Camp IAWAH: Parent Interview with Patricia Kaiser

Watch our Parent interview with Patricia Kaiser to hear firsthand what children experience and how they grow at Camp IAWAH.

Transcript of the interview

What’s unique about Camp IAWAH?

Camp IAWAH is a Christian camp with facilities, grounds, and staff that, in my opinion, are unparalleled. 

What would you highlight about Camp IAWAH?

The Youth Development Program (YDLP) is the biggest strength of Camp IAWAH. It raises up youth and teenagers to be incredible leaders and helps them to grow so well. Eventually, many of them become staff. Some of those staff have been trained over several years through YDLP. They are able to meet the needs of kids in a really beautiful way. Watching the staff work with the children at Camp IAWAH is incredible. I credit some of that to the YDLP program because some of those staff actually have been raised up through many years with camp. 

How did you know that Camp IAWAH was the right fit?

It was our children who decided it was the right fit. We attended some winter retreats for families when our children were really young. From then on, they fell in love with Camp IAWAH, and they said, “We want to go! When I'm old enough to be in Jump Start, I want to go to Camp IAWAH.”

So they did. And it was really them who chose it. We were already involved with Camp IAWAH and had a bit of a history with it, so of course, we supported that. But it really was our kids. 

Was there any personal growth you saw in your child?

All three of our children attended Camp IAWAH as campers right from Jump Start up. 

[We saw an] incredible amount of confidence develop in our children as they became campers and returned from camp. We would pick them up and they would be so independent and able to make their way around camp, feeling safe and at home and supported. 

It was wonderful to see that confidence and the love [they] developed for the staff, the cabin leaders, and the friends in their cabins. Developing those relationships in a child right from a young age provides that confidence and self-esteem: the ability to move on in different areas of your life, knowing that you've had those positive experiences. 

How can you help your child to get the most out of their experience with Camp IAWAH?

It's always difficult to send your child anywhere on their own. However, to me, Camp IAWAH is the least stressful place for my child to go. It's such a safe place. 

The staff at Camp IAWAH is beautifully trained. They’re loving and supportive of kids. If a child has an issue, if a child has a bit of homesickness, if a child has an accident and wets their bed, if there's anything that happens, if there's a medical issue, there's always staff there to deal with it, support the child, and help them feel confident and comfortable where they are. 

When my husband and I had to travel for a special event, we thought, “Who's going to look after our kids?” And we [figured out how to] perfectly time it so that our children are all at Camp IAWAH.  If we have to leave the country, that's the best place for them to be. That's how much faith we have in Camp IAWAH. 

I've said this already, but the most important skill that children develop at camp is confidence. When you have confidence as a child, you’re able to go into every area of your life and develop resilience and manage. I find that Camp IAWAH instills such a sense of confidence in children.  That really is the number one value of sending children to Camp IAWAH. 

Confidence development in a caring Christian community - you can't beat it. 

What does your child say about their experience with Camp IAWAH?

A couple of nights ago, we were talking at the dinner table as a family, discussing what we might do for our next family vacation. Everyone was throwing out different ideas. My daughter, the youngest, said, I would really rather be at camp than anywhere else. Camp, IAWAH. How do you beat that? 

If you are at all hesitating, just try it. Take the plunge, send your child to Camp IAWAH. You will love it. They will love it, and you'll never look back.

Interviews with parents, participants, and alum

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