As screen addiction and general awareness of it increases, camps find themselves in the perfect position to help, and subsequently they have a significant new value proposition.
So…how might a camp leverage this value proposition to help increase Enrollment?
Camp Livingston recently completed an independent survey to really understand what it’s like for kids to be "screen free” at camp. Campers and parents gave in-depth and overwhelmingly positive responses.
- 20% of campers who responded said that "addiction" describes their relationship with their phone.
- Almost half had tried in the past to curb their use.
- 46% say their screen hiatus had a lasting effect on them.
- Campers reported: Fewer headaches, longer attention span, calming effects, sleeping better, and ability to try new things.
Some camper quotes include:
“Phones...cause lots of drama between people...it can be nice to leave some of the drama at home and live in the moment.”
“I like not worrying about if someone snapchatted or if you got likes on a pic. It surprised me how easy it was.”
"It really takes a load off your shoulders when you’re not struggling to keep up with social media.”
"“It made me realize I have a life without it.”
“It’s not that hard.”
Without any additional investment, the ability to combat this major threat is an increasingly powerful way to promote your camp. And new data that shows campers themselves see the benefit should reassure and inspire most parents struggling with the issue.
Camp Livingston leveraged this truth about their program in a new way to promote camp enrollment. Are there new ways your camp can promote its benefits and increase enrollment or retention?
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Written by Aron Goldman. Aron is a Mentor with JCamp 180. Aron’s focus areas at JCamp 180 include camper enrollment, recruitment, and retention. He also directs our year-long Enrollment Program. Aron also has experience working as a consultant with grassroots, regional, national, and international organizations in the areas of capacity-building, strategy, and systemic change.
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Who we are: JCamp 180 is a program of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation (HGF). Our goal is to significantly enhance the long-term effectiveness of nonprofit Jewish camps in North America. To meet this goal, we provide affiliated Jewish camps with consulting services, annual conferences, shared resources, professional development, and matching grant opportunities. Find more at www.jcamp180.org