What Does CAMP Mean To You?

We are used to many different acronyms at The Story School. The biggest one is LARP (live-action, role-playing) and there's our hidden one in the name Camp FABLE (Fantasy Adventure-Based Learning Experience). But, we also challenge our returning heroes who wish to become CiTs (Counselors-in-Training) to help us define what camp means to them by turning CAMP into an acronym. It's a creative and reflective challenge, but also for me as an interviewer, an incredibly rewarding question. It has also helped us with communicating with new members of our community.

CiTs in character

CiTs just being characters

We spend every year recruiting campers, donations, and partners. We try to define camp for new families at camp fairs. We appeal to our donors to envision what camp has meant and will mean to future campers. We try to capture the essence of camp through blogs, brochures, websites, videos, images, and more. But when it comes down to it, the best way to explain the impact of camp is through those who have experienced it. So I present to you the definition of CAMP at The Story School through the words of our amazing campers:

is for Community.

80% of campers who are asked what the "C" in camp stands for tells us it is community. The friends that they make and keep. They told us stories about how supported they felt at camp. How they found so many kids who were just like them. They talked about community outside of camp: visiting each other for birthdays, meeting up for foam-sword sparring, playing D&D online to stay connected despite distance, or discovering their camp bestie lived right down the road. I loved seeing "courage" and "creativity" in their responses, especially since they don't think of themselves this way outside of camp. Then there is "caring," "compassion," and "collaboration." It is our hope year after year that we are building the character of our campers while they play their characters. A few of our CiTs went as far to say that Camp Fable and Camp Grimoire are a places of safety for them stating they feel "comfort" and "curiosity" when at camp.

is for Adventure

No surprises here! When asked why LARP camp and why come to our camp, the answer always assimilates adventures and action. Our story team spends all year writing the quests and plot, and then spends every night of camp rewriting the story based on the campers' choices during the summer. We aim for a balance between agency, autonomy, and authenticity in all our adventures. Would you believe a number two answer was Acting? Acting?! Of course! We do love our theater nerds and wonderful larpers. The other answer I loved to see? Advocacy. Many of our CiTs stated feeling seen and supported by our inclusive programming. Also, if we had a nickel for every time someone submitted "ah-magination" (in their own words, imagination that is born out of sudden creativity), we would have two nickels. Which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it happened twice.

is for Memories

What do all our campers take with them from camp (besides massive amounts of skill tokens)? Memories. The amount of stories our CiTs shared in their feedback of the story they would never forget are beyond measure. They talk about their best day at camp. Or the time that camp made them feel like a main character. They talk about the monsters and the magic and even the mundane moments. The immersive experience of this LARP camp, where they are living out their own stories, means their memories stick with them even more than marshmallows stick to their fingers at the campfires. And we agree most mightily about magic. There is so much magic at any summer camp but even more so at LARP camp. Camp is made of minute moments (campfires, battles, puzzles) that build to become momentous. "Making" was another word mentioned often. Whether making memories above, or making friends, or just plan making all the crafts we make at camp. I'm also so pleased to note that many of our CiTs feel "motivated" by our programs. The morale and merriment of campers that make up this magnificent camp mean so much to our masterful staff members.

is for People

What makes camp run? The people. When pressed about what people the CiTs meant, they said everyone. Whether it is the staff making sure campers are cared for, the volunteers helping camp run, their fellow CiTs making the monsters, or the campers themselves having the time of their life, it is the people that matter. The CiTs shared the way that each person at camp made an impact on them (including some taking the time to talk about me and the other camp directors). If you want a good cry, ask a CiT about their favorite person at camp. Following close behind people, was play/playful. We learn best, we try hardest, and we are at our most relaxed when we are playing. Our CiTs felt like even when camp was at its most challenging, they were still playing. When we do our job right, Camp Fable and Grimoire turns every experience at camp whether practicing people skills, preparing potions, or pursuing personal goals into play. We roll play into everything we do (puns are playful too!). Progress, pride, and purpose are also so wonderful to see in these answers. We take great pride in our phenomenal players and hope this place is also performing to our potential.

So there you have it. What does camp mean? Apparently, everything. We even had one of our CiTs sum up CAMP in a full sentence: Campers at Most Potential

These amazing heroes in our programs, campers and CiTs alike, deserve all the community, adventure, memories, and play that we can create for them. Please help us continue to create this place for them and support The Story School and our mission to give CAMP (and everything it stands for) to these amazing heroes year after year. You can find links below to hear even more testimonials and to find a link to our donation page.

• Boston's Adam 12 Camp Testimonial

• Story School Camp Testimonials

Donate to Give The Gift of CAMP