5 Questions to Ask Adventure Summer Camp Directors

When it comes to teen summer camps and adventure programs, there are many companies out there with glossy catalogs and fancy websites. We know that the number of choices for next summer can seem overwhelming. Developed from questions that we have been asked over the years at Deer Hill, here are some vital questions to ask the people to whom you will entrust not just a summer, but also an important opportunity for growth and development – not to mention a significant investment on the part of parents. We have also provided our answers to the questions. We hope they make interesting reading. If you have any more questions you would like to ask, why not leave a comment? Or you can call our office on 800.533.7221 and talk to Doug, Beverly, Richard, Suzanne or Jason. We are a small team that is passionate about our mission, and we all love to speak with parents or teenagers about what we do.

What is different about your teen summer camp or teen travel program, and how do you ensure quality?

DHE says: Our combination of in-depth wilderness experiences and real community service projects with native peoples is unique and powerful. The opportunities for excitement, challenge, fun and personal growth are endless. We believe that if you take the time to visit our website, read our catalog, watch our video, talk to our staff, or an alumni family, you will see that Deer Hill is distinctive. Here there is integrity, history, a sense of place and belonging, and a community of people passionate about providing inspiring journeys for young people.

A Deer Hill expedition offers a true taste of the most beautiful backcountry in North America and Costa Rica. These are not tours, and unlike many teen adventure summer camp programs, we don’t go where the tourists go. You will be challenged, and you will work closely with a tight-knit team, making the kind of friendships that only happen when trust, honesty and mutual support is necessary. With 25 years of programming experience in “our backyard”, a full-service Basecamp, local support staff, and federal river/land-use permits in some of the most pristine wilderness areas in the world, we create programs that flow beautifully from location to location, activity to activity – from the rivers, to the canyons, to the mountains, to the Hopi, Navajo, Zuni and Ute reservations. These are special places, and it is our privilege to share them with our participants

We chose accreditation with the Association for Experiential Education, because we want our programs to be as fun, safe, and meaningful for our participants as they can possibly be. Accreditation means that we meet or exceed hundreds of standards in risk management, staffing and educating. We certainly recommend asking other organizations how they ensure quality and safety for their participants. Deer Hill has a safety record that is second-to-none. In 25 years of wilderness and service expeditions, not one participant has had an injury requiring an overnight hospital stay.

What is special about your community service projects and how do you ensure a “real” cross-cultural learning experience?

DHE says: For over 20 years, we have been building friendships with families in the Navajo, Hopi, Zuni and Ute Indian Nations. In some cases, Deer Hill groups have worked with three generations of the family. It is these relationships that ensure the integrity and depth of the community service projects we offer. For us, doing service is not just about “helping people”, although we certainly do that, whether we are helping create a healing Veteran’s Park for Navajo servicemen and women, restoring a vital spring in a Hopi pueblo, or gathering firewood for a Zuni elder. On a Deer Hill service project, you will spend 4-7 days contributing to a project that supports the traditional way of life of the tribe. While working alongside our native friends, sharing meals and swapping stories, you have the opportunity to truly get to know the people, their history, and their land. Think about the difference it makes to a community service experience when hosts have a real connection with the program, when they consider you to be “family”.

Tell me about your staff. What qualifies them to lead young people in the wilderness?

DHE says: Our staff are mature and experienced outdoor educators. Previous experience leading young people in the wilderness is a pre-requisite for employment. Our 10-12 day staff training is field-based and attendance is required for new staff, offering them a chance to learn the Deer Hill way from Deer Hill Directors and veteran leaders. Our field staff’s average age is 28, and most of them have been with us for years. Every staff member is required to hold a Wilderness First Responder certification, and many are even E.M.T. certified. But beyond these qualifications, our leaders are as eclectic and interesting as our participants. The one thing all of them have in common is the desire to share their passion for wilderness and service with like-minded young people. Meet them and find out more at our staff page.

What kind of people will be in the group?

DHE says: We can tell you that most groups have 12 participants and 3 leaders (an industry-leading 1:4 ratio), but there is no such thing as an average group. Our participants come from all over the U.S. and the world, and have different interests and experience levels. To help you see what your group might look like, check out the 2009 Ancient Pathways team here: A Typical Group.

Diversity is an important part of our mission, and we raise funds through our non-profit Foundation to support high-potential, low-income young people from around the U.S. and the world. On any given program, up to 25% of the  participants will be receiving financial aid. We work hard for this, partly because we do not want to exclude those from differing backgrounds, but mainly because we know that the more diverse the group, the more real and profound the experience.

Why did you create your teen summer camp or adventure program? Why do you do what you do?

DHE says: This is a great question! Why do we put in all these hours throughout the year, sweating over the details, developing our programs, facility and staff, and working from sunrise until sunset throughout the summer months to deliver a high quality, meaningful experience

We think that the answer to this is summed up in our slogan: “Find Yourself in the Middle of Nowhere”. What does this mean, anyway? It means that for us at Deer Hill, a teen summer camp program is not just about learning leadership and technical skills, trying your hand at new activities, seeing new places, offering your labor in community service. It is all this, of course, but there is more to it. To us, there is a deeper power in wilderness and in doing service, a power that can truly change people’s lives. Our programs are a chance to escape from the everyday and find out what really moves you, an opportunity to discover your strengths, and your passions, in an environment that is challenging and inspirational. We believe that in the hot, dry sun of a Utah river canyon, a cool sunrise over the Navajo reservation, or a crimson mountain sunset, you may see yourself in a different light. This is why we hold Circle every night, why we come together – to listen with respect and speak from the heart – so that we may share our stories and reflect on this journey we are on together.

Over the past 25 years, we have had so many powerful and inspirational moments. To be right there when a young person discovers what they are truly capable of, a group truly comes together as a team to face an unexpected challenge, or a native family and a group of teenagers laugh and joke and share stories as they work – that is a privilege and an honor. It is because of this that we really can’t imagine doing anything else.