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In the United States and across the world, the summer camp industry was hit incredibly hard due to COVID-19. Approximately 62% of summer camps had to close in 2020 and some may never open back up again. Fortunately, due to our entire headquarters team quickly jumping into action and some extraordinary leadership, we were still able to serve our mission to empower kids to get outdoors while keeping campers and staff safe.

Ah, Saturday morning. You’re relaxing over a steaming cup of joe (or tea) and looking forward to the day ahead: a hike with the whole family. You’re excited to share the outdoor plans you’ve made for the crew but as the rest of the family begins to rise after a long week at school or camp you find your idea is met with hesitation and objections.

Improved creativity, focusing on the present moment through mindfulness, increased confidence, enhanced mental health—these are just a few of the incredible benefits getting outdoors can offer to both kids and adults. But what if simply going out in nature at a young age actually had an impact on how our brains develop? You may want to think twice about cancelling your plans to go on that hike with your child because it turns out that outdoor experiences do have a profound effect on brain development in several ways.

The summer of 2020 has impacted virtually every aspect of our lives and summer camps is no exception. In mid-March we began planning for what our summer camp programs might look like in 2020.

Well, 2020 has been a difficult year to say the least. From the child's perspective, their lives were completely transformed in the blink of an eye. Seeing their classmates, friends and family in person quickly turned into online learning, staying indoors, and wearing masks when in public. From my perspective, these last few months have been some of the most challenging work of my life. As a member of the marketing team, I had to get the word out about our new adapted programs immediately while still also helping develop them. I worked with different teams, everyday things changed and my work was different. It was exhilarating, stressful, exciting and emotionally draining—quite the learning experience and one that I will never forget.