, many children who attend
Starfish enjoy an improved self-esteem that translates into
a positive attitude towards learning in school, as well as an
increased confidence in engaging with peers and trying
new things.

Every activity at Starfish is specifically geared to meet the
needs and abilities of each bunk, activity group, and child.
Activities are well-structured and guided by a thoughtfully
designed curriculum. Staff consistently seek innumerable
ways to provide campers with positive reinforcement while
helping them to recognize and articulate their strengths.

Read on below to learn more about: Cabin and Activity
Groups, the Structure and Schedule of a general camp
day, the Starfish Tools, and the Strategies our staff use
to help every child experience success.

"I believe that Camp Starfish had a huge impact on
Taesha. When she returned [from camp], it seemed as
though she had really "grown up". She had a wonderful
time participating in camp activities and meeting new
friends. She also seemed more comfortable and
appropriate around adults. Her ability to interact
positively with her peers had improved tremendously.
She also began to acquire the skills to settle conflicts
with words with both adults and friends. Camp Starfish
truly brought out the best in Taesha."

During the remainder of the day, campers are engaged in traditional summer camp
activities with a small "activity group" - a different group of campers than their bunk
mates. This gives everyone a chance to build additional social connections and gives
campers natural space from campers with whom they are living. As a staff member,
not only are you responsible for a cabin group, but you will also work in an activity
area during those hours when campers are divided into their activity groups. Some of
the activities at Starfish include:

Bunk Life Every camper is placed into a bunk
based on his or her age, abilities, and needs.
A typical bunk consists of 5 campers who are
supervised by a team of 4 -6 counselors. The bunk
spends time together at each meal, during cabin
clean up and rest hour, and during some activity
periods. Each evening ends with showers and cabin
meeting, a time during which each camper has the

opportunity to go over their goals chart with one of the counselors. Also before bed, the
daily schedule for the following day is forecasted to the campers and stories are read.
Most often, the cabin meeting also includes a chance for everybody - campers and staff
- to share something about their day with the rest of the group.

Twice a day, the campers enjoy a structured free-play. Most campers will have a staff
"buddy" during this time, and along with their buddy, are able to travel around the camp,
choosing activities as they feel they would enjoy them. During this time, the waterfront is
open, the Learning Center usually hosts a chess tournament or computer time, the
basketball court is always hopping with activity, and elective activities are offered which
change daily. Some electives have included "club" type activities like theater, track & field,
or a language class. Others are one-time offers like origami, kite-making, ping-pong
tournament, or floor hockey. This activity time gves campers an opportunity to practice
their good choice making, positive interactions with adults, and confidence.

The Tools These are the values of Camp Starfish. They
outline coping skills and personal intentions, and by teaching
them, staff are able to help campers put behaviors and
feelings into context. All camp rules are based on a tool, for
example, and you will often hear staff (and find yourself!)
using the tools to help calm escalated campers: "I think your
painting looks great! You put so much effort into it and that
really shows. Remember here we don't have to be the
best...just try our best. Hey, I bet that would look great
hanging up in the bunk next to your goals chart."

There are Tools written for younger and older campers, as well as for adults. All express
the same basic principles - (an example of the adult version of a tool is: " We honor
cooperation over competition; attitude over aptitude; and effort over ability.") Each set of
tools is split into two groups: community tools (those values that affect interactions with
others) and individual tools (those values which are based on internal coping). Tools are
integrated all over camp - from the Tool of the Day (which is used at each activity and
acted out by the Tools Team at morning Gathering), to the Garden of Tools where you
can relax, smell the flowers, and just think for a while about the small signs around you.
Listed here are the general Starfish Tools for Campers:

- I always try my best. I do not have to be the best.
- I take responsibility for my actions.
- I am respectful to others.
- I care about my health, so I play outdoors and eat healthy foods.
- I tell the truth.
- I try new things.
- I let other people help me.
- I ask for help when I need it.
- I listen to others when they are speaking.
- I use my words to express my needs and feelings.

Upon first reading the Strategies, they appear deceptively simple. The key, and what
makes Starfish such a unique place, is an entire group of people actively using these
skills and ideas in their daily work with children. "Engage campers. Provide time. Allow
campers to take space. Catch children being good..." The strategy behind the Strategies
is simple: make camp a positive, safe place where campers are actively participating in
things they enjoy. Helping children learn what it means to be accountable for their
choices with positive feedback and without embarrassment helps them make more
productive choices in the future. Pair the Tools with the Strategies and you have Starfish:
a place to learn, grow and have fun. Each of the Strategies fall into one of the following
categories:

The Strategies are a guiding group of principles that we
use while working with the young people entrusted to our
care. These simple, yet powerfully effective concepts
form the basis of our behavior management philosophy,
our daily structure and schedule, and truly, they are the
basis of why we are able to set campers up for such
great success.

Camp has its own structure, which although activities change from day to day, campers
know that "first free play is always after Cabin Clean-up" and the time that each activity
starts and ends is (as much as possible!) the same each day. Even though campers don't
wear watches, this consistency helps considerably to calm anxiety and hyperactivity.

Activities and Bunk Life also have their own structure, based on an all-camp model that is
then adjusted for each gender, age and camper group appropriately. Your child's
counselors, supervised closely by administrators, will have an active role in setting the
structure for the bunk. For example, while outside every activity area and cabin are
benches that campers sit on while waiting to be called to participate or to enter the cabin,
each counselor team structures their benches routine differently. Sometimes they might
ask trivia questions, dismissing campers into the bunk as each answers with a guess
(being right isn't the most important thing!). Outside activity areas, like Arts & Crafts, staff
will generally tell campers about the project of the day then "check for understanding" by
asking each camper in turn to repeat an instruction they've just been given before they
head inside to start. For another example, transitioning between activities might be a time
that one cabin group does best if singing a camp song together, while another bunk might
transition more successfully by having each camper hold the hand of a counselor and
walk in a line. Structures are reviewed daily to ensure that they are continuously meeting
the needs of the campers, and adjusted accordingly.

Structure is something we use a lot at Camp
Starfish, because we know children thrive on it. They
need routines to help them feel safe in a stable and
predictable environment. Plus, our campers learn
through repetition. When the campers know what to
expect, then they know what to do, and then they
can do the right thing and enjoy success!

Our Daily Schedule includes a whole lot of doing! We're up
before breakfast singing and watching the "morning news" at
Gathering, then it's activities of one kind or another all day.
Rest time is always a big hit, too.

The "Camp Starfish Daily Tides" is our daily Camp Newsletter
and Schedule. It's a special honor to be the Fish (boys side) or
Star (girls side) campers who get to help pass out the schedule
to the staff at dinner! Then, staff are able to share the next day's
events with their bunks at cabin meeting later that evening. The
Tides also includes the Tool of the Day, the Strategy of the Day,
and even notes from our "Weatherbug," who comes daily to the
Morning Gathering to tell us all Whether there will be
Weather...and when!