Overnight Camp Video Series - 7th-11th Graders Build Skills to Navigate Teen Years & Beyond

Avid4 Adventure's Overnight Camps for 7th-11th graders are packed with empowering outdoor adventures but encompass even more too. At Windy Peak, campers have the ability to develop skills that may help them navigate their teen years. Watch the video featuring Heather Cardneau, Director at Windy Peak Overnight Camp or read the full transcript below to learn more.

Full Video Transcript:

Hi, I’m Heather, our Director at Windy Peak. I’m so excited to share just a little bit with you about Windy Peak Overnight Camp. I was a middle schooler when I started going to camp, I know the transformation it gave me and I am passionate about creating that for other kids.

With that, one thing that I love about Avid4 Adventure is that we have these great core sports that we all love. At Windy Peak — with teenagers — the core sports are just the avenue to teach about other things. Specifically soft skills and things that are going on in their lives. I look back and think about the staff who walked life with me and the mentors that camp provided. I do what I do now because of a staff member who encouraged me to pursue it. I’m really excited that now we have some awesome staff that want to walk the road with your teenagers. Now, twelve years later as a director, I am really excited to work with your teenagers too. 

There are a few foundational things that are so huge at this age which we really focus on at Windy Peak — the first being independence. They are in this weird stage where they want to do things on their own but sometimes they need a little help still. We can really encourage that.

Another big part of being a teenager is they are often told who they are or who they are not. They may get labels put on them. However, camp is this free place that they can be who they think they are — someone they may feel like they cannot be at school or home. They may even try out a new identity and that is totally safe at camp.

Lastly, my favorite thing about Avid4 Adventure is this idea of positive risk taking. Your teenager's brain needs more heightened experiences to get the same sort of response as in younger years. Teen years are where we may see those risky behaviors or actions come out. We teach them again through these core sports how to assess risk so they can not only do it on a mountain biking trail but also back home when something changes in their friend group or something changes at school or home. That is really why we are here and that is really what it’s all about.

I am so thankful that I had these mentors in my life who walked my teenage years with me and we are so thankful for you for considering allowing us to do that with your teenagers. We hope to see you at Windy Peak.

Our Overnight Camps are open for kids from all across the United States and around the world. To learn more about our Windy Peak Overnight Camps for 7th-11th graders (including program and discount information) in Bailey, Colorado with outdoor adventures like rock climbing, whitewater rafting, archery, hiking and paddling, click the button below.