Overnight Camp Video Series - 1st - 6th Graders Focus on Comfort Away from Home and More 

Avid4 Adventure Mt. Evans Overnight Camp – located on over 500 acres of private property outside of Evergreen, Colorado – is where the summer outdoor adventures for 1st - 6th graders happen. On site climbing crags, mountain biking trails, a pond for paddle sports and more make Mt. Evans an ideal spot for younger campers to build confidence outdoors, make new friends and memories to last a lifetime. Base camp facilities are also equipped with comfortable amenities that make it a cozy home away from home.

Learn more about the experience at Mt. Evans by watching the video featuring Director, Eric Rightor, or read the full transcript below.

Full Transcript:

Hey Everyone my name is Eric and I am the director at Mt. Evans Overnight Camp. First, thank you for sending and thinking about sending your most prized possession to overnight camp. It was a gift I got when I was really young. I grew up in the northeast where all my friends went to overnight camp. I was really nervous but after my parents sent me, I have gone back to overnight camp every single summer since. This is year 23 for me and will be an amazing summer. Not only for me but also for your child.

At Mt Evans, we start with the basics as we know that you’re sending your most prized possession to our care. We take this really seriously. That’s why we have a lot of things laid out to make sure that your kid has an unbelievable experience at camp. The first thing that we focus on is being comfortable away from home. This may be the first time your child has left home and that is a really important thing to talk about. Being able to use the first 30 minutes, the first two hours and the first 24 hours to really build that comfort away from home by making friends, making sure we convey that there's someone that cares about them, that we support them, and that they are going to have a blast at camp -- that’s really where it all starts. Then it just takes off from there.

The second thing we get into is learning about the skills for how to be comfortable exploring in the backcountry. From paddling to biking to hiking to knowing where you are -- all of those things are really important. These skills help campers build the confidence and the foundation for future programs at our Windy Peak location, Expeditions and beyond.

The third thing I really want to talk about is the most important thing about camp and it’s about having fun. Camp is supposed to be a blast so our counselors are dressing up like Pokemon, we’re running skits, we’re talking around campfires, we’re doing everything we can to put a smile on your kids face. They will smile, they will laugh and they're gonna have so much fun this summer. That is the magic of camp.

My dad asked me this way back early in my career when I wanted to be a teacher. He asked me, "Where did you learn the most?" I thought about it for a long time but when I started looking back to my college career, high school and any of the classes I’ve taken since, I learned the most at camp. I learned how to be me, and I learned how to have fun with everyone who is around me and that's why I committed my career to being in camping and having fun with kids and staff and trying to think of new ways to make them feel more comfortable teaching the skills of how to explore and how to have a blast in the backcountry. Again, what you’re signing up for here at camp is an education through recreation which is the most important education there is. I'm so grateful that you are watching this video and thinking about sending your kid overnight camp, it's the best gift you can give. I hope you give it this summer. Thanks so much.

To request more information on our Mt. Evans Overnight Camps in Evergreen, Colorado open for kids from all across the United States and from around the world for first through sixth graders (and our Staff-In-Training program for twelfth graders), click below.