Straub Outdoors

"This organization is wonderful! My mother was a classroom teacher for many years and I grew up knowing the value of a good education. And, as a parent and Aunt, I've seen how extracurricular and academic enrichments programs can make a difference for young people. This is why I wholeheartedly recommend Straub Outdoors for anyone who is looking for a great outdoor science program for their kids. The instructors are all highly-trained college grads who really care about children and the field trips and activities sound like a lot of fun!"

"This camp was not a fit for our children and family. Below are areas I wish I had considered prior to enrolling: Communicating with parents whose children have attended previously, both where the camp was a success and where it wasn’t. This would have helped to understanding the traits of a child that could be a good fit (or not). Having only 1 counselor per 7 kids. In one instance, this resulted in kids walking through a parking lot back to the van, at times out of sight of the counselor, while they attended to another child. This was a tough situation and required a quick decision, but the outcome was not in alignment with the level of supervision we want. A connection with the counselor is important. When that bond doesn’t form my son can be less likely to respect authority. We recognize this as an area of continued work with our son, it is also a reason we would not select a camp with only one counselor per group in the future. Communication during registration and prior to the beginning of camp was exceptional – detailed and clear. Communication during the week of camp was non-existent. After the camp ended, the severity of feedback was inconsistent. Saturday emails felt open and collaborative – a great dialogue. Less than 24-hours later I was told one child would be unable to participate in a field trip during the upcoming week unless there was a significant change on Monday. We could have been working towards this during the week and managed it more effectively with timely communication. The change in tone wasn’t the result of further issues (it was the weekend), but highlighted significant communication gaps between the counselor and the executive director. For our kids, timely feedback is imperative in aiding in their growth. Our kids needed more detailed communication. Full disclosure, my son at times chooses not to listen which also impacted this. Example: Both kids misinterpreted a rule about water at knee level. The intent was kids wouldn’t get wet above the knee. Both thought it meant the height of the water needed to be knee level (for safety) with no restriction on how wet they could get. This wasn’t brought to our attention until after the end of the week. A single conversation with the kids resolved this and both came home having abided by the rule on Monday. I was told counselors cannot explain all of the rules (fair statement). For some hurdles, I was told the kids knew or should have learned from their prior experience. My kids are very comfortable in nature. What we as parents allow when we are in nature varied from the expectations during camp. I understand the need of the camp to have differing boundaries, but due to the lack of communication, we couldn’t help the kids draw those distinctions and help facilitate changes in behavior. Communication is not a one-size fits all and as parents we could have helped close those loops, working in partnership with the camp, if given the opportunity. I would only try one week of a new camp rather than multiple. A Sunday morning email saying my child may not be able to attend a day of camp the following week is problematic for a working parent. After a successful day of camp, receiving another email with continued uncertainty for the trip and suggesting we re-evaluate a later camp was troublesome. This camp had a high educational component (which they deliver on). The counselors knowledge related to the outdoors was exceptional. However, this camp helped us to realize we want and need the focus to be more on social and emotional growth, with a strong support system and partnership with parents for guidance along the way. The activity of the camp, for us, comes secondary. This experience, although disappointing, provided key insights and clarity in aspects of a summer camp to consider. This is not a referendum against Straub Outdoor Camp, but rather some definite lessons learned in evaluating whether this camp (or any camp) is a good fit."